Taftie Policy Forum

24th November 2016
14:00 - 18:00 hrs

Stanhope Hotel, Brussels

 

list of particpants (as of 20th November)

 

This year, TAFTIE Policy Forum will be dedicated to a high topical issue being among top priorities of the European Commission for the coming years: the European Innovation Council (EIC) project.

 

The EIC is based on the observation that positive steps have been taken in recent years to integrate an innovation component into EU programs and policies, in particular Horizon 2020. However the array of support mechanisms can be difficult to navigate, and lacks the flexibility and responsiveness that disruptive innovation (i.e innovation that creates new markets as opposed to incremental innovation) requires.

 

Europe is told to have a persistent backwardness in terms of companies scaling and disruptive innovation. As Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, says "Europe has excellent science, but we lack disruptive market-creating innovation. This is what is needed to turn our best ideas into new jobs, businesses and opportunities”.

 

As envisaged by the Commission, the potential role of the EIC could be to simplify access to innovation support instruments, making them more responsive to company’s needs (more bottom up) and filling gaps (scale up program; non grant support etc.).

 

Upon proposal of the European Commission (DG RTD), 13 Innovation agencies agreed to participate in a workshop in Brussels on 20 October to provide their experience and views on main questions related to the EIC.

 

TAFTIE policy forum agenda has been conceived as a follow up of these discussions. The general structure for discussion divided into three panels remains:  
 

1)    Making EU instruments for innovation (SME Instrument, FTI, FET Open/Proactive) more prone to market-creating innovation

2)    Bottom-up proposals evaluation: how to make it work (experts’ profile, retaining experts, places for face to face interviews, role for national innovation agencies)?

3)    Non-grant support for start-ups and SMEs: What financial instruments and opportunities for scale up are missing and how could they be implemented?

 

The aim will be to first report on main points discussed on 20 October and then to go one step further addressing remaining questions with innovation agencies and EU stakeholders.

 

In addition to TAFTIE members, this Policy forum will bring together innovation experts, academics, and representatives from the Commission, the EU Parliament, national representations in Brussels and trade bodies.

 

TAFTIE Policy Forum will also enable to report on three TAFTIE task forces namely: TAFTIE High potential SME community, TAFTIE SELECT and TAFTIE COMPACT. 

 

 

Interested in participating? You register yourself via this LINK

Information on the programme and logistics is to be found in this TRAVEL SHEET