Calendar of events

1-31 May 2013

Understanding the human brain and its diseases is one of the greatest scientific and philosophical challenges. During the last few decades, brain research has made great progress on all fronts but much more is still to be discovered.

Advances in neuroscience are crucial to keep our ageing societies and our economy healthy. Some 165 million Europeans are likely to experience some form of brain disorder each year – from anxiety to depression to dementia – and treating these disorders now costs some €800 billion in Europe every year.

The European Month of the Brain is packed with activities to make a difference. There are more than 50 events in 19 countries:

• to increase our awareness of the importance of brain research and healthcare matters
• to showcase EU achievements
• to outline foresight research and policy
• to improve the resource allocation for brain research and healthcare within and between EU member states and associated countries
• to lift taboos around mental health

20-21 May 2013

The European Commission, Open Innovation Strategy and Policy Group, Intel Labs Europe, Dublin City Council, Trinity College Dublin co-organise the unique working conference, in May 2013, Dublin. Open Innovation 2.0 (OI2) is a new paradigm based on principles of integrated collaboration, shared value, new innovation ecosystems and rapid adoption. It is the new paradigm for individuals and organisations to generate prosperity and harness the opportunities together. 

OI2 has a significant impact is Sustainable economy and society. The collision of digital transformations, mass collaboration and sustainability creates a multitude of new opportunities and options where services can be created, improving quality of life while achieving better resource efficiencies and high value creation. The objective of this conference is to bring together thought leaders, senior decision makers, policy leaders, leading executives and social innovators and through OI2 initiate a manifesto, platform and roadmap for Sustainable economy and society development. The event is organised under the patronage of the Irish Presidency of the European Union 2013.

Registration for the event: http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/events/cf/open-innovation/register.cfm

22-23 May 2013

The first Instruct Biennial Structural Biology Meeting at EMBL Heidelberg Advance Training Centre, 22-24 May 2013, will showcase integrative structural biology and its impact on biological research.

The program includes sessions that represent recent structural biology highlights, emerging methods and technologies and results of biomedical importance.

Confirmed speakers include: So Iwata (Imperial College, Diamond), Dinshaw Patel (Sloan-Kettering Institute), Roger Sunahara (University of Michigan), David Eisenberg (UCLA), Philip Selenko (Leibniz Institut), Elena Conti (MPI Martinsried), Carol Robinson (University of Oxford), Stephan Sigrist (FU-Berlin) and Henry Chapman (European XFEL).

A special session, jointly organised with the ESFRI project Euro-Bioimaging, will focus on the bridge between structural and cell biology provided by recent developments in electron, light and X-ray microscopy. Confirmed speakers for this session include Gerd Schneider and Wolfgang Baumeister.

30 May 2013

What next for Big Data, the Cloud and High Performance Computing? How to extrapolate R&D value and turn technology into tangible business solutions? What role for Ireland? Fujitsu invites you to join the discussion with industry strategists, leading academia and state agencies at a unique, one day conference in Croke Park on Thursday, 30th May 2013 to find out how Ireland can best position itself to maximise innovation and R&D collaboration to drive commercial success.

5-6 June 2013

This year's Smart Cities Annual Conference will be a unique occasion for cities and solutions providers to meet and discuss the future shape of the European urban landscape.

The programme of the Smart Cities Annual Conference is rich and diversified: it alternates keynote speeches with workshops and networking sessions. The first day is fully devoted to discussing Key Innovations among the relevant stakeholders: technology providers on one side and cities as users on the other, with particular attention to matchmaking possibilities. The second day focuses instead on discussing achievements and developments of the Platform itself.

11-12 June 2013

Register now for a two-day, free of charge conference event that will give you unique insights on what it takes for a small to medium-sized enterprise to successfully innovate and grow, and learn about support opportunities that can turn businesses into constant innovators! Apart from keynote speeches on the inclusive economy, open innovation and sustainable growth for SMEs, the event will feature a session on SME promotion under the new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020. Enrol now at http://eurosme2013.eu/register/ and join the Irish Presidency of the EU and the European Commission in Ireland for a discovery tour of the potential of innovation for SMEs! 

