STATE OF THE INNOVATION UNION

The European Commission has published a report on the progress made so far under its Innovation Union flagship initiative, which intends to ensure that innovative ideas are translated into new goods and services which create growth and jobs. Most of its 34 commitments underpinning this strategy are on schedule, and based on wide-ranging debates with stakeholders, legislative proposals have been tabled according to plan and pilot actions have been launched and tested. In particular the new Horizon 2020 proposal envisages bringing together current research and innovation programmes into a single strategic framework to fund the whole innovation cycle.

The full report can be downloaded at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/872

MAJOR NEW REPORT ON UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS COOPERATION

The Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre in Münster, Germany (S2BMRC) has just published the findings of a major study on University-Business Cooperation (UBC) in Europe. Commissioned by DG Education and Culture of the  European Commission,  the study investigated different forms of cooperation between HEIs and private and public organisations in Europe over a fifteen-and-a-half month period in 2010 and 2011. The study not only aims to measure the actual level of UBC (i.e. status quo) to provide a benchmark for European UBC, but also to outline potential reasons, influencing factors, drivers and barriers to UBC as well as to offer recommendations for the future.

The main components of the study were in-depth qualitative interviews with 10 recognised industry experts as well as a major quantitative survey. The survey was translated into 22 languages and sent to all registered European HEIs (numbering over 3,000) in 33 countries during March 2011. Through this, a final sample population of 6,280 academics and HEI representatives was achieved making the study the largest study into cooperation between HEIs and business yet completed in Europe. Furthermore, 30 good practice UBC case studies were written up to provide positive examples of European UBC.

The final report and case studies can be downloaded at http://www.ub-cooperation.eu/

Comments and feedback can be forwarded to one of the survey leaders, Todd Davey (BSc, MA), Manager, International Projects, Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre davey@fh-muenster.de

GE INNOVATION BAROMETER: EUROPEANS MOST INNOVATIVE – BUT DOWNBEAT

European countries retain the best reputation amongst their global rivals as champions of innovation, according to the recently published GE Innovation Barometer 2012. It found that four of the five European countries included in the survey of 22 nations were classed in the top 10 when all respondents were asked to rate the leading innovation champions. Germany came in second  – pipped by the US – while the UK, France and Sweden were classed in seventh, eighth and ninth places respectively. However, when businesses in the same survey countries were asked how satisfied they were with the innovation environment in their home countries, France, the UK and Germany were fourth, fifth and eighth most pessimistic.

The study polled 2,800 senior business executives in 22 countries, all with direct involvement in their company’s innovation strategy and decision making. The survey was conducted between 15 October and 15 November 2011. More information and downloads can be found at http://www.ge.com/innovationbarometer/

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS OPEN FOR TII 2012 CONFERENCE

TII’s 2012 conference will be hosted by Aalborg University in the Danish capital Copenhagen from 25 to 27 April. The conference is also organised in collaboration with ProTon Europe as a first step to enhanced cooperation between the two associations. To all knowledge transfer and innovation support practitioners from around the world it offers a vibrant meeting place for sharing experience, exchanging ideas and building and strengthening the profession.

The conference theme for 2012 contains two buzz words – “sustainability” and “smart economy”. Sustainability has several meangings: durable, green and cost-effective/affordable. The conference will look at all these aspects. A smart economy combines the successful elements of the enterprise economy and the innovation or ideas economy while promoting a high-quality environment, improving energy security and promoting social cohesion. The smarter economies of the future will be those that can achieve this combination of attributes.

In this case, knowledge transfer and innovation support intermediaries have an essential role to play in the quest for sustainability and a smarter economy. And this is sure to spark some fascinating insights and lively debate during our conference.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributors interested in presenting in the speaking programme are invited to submit a short outline (approximately 10 lines) on their chosen topic and the insights they would like to present.

SUGGESTED TOPICS

• New innovation partnerships (integrating the triple helix)
• Solving societal challenges with mass collaboration (crowdsourcing, crowdcreation, crowdfunding)
• New forms of employment, incl. academic entrepreneurship and social enterprises
• Downshifting: is it compatible with sustainability and innovation?
• Practical applications of horizon scanning and foresight techniques for harvesting and exploiting bright ideas
• New business models for a changing world economy – Service innovation support for the creative industries
• Role of human capital and education, incl. science and technology for young people
• New applications of creativity for new product development
• Green technology and product revolution
• Cost-effective innovation

Outlines should be send to Christine Robinson, Secretary General, at tii@tii.org by 15 February 2012. 

TII FEATURED IN JANUARY ISSUE OF GLOBAL BUSINESS MAGAZINE

TII was featured in a 2-page article as part of a special section on Technology Transfer in the January  2012 issue of the Global Business Magazine. Written by Dr. Costas Y. Konis, TII Board member for Cyprus, the article presents not just TII’s services to members but also reflects on the broader contribution of innovation and technology to addressing some of the world’s pressing problems.

Part of the article can be viewed online by non-subscribers at http://www.gbmonline.net/feature-contributors.cfm?theCID=AECF67DE-AA93-34DA-4BF63BA80A5A4476

FRONT END OF INNOVATION 2012

The Front End of Innovation EMEA takes place from 27 to 29 February 2012 in Zürich. The 2012 event is focused on Reprioritizing in the Face of Complexity. Now in its 6th year, FEI EMEA continues to connect hundreds of relevant change-makers responsible for trends, innovation, design, R&D, customer insights and user experience from all over the world. In addition to an impressive line-up of keynote addresses from leading industrialists, the conference programme includes best practice case studies on disruptive innovation, social media, innovation management, future trends, design integration and mass collaboration from top innovation executives.

TII members receive a 20% discount on the registratione fee. To take advantage of it mention priority code FEI12TII when registering for the conference. For further details concerning the conference programme and registration please consult the following site http://www.iirusa.com/feieurope/home.xml

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON RULES FOR ASSESSING LICENSING AGREEMENTS FOR TT

The European Commission is inviting feedback from the business and innovation community on their experience of the rules governing the assessment of licensing agreements for the transfer of technology under EU competition law.  The consultation period is open until 3 February 2012. The EU competition rules for licensing agreements are set out in Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Article 101 prohibits agreements between companies which lead to an appreciable restriction of competition. Enforcement of this primary rule is complemented by two instruments, the technology transfer block exemption regulation (TTBER) and accompanying Guidelines. The competition rules aim to strengthen the incentives for initial R&D, facilitate the diffusion of IP  and generate market competition.

The current instruments are due to expire on 30 April 2014, hence the EC’s interest in consulting stakeholders in order to prepare the new regime and to ensure that it reflects current market realities and allows competitors and non-competitiors to conclude TT agreements which contribute to economic welfare without infringing competition.

Further information on submitting your contribution can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2012_technology_transfer/index_en.html