IPI, the Italian Institute for Industrial Promotion, and the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and Energy are organising an international networking event in Tunis on December 13th 2004, focussed on partnership promotion among Italian-Tunisian technical centres supporting SMEs specifically in the textile and clothing, leather and shoes, packaging, mechanics and electrics sectors in the perspective of jointly offering services in the Mediterranean and African countries.

The event, which concludes the activities of the first phase of the RésIT project, the Italian-Tunisian Network of Intermediaries to Approach International Markets, will make the main results of the project public, namely the opportunities and means to internationalise Italian and Tunisian services to neighbouring countries. Representatives from international donors (i.e. EU Commission, African Development Bank, etc.) will offer an overview of the most relevant financial tools to promote such activities.

The participation is not only open to Italian and Tunisian organisations promoting innovation and technology transfer, but also to any technical and entrepreneurial intermediary whishing to know more about Tunisian SMEs support centres and interested in establishing contacts for future cooperation.

In the afternoon, following the presentations, site visits to the four Tunisian centres involved in the project (CETTEX - Technical Centre for Textiles, CETIME - Technical Centre for Engineering and Electrical Industries, CNCC - Technical Centre for Leather and Shoes and PACKTEC - Technical Centre for Packaging) will be organised. On request, it is envisaged that one-to-one meetings with the Centres will be arranged.

A detailed agenda and the registration form will soon be available on the INSME portal.

Should you be interested in participating in event, do not hesitate to contact us:
Ms. Francesca Giannotti
 giannotti@ipi.it
phone: +39.06.80972.519
fax: +39.06.80972.443

Stay up-to-date with FASHION NET's activities, services and initiatives:

• Subscribe to FN-News, the project's free newsletter that will keep you informed about the current activities of FASHION NET and issues related to research and innovation in the fashion sector.
  FN-News is a quarterly newsletter, distributed via e-mail. The first issue was released in September, just before the project's opening conference. Beside receiving it in your e-mail box, you can read it on the Fashion Net website at:
   http://fashionnet.insme.org/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func= display&btitle=CE&mid=&ceid=39
   
• Download the Fashion Net Brochure with highlights on the partners involved, the activities proposed and the benefits deriving from participating in it:
   Fashion Net Brochure (English Version)

Visit the FASHION NET website to follow the evolution of the project:
 http://fashionnet.insme.org/

or contact IPI-Institute for Industrial Promotion, the Project's consortium leader:
Ms. Valentina Milazzo
 milazzo@ipi.it
Phone: +39.06.80972.517
Fax: +39.06.80972.443

On behalf of the Italian Ministry of Productive Activities, IPI, the Italian Institute for Industrial Promotion, has recently co-hosted under the Dutch EU Presidency the 5th Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference held on October 3-4, 2004, in Caserta (Italy). On this occasion, Industry Ministers representing the EU 25 and the Mediterranean partners (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Tunisia) signed the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise.

This Charter contains the common principles on which the Mediterranean partners can base enterprise policy. The ambition is to create an environment that is conducive to investment and private sector development as well as to define common strategies and projects, both at national and regional level. The prerequisites for success are a stable macroeconomic framework and a fair and transparent judicial system. The participation of both public and private stakeholders in the development and implementation of these policies will be key to their effectiveness.

In the conclusions of the conference Ministers also acknowledged the vital contribution of innovation and research to enterprise competitiveness and hoped for the strengthening of the initiatives aimed at facilitating access to information, technology transfers and networks, as well as increasing links, notably between universities and enterprises.

  View the Caserta Conference Agenda
  Read the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise

Further information on the Euro-Mediterranean Industrial Co-operation and the Caserta Conference is available at:
  http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/

For a photo gallery of the event, go to the News in Pictures section of the INSME Portal.

The International Organisation for Knowledge Economy and Enterprise Development (IKED) and the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) jointly organised a panel on Women Entrepreneurship and ICT at this year's World Knowledge Forum held on October 11-13 in Seoul, Korea.
 
 Issues discussed during the panel 

In order to identify the opportunities for effective skills upgrading policies, an expert group meeting was organised back-to-back with the panel in Seoul. The expert group laid the ground for the preparation of a handbook addressing the development of effective tools for policymaking in the area competence development of women owned enterprises. The handbook will be useful for regional and national policymakers around the world, and will be presented in spring 2005.