26-27 September 2013

The 4th European Conference on Corporate R&D and Innovation (CONCORDi-2013) will focus on "Financing R&D and innovation for corporate growth in the EU: Strategies, drivers and barriers". It will take place from 26 to 27 September 2013 at the premises of the JRC’s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (JRC-IPTS) in Seville, Spain. The two-day programme will address the financial challenges affecting the link between innovation and growth of European companies.

3-4 October 2013

The conference's purpose is to provide input to the European Commission on the future research needs in Horizon 2020. We are calling for abstracts within the three major themes:

• Climate action: mitigation and adaptation
• Resource efficiency: natural resources, ecosystems, raw materials
• Green economy: eco-innovation

Why should you attend?

• To show how your field of research can support solutions of the grand challenges facing society
• To help shape the future European Research Agenda in Horizon 2020
• To meet potential partners for future Horizon 2020 calls 

The Conference is being organised by Aarhus University together with the Partnership for European Environmental Research (PEER).

10-11 April 2013

The 1st international conference on Internet Science will be organized from April 10 to 11, 2013 in Brussels, under the aegis of the European Commission, by the EINS project, the FP7 European Network of Excellence in Internet Science (http://internetscienceconference.eu).

Hosted by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (http://www.kvab.be/?lang=en), this highly multidisciplinary conference combines Computer Science, Sociology, Art, Mathematics, Physics, Complex systems analysis, Psychology, Economics, Law, Political Science, Epistemology and other relevant disciplines. It will be the unique venue fostering dialogue among scholars and practitioners belonging to these disciplines. It will also provide the EINS Network of Excellence with an opportunity to interact with external stakeholders,  detail project objectives and methodological approach,  and showcase its first results.

14-18 February 2013

The AAAS annual meeting is among the world's largest and most prestigious general scientific events, gathering thousands of international scientists, policy makers and science journalists. The programme typically includes keynote speeches, scientific symposia, an exhibition, and press briefings on recent scientific discoveries.

This year's event focuses on "The Beauty and the Benefits of Science", and the European Commission is organising a number of scientific symposia and a career development workshop.

Director-General Robert-Jan Smits will hold a press briefing on 'Destination Europe: research funding opportunities across the Atlantic', and will participate in a high-level panel discussion on 'European Science Policy on the Move'.

The Commission will also have a booth at the exhibition where conference participants can find out about career and funding opportunities in the EU.

26-27 November 2012

SPREAD is planning a one-of-a-kind gathering that seeks to bridge the gaps between sustainability, lifestyles, entrepreneurship and policy uncovering unique opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and action. The 2-day highly interactive conference will present, for the first time, the EU Sustainable Lifestyles Roadmap and Action Plan to 2050.

The roadmap, the final outcome of the SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050 European Social Platform project, outlines opportunity spaces (for policy, business, innovation, design, civil society, citizens, and research) to foster, enable and accelerate more sustainable living practices across Europe which are critical to achieving Europe’s 2020 strategy. 

6 November 2012

The 1st Conference of Partners of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing will be held in Brussels on 6th November 2012. Representatives from European Member States and Regions will be there to support the initiative and illustrate how they will contribute to the Partnership.

At the conference the six Action Groups (stakeholders' coalitions) will present their Action Plans on prevention, integrated care, and active ageing and independent living. The audience can discuss with their representatives what good their action plans will bring to Europe's citizens. What innovation in active and healthy ageing will they deliver and to whom? What will they do to achieve a successful approach for medication adherence, to distribute validated programs for fall prevention and malnutrition, to deploy integrated care models, to achieve standardised independent living solutions, and a network of age friendly environments? The conference marks the moment – after over a year of preparing, committing and planning – where the actual implementation phase of the Innovation Platform actually takes off.

