Programme - session description

How to support Innovative high-growth SMEs? Let's help more "gazelles" run further and faster

Tuesday 6 December 2011 | 15.00 16.30 | Studio 206

Is there a need for an integrated support framework for innovative high growth SMEs? How would this work? What can we learn from existing programmes and good practices?

SMEs are central to EU's innovation and job creation. A top European priority is to stimulate innovative high-growth SMEs with European and global ambitions, the "gazelles". Many regional, national and European programmes supporting "gazelles" already exist. The workshop will explore the prospects and implications for developing a new integrated support framework for "gazelles" that can be effective and at low additional cost.

Speakers

Christopher John Hull
Secretary General, EARTO
Robert Crawford
Director of Innovation, Investment and Growth, NESTA
Agne Swerin
Research Director, Institute for Surface Chemistry, YKI, Sweden
Javier García Jaca
Director of Innovative and Sustainable Materials, Tecnalia, Spain
Roland Starmans
NL Agency, Netherlands

Moderator

John Hill,
Executive Board Member, TAFTIE

Organised by

EARTO (European Association for Research and Technology Organisations) and Taftie (The European Network of Innovation Agencies)

EARTO is the European trade association representing over 350 Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) from across Europe. It promotes and defends their interests by monitoring European research and innovation policy and making representations.

TAFTIE is the European Association of leading national innovation agencies. Its Members make a major contribution to strengthening Europe’s economic performance by supporting product-, process- and services innovation by implementing their countries’ national and -many times- international Research, Development and Innovation Programmes.