If you are interested in more information about the handbook or would like to contribute to the work, please contact Ms. Ingrid Andersson or Ms. Glenda Napier at IKED:
 glenda.napier@iked.org 
 ingrid.andersson@iked.org

This section is especially designed to provide INSME Members with an additional opportunity to reach the growing community of INSMEnews readers (over 6,500 receivers to date) with a view to sharing knowledge, establishing new contacts and finding partners.

This month's focus is on ABIGEM Gaziantep (Turkey), one of the 3 EU Turkey Business Centres who have joined the INSME Association lately.

Read on to know more about this organisation, its mission, services and achievements.

If you are an INSME Member, to propose the presentation of your organisation and its initiatives to be included in the next INSME Newsletter, please contact the INSME Secretariat:
 secretariat@insme.it

Mission
Stimulating the small & medium enterprises sector in the Turkish region of South East Anatolia.

Services
The business centre, a joint initiative between the European Commission and the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, began operating in 2002.
ABIGEM pursues its goals using a broad range of measures including:

• consultancy services to existing SMEs in all areas of commercial activity - business management, business planning, marketing planning, quality issues, corporate development, financial management & control;
• a range of training services to businesses and individuals;
• promotion of enterprise and provision of assistance new entrepreneurs in the start-up phase;
• counselling and information services to new and existing businesses;
• assistance in entering export markets;
• assistance identifying international networking opportunities;
• strategic projects aimed at supporting different aspects and sectors of the SME community.

The centre adopts a very practical approach to working with its clients. The advisory and support staff are all experienced in business and the centre is in a position to augment them with international experts in this initial phase of operation.

Results
Local businessmen appear to be responding very well to the initiative. In the relatively short period of operation the centre has carried out consulting assignments with over 100 local firms, as well as providing information and counselling to a further 300. A highlight has been the organisation of a very successful international conference on the subject of business opportunities in Iraq for EU firms through Turkish partners. The recent relocation to new, larger premises has allowed the commissioning of a dedicated Training Centre.

The ABİGEM looks forward confidently to deepening its involvement with local businesses and working with them a they face the challenges of the new millenium and the exploit the opportunities of the changing business world.

The ABİGEM is especially pleased to be accepted as a member of the INSME Association. Because the internationalisation of SMEs is such an important part of the centre's mission, it will be availing opportunities to place the profiles of its clients in the international SME arena and looks forward to successful international networking through the INSME Association.

 http://www.abigem.org/intro/default_en.aspx?DIL=2

 

As already anticipated in previous editions, the INSME Association in partnership with WASME, has just organised its first International Training Course on Management of Innovation and Technology Transfer, which took place on October 12 to 15, 2004, at the United Nations Asia and Pacific Centre for Technology Transfer (UNAPCTT), in New Delhi, India.

Thirty-four professionals, mainly from innovation and business support intermediaries, took part in the course, coming from 10 countries: Bahrain, Botswana, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Palestine, South Africa, Spain.

The Opening Ceremony took place in the presence of Dr. R.A. Mashelkar (CSIR, Government of  India), H.E. A. Armellini (Italian Ambassador) and Mr. Se-Jun Yoon (Director of UN APCTT). We would like to again thank everyone involved for their personal commitment and for their interest in collaborating further in the future. We will try as much as possible to foster further networking and interactions in the future among the trainees and the trainers.

The training programme endeavoured to combine theory and practical experience, and included topics such as Technology Audit, Marketing of Technologies, Technology Watch, Innovation Finance, Technology Transfer Process and Agreements and others. A Technology Audit Test was made on SSP Ltd., an Indian company established in 1977 with commendable achievements in the field of Food-Processing, Pharmaceutical and Chemical Plants & Equipment. Furthermore, a site visit to the FITT-Indian Institute of Technology Incubator in Delhi was organised.

The attendance certificates were officially awarded to participants by Mr. Minhas, Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Small Scale Industries.

The positive feedback from all participants and organisations involved  confirmed that the course provided an excellent opportunity for professional growth and networking and that training is increasingly acknowledged as a fundamental tool for both new and established organisations working to make innovation happen in SMEs.