The Conference is an opportunity for networking and cooperation across and between the Action Groups and other stakeholders. Also interested partners who do not yet participate are most welcome. An exhibition, open to all throughout the conference, will display real life examples of the kind of innovation the Innovation Partnership strives for.

Participation to the event is by invitation only, but all can join in the discussions via twitter @EIP_AHA and the hashtag #eipaha12. Of course the event will be streamed (see conference web site).

Should you wish to be invited, please send us your full contact details and reason for participating to EC-EIP-AHA@ec.europa.eu and we will consider your application.

15 October 2012

For the first time, a wide consortium of 47 partners in 11 countries has dedicated four intensive years of research and development to the improvement of bus systems (under the coordination of UITP). The innovative solutions developed and tested as part of the project 'European Bus System of the Future' can be considered essential ingredients for an intelligent bus system, with pioneering vehicles and infrastructures that are well-integrated in European urban scenarios. At this final event, we will give lively presentations to show the results of our research, and exhibit some of the greatest EBSF achievements: four bus demonstrators and prototype (Volvo, MAN, Irisbus, Evobus), the EBSF driver cabin, and the IT architecture test bench.

9-10 October 2012

Knowledge4Innovation will be organising the 4th European Innovation Summit in the European Parliament in Brussels. Under the motto “Building bridges – Creating Synergies”, this year’s debates relate to policies relevant for innovation and that are currently under review by the European Parliament, including Horizon2020, Cohesion Policy, COSME and the MFF.

The summit features an opening reception with the Innovation Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn, several thematic sessions throughout two days, breakfasts, lunches and dinner debates, as well as an exhibition in one of the most visible locations of the European Parliament. In addition, the “Innovative Europe Reality Check” provides an opportunity for innovation practitioners to describe online their major challenges and express ideas on how to improve the framework conditions for innovation.

9 October 2012

Smart specialisation is a key concept for research and innovation policy. The concept still needs better illustration through success stories in the field and can benefit from a large exchange of experience. The objective of the workshop is to highlight, through good examples, how research and innovation can strongly contribute to successful smart specialisation from a regional perspective, on the basis of a specific field.

The recently adopted Atlantic integrated macro-regional strategy is a major opportunity for a ‘maritime smart specialisation’ process at regional level. It is of high political relevance in the context of the debate on support to be given to future ‘macro-regions’ as of 2014. It would enlarge the involvement of maritime regions beyond the well-known ‘Baltic Sea Strategy’.

1-4 September 2012

The Congress is organised by the European Office of Cyprus and will explore new tools to bring researchers and enterprises together from all over the world. The Congress will serve as a highlight global event for harnessing the potential of entrepreneurship to transfer innovation ideas into products and services.
The main objective of the conference is to promote cross-national collaboration between East and West as a tool to overcome national limitations on knowledge, financial resources, technology, and services.

18-19 July 2012

The transport theme under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) welcomes excellent research proposals looking for innovative solutions to today’s transport-related societal challenges.

Are you from an SME, company, research institution or university and interested in learning more about how to participate in the transport theme under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7)? Meet us and potential partners at the ‘infodays’ and find out all about the Work Programme 2013.

The aim of the two-day event is to inform potential researchers about FP7 and the new Transport Calls for Proposals under the ‘Co-operation’ Programme. Details will also be given on the main legal and procedural conditions and we will respond to your questions. Participants will also have the chance to network with potential project partners.

2 July 2012

Join us at this event, which will bring together leaders in social innovation and business incubation, and other organisations including technology parks, universities and other science and research bodies.

Incubators for social innovation could accelerate the growth of small innovative businesses and enable experiments that are small and locally successful to be applied in other places across Europe, spreading good ideas and innovations. The Commission (Research and Innovation DG) will provide support for up to two transnational networks of incubators to facilitate the scaling up of social innovations from their local communities to higher geographical levels across Europe.

