EU Commission Enterprise and Industry - 28/11/08

DG Entreprise & Industry: The second conference of the Europe INNOVA community focused on the current financial turmoil and how accelerating innovation would help the EU to weather the storm and prosper
"Some 550 delegates from 30 different countries arrived in Lyon for the second conference of the Europe INNOVA community. The three-day gathering proved to be as innovative as its participants, and creatively explored the main issues facing innovation policy and support in the EU. The participants discussed instruments for transforming and translating knowledge into successful business ideas and applications, as well as the most efficient ways of tackling access to finance, intellectual property rights (IPR) and providing support to fast-growing companies and clusters. A number of models and tools developed by Europe INNOVA networks to accelerate the commercialisation of new ideas and in support of innovative companies were also showcased. How innovation can be marshalled to pull Europe out of the emerging economic turmoil was also high on the agenda – and on participants’ minds." [Europa]

DG Entreprise & Industry: Towards the next generation of Europe INNOVA: New call for proposals published
"The call for proposals for the next generation of Europe INNOVA projects was published on 12 November 2008. The call concerns the setting-up of Innovation Platforms for transnational cluster cooperation, knowledge-intensive services, eco-innovation and the promotion of novel tools and service concepts for innovation support.

The calls documents can be downloaded from:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/funding/files/themes_2008/calls_prop.htm, where any updates will also be published. The deadline for submission of proposals is 12 February 2009.

A partner search tool is available on:
http://www.proinno-europe.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=434&parentID=0.

In parallel with this call for proposals, a call for proposals under the PRO INNO Europe® Initiative has also been published. An information day is planned for 17 December 2008 in Brussels on the Europe INNOVA (morning session) and PRO INNO Europe® (afternoon session) calls for proposals. Please be aware that you must pre-register for the information day by filling in the registration form available with the call documents. [EuropeInnova]