European Innovation Convention

The European Commission is holding its first European Innovation Convention in Brussels on December 5th-6th. This is intended as a major annual event – the target is 1,200 participants – for stakeholders from across the innovation chain, including high-level policy makers, leading CEOs, deans of universities and research centres, bankers, venture capitalists, top researchers and innovators. The programme of the Innovation Convention will include master classes and round tables on innovation, an interactive panel debate with global innovation players, and the award of the Women Innovators Prize. Key stakeholders, including TAFTIE, have been invited to organise short workshops within the convention on topics closely related to the Innovation Union priorities.

The Commission has accepted a joint proposal TAFTIE and EARTO – the EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATIONS – for a workshop on how regional, national and European programmes can be co-ordinated to provide an effective European innovation support framework for high-growth potential SMEs. The workshop programme will soon be published and TAFTIE members will be informed directly.