TAFTIE POLICY FORUM
June 2010, Brussels

Building upon the 2009 Policy Forum and noting the significant progress achieved since then concerning SME (where TAFTIE has developed a recommendation on future SME Innovation Support Measures through a task force), it was decided to focus the Policy Forum 2010 on an emerging issue of interest to members, whose relevance is being accelerated by the crisis and the need of Europe to adopt practices able to produce higher standards of economic and social relevance:

The evolving role of Business Firms in an Innovation Union 

The TAFTIE Policy Forum took place on 8th June in Brussels.

Professor Gonzalo León, Vice President for Research of the Technical University of Madrid and former Chair of the Lisbon Expert Group, introduced his paper on the issue.

 Mr. Strohmeier, Deputy Director-General Scientific Advances of DG Research and Innovation, talked about innovation policy at the European level.

The German Eureka Chair 2009-2010, represented by Luuk Borg, Head of the Eureka Secretariat, and the incoming Israeli Eureka Chair, represented by Dr Shaul Freireich, Deputy Chief Scientist, revealed future plans as laid down in the Eureka Strategic Roadmap.

As a result of the Policy Forum, TAFTIE decided to publish a statement:

Challenge and opportunities for European firms in the emerging European Research & Innovation landscape