Please register via email: RTD-INCUBATORS-FOR-SOCIAL-INNOVATION@ec.europa.eu by 4 June 2012 by filling in and attaching the registration form below.

Due to space restrictions we can only accept a limited number of participants. Please refer to the email confirmation of your registration to determine whether or not you are registered for the event.

19 June 2012

The event will be focusing on:
• New Materials and Technologies (including nanotechnology, photonics, inorganic pharma and nanomaterials)
• Information and Media Technologies (including antennas, digital media and electrical power)
• Environment & Health (including food, pharma, sustainability and radiation science)

and highlighting all the quality work being undertaken in these fields to an invited audience of industry, funding bodies, media, professional associations and other organisations.
There will also be presentations on funding opportunities and technology offers running in parallel to the exhibition.

4-5 June 2012

The conference will focus on smart regional development based on knowledge and innovation. WIRE2012 will address main current issues related to the effective implementation of the Innovation Union at regional level for the next period 2014-2020, through three main thematic pillars:

• Innovative regions in the Horizon 2020 will investigate the role of regions in smart specialisation, the role of cities as innovation hubs, and regional innovation ecosystems within Horizon 2020;
• Stairway to Excellence will focus on the future of research and innovation at the regional level, on synergies between Horizon 2020 and the Cohesion Policy, and on smart specialisation in convergence regions and Centres of Excellence;
• Networking for ERA at Regional Level will discuss the European Territorial Cooperation, networks of clusters, European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, networks of research infrastructure and Multiregional Knowledge Partnerships (e.g. Danube, Baltic)

Participation in the Conference is free of charge, but pre-registration is required.

23-25 April 2012

Follow the conference live via web streaming from 13.30 on 23 April.

The Danish Presidency of the European Council invites research institutions, representatives from businesses and NGO’s, policymakers and civil servants to come together at the conference ‘Science in Dialogue’ to discuss the relationship between research, innovation and the wider society.
‘Science in Dialogue’ will focus on how a strengthened relationship between science, innovation and society may be realized in the future. The conference will present high-level speakers and draw upon the participants’ ideas, opinions and suggestions in an interactive conference format.

3 April 2012

The Conference "European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing: From Plan to Action" will be opened by Vice-President Neelie Kroes and Commissioner John Dalli. The Steering Group of the pilot Innovation Partnership, the European Commission and a plethora of stakeholders in the field of active ageing will together discuss how to move from the planning phase - delivered with the Strategic Implementation Plan - to implementing concrete actions.

26-28 March 2012

Bioeconomy in Action will be the major event to discuss the Commission strategy “A Bioeconomy for Europe” which was adopted in February 2012. The aim of the bioeconomy strategy is to create a more favourable environment and coherent policy framework for developing the bioeconomy in Europe.

The conference has been organised under the aegis of the Danish Presidency of the EU.

For more info, detailed programme and to register: http://bioeconomy.dk/

9-10 February 2012

Designed around the theme of Research and Social Innovation the next edition of the EFC Research Forum's Stakeholders' Conference will feature plenary sessions and parallel discussions exploring:

• The potential for foundations to spearhead socially innovative research
• The impact of social media and networks on research and social innovation
• Open Access and the challenge of quality assurance
• Public participation in science: new modes of interaction

30 January 2012

The conference is an important milestone in the ongoing preparations of the ERA Framework. In it, the responses to public consultation and their implications will be presented and discussed. The event will provide a platform for prominent stakeholders to testify and discuss further where they see major bottlenecks and help to mobilise a broad consensus and support for the way forward via the ERA Framework.

20 January 2012

This high-level Conference will showcase Europe's vibrant and attractive science, technology and innovation culture; the excellent funding opportunities Europe provides for career development and the challenging positions in world-class environments offered by European industry and research organisations. When we look at the picture of all the opportunities available, both at national and European level, including the attractive opportunities for women researchers, it is truly impressive.

Presentations by high-level speakers, representing some of the major funding organisations and research intensive industries in Europe, will be illustrated by testimonials from researchers who have taken advantage of the opportunities offered to develop their careers in Europe.