Given the great interest in this training programme, the INSME Secretariat is considering holding similar training editions in 2005 in other geographical areas. If you are interested in participating as a local partner, co-organiser, trainer or as a trainee, please read our call for expressions of interest and contact the INSME Secretariat:
  http://www.insme.org/
  secretariat@insme.it

The INSME Secretariat is increasing bilateral meetings at its premises in Rome and Milan or abroad with INSME Members, delegates of its Advisory Group and new potential Members or Partners, so as to provide more targeted assistance and information to organisations involved in the network, also taking into account the region of origin and the priority areas (themes or sectors) of each Member/Partner.

In October meetings with the following bodies were organised:

• RITLA-SEBRAE (Latin America, Brazil) in Rome;
• Australian Industry Group in Rome;
• SIDO; Small Scale Industry Ministry; National Research Development Corporation; NSIC; UNIDO Cluster Development Programme; UNAPCTT; FISME, FITT in Delhi;
• Hungarian Consulting and Research for Industrial Economics and Ministry for Economic Affairs in Milan.

If you are interested in arranging a visit at INSME's premises, please contact us at:
  secretariat@insme.it

November 15th, 2004, is the approaching deadline to apply for the INSME Award 2005 - "Innovation for Success: Locally adopted, Globally replicable".

Detailed information on eligibility, award categories, evaluation procedure, prizes and how to apply are available on the INSME portal at:
 http://www.insme.org/

The INSME Association is planning to organise thematic courses in 2005 in cooperation and partnership with INSME Members or other interested organisations.

As a general rule, an INSME training programme might consist of a 3 to 4 day thematic module to be held at a regional level (continent or sub-continent), dealing with innovation and technology transfer related issues and aimed at strengthening intermediaries' staff skills.

INSME's ideal partner for the training courses is a locally based institution, well rooted in the business environment, linked to local intermediaries for innovation and technology transfer and able to understand and interpret their needs so as to customise the training programme.

Partnering with the INSME Association in training courses can increase visibility at national, regional and/or international level. In addition, the local partner, in case it is not yet a Member of the INSME Association or has to renew its annual membership, may be entitled to wave the annual INSME Membership fee as a compensation for its financial commitment in carrying out the joint training initiative.

If you are interested in partnering with INSME for the co-organisation of a training programme in your region, please contact the INSME Secretariat:
Mr. Mariano G. Cordone
 cordone@ipi.it
Phone: +39.06.80972.472
Fax: +39.06.80972.443

FASHION NET, a project funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and focussed on the fashion sector, is setting up a database that will gather intermediaries/networks and SMEs available to partner with other organisations in order to participate in FP6.

The database will be published on the FASHION NET website (www.fashionnet.org). It will include organisations operating in the fashion sector interested in finding partners to submit project proposals in any of the key areas relevant for the Sixth Framework Programme.

The full text of the call and the form to submit expressions of interest are available at:
  http://fashionnet.insme.org/upload/sub/docs/EOI.doc

Expressions of interest to be included in the FASHION NET database can be submitted to:
 info@fashionnet.org

The Altran Foundation, an institution aimed at promoting and sustaining technological innovation in Europe for public benefit, launches a call for applications to participate in its Innovations 2005 Award.

This Award will be granted to innovations that will help to overcome exclusion of people from access to resources, goods and elementary services, so that they can fulfil their role in the community.

Deadline for submission of preliminary application for shortlisting is January 12, 2005.

The winner will be awarded a year's free technology consulting and support worth 1 million euros.

Further details at:
 http://www.fondation-altran.org/DevSite/index.jsp?id=000001095872270375

The Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) based in Trento invites institutions and individuals to submit papers for its International Conference on Local Development and Governance in Central, East and South-East Europe, to take place in Trento (Italy) on June 1-2, 2005.

Papers are invited on five themes:

1. Design and Implementation of Local Development Strategies;
2. Local Development: a Multilevel Governance Issue;
3. Tools for Better Governance;
4. Financing Local Development;
5. Fostering Participative and Representative Democracy.

Description of the themes to be developed and details on how to apply can be found on the OECD website at:
  http://www.oecd.org/document/...

Relate your services and solutions to new public and private audiences around the world.

We can offer you:

• High visibility through all INSME means of information (web portal, monthly newsletter, brochures, press releases, etc.);
• Opportunities to participate in INSME meetings and present your activities and services;
• Access to the full contacts list of the participants of INSME's global network (policy makers, intermediaries and SMEs in 50 countries around the globe);
• Possibility of creating specific forums and/or training events on arguments that are of particular interest to you.