Speakers will include: Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, the EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation; Professor Tim Hunt, Nobel Laureate; Professor Donald Dingwell, Secretary General of the European Research Council and many other inspiring leaders in the field.

The target audience is researchers of all nationalities based in the US, opinion leaders and representatives from leading US universities; multipliers from EU and national networks working in the USA and representatives from the science diplomacy community and the media.
All are welcome. Participation is free but registration is obligatory.

14 December 2011

The EuKTS Consortium will present the results of the “European Knowledge Transfer Society” project (FP7 RTD OMC-NET programme). Based on the results of previous CERT-TTT-M project (FP6 RTD OMC-NET programme) and on relevant international best practices, the project has defined the institutional framework for certification and accreditation underpinned by a model of curriculum for the Knowledge Technology Transfer profession. The EuKTS Framework is designed in order to respond to professional needs at all stages of the KTT career and sectors.

5-6 December 2011

The European Commission is holding its first Innovation Convention following the adoption of the Innovation Union Flagship initiative in October 2010.
This major event will gather more than 1200 participants involved in 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. A detailed programme as well as the registration page for the event will be put on line in September.

1 December 2011

The IYC closing ceremony will emphasize the creativity and the potential of Chemistry to address the challenges facing our societies. High level speakers, including Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn,  and young leaders will explore and debate how chemistry is vital for solving our most critical global problems including food, water, health, energy, habitat, and more.

28 November 2011

This side event at this year's Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will showcase examples of successful EU-Africa scientific cooperation in the field of climate change. Held at the EU Pavilion, it will focus on best practices, challenges and opportunities for development of capacities for climate change research in Africa. For more information, please consult the flyer.

EU-funded research projects contribute to the side event and other presentations held at the EU Pavilion, such as:

Mon 28/11 16.00-17.00hrs: "The HEALTHY FUTURES project: Understanding Climate change impacts on Health and adaptive capacity in Africa". Main speaker: Prof. David Taylor, Trinity College, University of Dublin

Tue 29/11, 14.00-15.00hrs: "AfriCAN Climate - The Web Platform for Uptake of Climate Related Research Results of African Relevance". Main speaker: Dr. Martha Bissmann from WIP Renewable Energies

Fri 02/12, 15.00-16.00hrs: Preliminary results of "CLICO - Climate Change, Hydro-conflicts and Human Security". Main speaker: Dr. Christiane Gerstetter from the Ecologic Institute

Wed 07/12 15.00-16.00hrs: "The CLIMB project: Climate induced changes on the hydrology of Mediterranean basins: Reducing uncertainty and quantifying risk through an integrated monitoring and modelling system". Main speaker: Dr. Chairat Benabdallah, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies des Eaux

Thu 08/12 15.00-16.00hrs: "Africa-EU scientific and technological cooperation in the field of climate change: best practices, challenges and opportunities". Main speaker Luca Perez, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation

24 November 2011

The conference will examine in detail European industry's opportunities in globalisation, the role of Member States in enhancing industrial competitiveness and the importance of establishing a comprehensive industrial innovation policy. With the participation of José Manuel Barroso and Antonio Tajani.

17 November 2011

Prior to the Zeppelin Campaign of the EU-funded research project PEGASOS, a workshop for journalists is held at ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on 17 November 2011.

The project:
In spring 2012, scientists of the EU-funded PEGASOS project will embark on a Europe-wide
research mission with a Zeppelin NT airship. The aim is to explore relationships between atmospheric chemistry and climate change. In 2012, measurement flights will take the research team to the Netherlands and then on to Italy. In 2013, the north-bound flight leads from Friedrichshafen, Germany, to Finland.

The workshop:
The scientists are currently carrying out a trial campaign to test different cabin layouts and measuring instruments for different experiments on the ground and in the air. During the workshop, journalists will have the opportunity to speak to the researchers about the campaign and the measuring techniques, and to see the equipment and how it is installed in the Zeppelin.