Each sponsorship agreement can be personalised on an individual basis so that Sponsors can best target the groups that interest their organisations.

Click here for more information on: 
 Sponsorship Benefits
 Sponsorship Levels for the INSME Annual Meeting

For further information, please contact the INSME Secretariat:
Ms. Carla Fritz
 fritz@ipi.it
Phone: +39.06.80972.497
Fax: +39.06.80972.443

We are pleased to offer INSME Association Members and Partners a special reduced registration fee (US$ 150 instead of US$ 200) to participate in the Small & Medium Enterprises International Conference and Exhibition that will take place in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) on December 12-14, 2005. We look forward to welcoming INSME Members in Dubai.

Visit the conference website:
 http://www.ismedubai.com/conference.asp

Would you like to promote your international event among our worldwide Members offering special conditions? Then send your proposals to: 
secretariat@insme.it

02-05 November 2004
LATIN AMERICA e-BUSINESS FORUM
Building e-Business Competencies for the Information Society - "Empowering SME Exporters through ICT"
Organised by ITC - International Trade Center (UNCTAD/WTO), in partnership with the Brazilian Chamber of e-Commerce
Sao Paulo, Brazil

  Download the Agenda (English Version)

 

Stay informed about major world events related to innovation, technology transfer and SME issues by subscribing to our free email notification service:
 http://www.insme.org/

The E-mail Alert related to the Events Section will be sent once a week.

For further information contact the INSME Secretariat:
Mr. Alessandro Sisti 
 sisti@ipi.it 
Phone: +39.06.80972.225
Fax: +39.06.80972.443

The E-Mail Alert is also available for the Thematic Working Groups and other Discussion areas in the Intranet.

Nanoroadmap (NRM) Project International Conference
"Present Situation and Forecasts of Nanotechnology in: Materials, Health and Medical Systems, Energy"
Organised by AIRI/Nanotec IT (Italian Association for Industrial Research/Italian Centre for Nanotechnologies)
Rome, Italy
04-05.11.2004

4th International Technology Transfer Days - BIOMATERIAL 2004
Organised by the IRC South Germany-German Switzerland, the Thuringian Agency for Technology and Innovation - IRC (THATI), the Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques Heiligenstadt (IBA) and the Thuringian Society for Biomaterial
Erfurt, Germany
04-05.11.2004

Innovative Food Technologies for Safe and High-Quality Food
International Brokerage Event organised by the IRC (Innovation Relay Centre) Austria and CATT Innovation Management
Linz, Austria
09.11.2004

Innovation Financing at Regional Level
Innovating Regions in Europe (IRE) Workshop
Prague, Czech Republic
15-16.11.2004

CréaWal 2004 - Enterprise Creation and Financing Forum
An initiative of the Minister of Economy and Employment for Wallonia
Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
16-17.11.2004

World SME Expo 2004
Organised by the Trade Development Council (TDC)
Hong Kong
16-18.11.2004

BRASILTEC 2004 - Exposition and Forum on Technological Innovation and Technologies Applied to Productive Chains
Sao Paulo, Brazil
17-20.11.2004

Linking Clusters and Regeneration
Organised by the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) and the Global Regeneration and Development Exchange (GRADE) in partnership with Scottish Enterprise
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
23.11.2004

Entrepreneurship - The Only Answer to Future
6th International Conference organised by the SBDC (Small Business Development Centre - Slovenia) and CEI (Central European Initiative) in the framework of the 7th EI Summit Economic Forum
Portoro, Slovenia
23-25.11.2004

Knowledge-based Regional Development and Innovation
The transition towards a knowledge-based economy". International conference organised by the Erik Network (European Regions Knowledge-based Innovation Network).
Florence, Italy
25-26.11.2004

10th Online Educa Berlin 2004
The world's largest international conference for technology supported learning and training
Berlin, Germany
1-3.12.2004

WASME ITC Training Programme on Identifying and Facilitating Services Exports
Organised by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME)
Geneva, Switzerland
6-9.12.2004

Expert Meeting on "Promoting the Export Competitiveness of SMEs"
Organised by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)
Geneva, Switzerland
8-10.12 2004

XVI WASME International Conference on SMEs: "SMEs Internationalisation and Transistion to the Knowledge-based Economy"
Organised by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME) and hosted by National Council of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Romania
Bucharest, Romania
15-18 May 2005