For further information and registration, please contact Dr. Barbara Schunk or Ms Annette
Stettien.

8-9 November 2011

Knowledge and innovation are key drivers for sustainable growth and prosperity in Europe. Extensive research has demonstrated that the quality of research and development benefits significantly from adding gender as a critical success factor. The first European Gender Summit will network key players from all sectors to initiate the much-needed changes in the culture of research and innovation.

Joint discussions will produce the first ever collective agreement on policy development on gender for innovation, the policy manifesto on "Integrated Action on the Gender Dimension in Research."

26-28 October 2011

The  European Electric Vehicle Congress (EEVC-2011) gathers different actors, from industry, research institutes, NGO’s and public authorities to develop a roadmap for sustainable mobility technology. This type of exchange is the only way to make sure that the most appropriate products for technologies for battery, hybrid and fuel cell electric vehicles are selected for market introduction.

20-21 October 2011

For its third edition, Grenoble Innovation Fair is broadening its scope to cover more new or emerging innovations in Europe, welcoming 150 start-ups and laboratories in an exhibition space dedicated to networking with industry and technology demonstrations.

11-13 October 2011

Under the motto “Towards a European Innovation Ecosystem” the 3rd EIS will be organised in two major events. In Warsaw the focus will be on adapting EU research and innovation policies to national and regional contexts, and on increasing synergies between different policy areas. In the European Parliament in Brussels, participants will discuss the role of people and talent for innovation and the challenges of innovation funding and financing.

10-11 October 2011

The 3rd European Innovation Summit aims to bring the relevant parties together to obtain greater cohesion within the European research and innovation system while preserving the freedom of EU regions and Member States to act independently.

The participation is free of charge but registration is required.

6 October 2011

The European Commission's Conferences on Corporate R&D aim to link science and policy making by being structured around policy relevant questions, thus addressing the community of researchers, practitioners, industrialists, and policy makers.

14 July 2011

A conference will be held in Brussels to raise awareness in the Regions of the forthcoming FP7 calls to be published later in July. The event however will not discuss the future calls in FP7 directly, as these will be covered by future targeted information sessions.

27-28 June 2011

The event will cover the new developments of European demand-side innovation policies, illustrate the forthcoming call for proposals, be an opportunity to exchange best practice in innovation procurement and give further information on future European R&D&I funding programmes.

Registration to the conference is open until 10 June 2011.

10 June 2011

The conference is aimed at anyone interested in the development of the next Strategic Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Union. Stakeholders from research institutions, industry, universities, non-governmental organisations, scientists and politicians are especially invited to take part in making EU funding more attractive and easier to access for participants.

The conference will feature high-level speakers from the European Commission, science organisations, universities, entrepreneurs and governments from across Europe and beyond.

Sorry! Registration is no longer possible as the conference is fully booked.

7-9 June 2011

The conference – considering the document of ‘EUROPE 2020, a strategy for a smart, sustainable and inclusive development strategy’ and the 'Innovation Union Flagship Initiative' - focuses on questions related to knowledge, innovation and competitiveness in economy with respect to research infrastructure investments, clusters and their effects on how they can support smart growth in the regions.

Participation in the Conference is free of charge, but pre-registration is required.

24-27 May 2011

The 11th edition of Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environment policy, will take place from 24 to 27 May 2011. This year's theme is "Resource Efficiency - Using less, living better". The Research & Innovation DG will be present with sessions and a stand to showcase how research and innovation help tackle the challenge of resource depletion and scarcity.

Browse the Green Week Website for more information on the conference programme and the exhibition.

25-26 May 2011

The forum's themes are:

• Partnerships for Modernizations
• Innovativeness in Management
• Sharing Knowledge and Experiences
  • Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
  • Information & Communication Technologies
  • Health

12-13 May 2011

The main theme of this year's conference is Delivering the Innovation Union. The conference plenary sessions will focus on some of the major architectural issues and programme features of the Commission’s Innovation Union proposals.

The conference includes a keynote speech from Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science.

7 May 2011

On Saturday 7 May, the Research and Innovation DG will be represented at the Open Days of the European Commission at the Berlaymont building from 10am to 6pm.

This year, the Research and Innovation DG will present and promote the Innovation Union on our common stand with the Information Society DG.

For the occasion, we will offer several activities for visitors of all ages! So come and find us at the centre of the Berlaymont building!

30-31 March 2011

This conference will bring together the key stakeholders of the healthcare sector to highlight and discuss the policy developments needed for research and innovation in healthcare at European and National level, in the frame of the Innovation Union and beyond.

The objective of the second edition of this conference is to produce an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for innovation in healthcare and make specific recommendations that will be addressed to policy-makers and stakeholders. The whole event will be complemented by a small "fair" where associations and support structures will provide information to the participants.

Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani, and Commissioner John Dalli, responsible for Health and Consumers, are invited to be among the speakers.

29 March 2011

Innovation Union states that ‘our strengths in design and creativity must be exploited’. With design firmly on the European agenda, policy-makers across Europe will be looking to understand the role of design in innovation. The SEE project final conference aims to provide delegates with an overview of design’s role in innovation, recent design policy developments in Europe, examples of successful design policies and promotion programmes. The programme will be opened by Polish MEP, Jan Olbrycht with reflections on design as part of the Europe 2020 strategy.

21 March 2011

The Lille Innovation Conference will focus on major economic changes, new models to promote innovation in the broadest sense and good European practices. It will present some of these models and their application in regions and businesses. Participants will be European regional and local governments, innovation/development agencies and operators.

16-17 March 2011

Funded by the European Commission, Social Innovation Europe will create a dynamic, entrepreneurial and innovative new Europe. The time has come for Europe to embrace the broad concept of innovation and set an example globally. By 2014, Social Innovation Europe will have become the meeting place - virtual and real - for social innovators, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, policy makers and anyone else who is inspired by social innovation in Europe.

4-5 March 2011

The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) is pleased to announce the kick-off conference of its recently launched research programme "Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies" (SEEK).

1 March 2011

ERA-AGE 2 is collaborating with the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna to stage a European Forum meeting examining the role of technology in achieving extended life years. Presentations and discussion will examine the scientific, end user, and private sector perspective and introduce key European projects underway in this area.

4 February 2011

First European Council meeting devoted to research and innovation. The Innovation Union will be at the centre of the meeting.

26 November 2010

Conclusions on the Innovation Union.

26 November 2010

The European Commission is organising a stakeholder conference to prepare a proposal for a pilot European Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, which will take place on 26 November in Brussels, starting at 10am.

The proposed aim of a pilot partnership on active and healthy ageing is, by 2020, to enable citizens to live longer actively, independently and in good health by increasing the average number of healthy life years by two. 

This is a closed event but can be watched live via web-streaming (click on the title of the event if there is no link below).

17-18 November 2010

In the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of Europe, Wallonia is organising a conference in collaboration with the European Commission's Research DG,  focusing on the needs of “Small and Medium-sized Enterprises” around the twin themes of “Research” and “Innovation”. A total of 400 participants are expected, mostly from a variety of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

18 October - 15 November 2010

The High Level Group (HLG) on Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) was set up to develop a shared longer term strategy for key enabling technologies. The group has addressed and assessed the ten policy areas outlined in the Communication on Key Enabling Technologies as possible policy measures to promote the industrial deployment of KETs.

27-29 October 2010

The 3rd Europe INNOVA Conference is being organised by the Region of Wallonia in the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the European Union, in close collaboration with the European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry. In the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the conference will address policy priorities for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and reflect on how innovation can support the transition towards a resource efficient and competitive economy.

12-13 October 2010

This conference, the third in a series, is jointly organised by Agoria (the Belgian federation of technological industry businesses) and MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and will present ideas for growth by strategic innovation.