Our latest event in Montevideo concluded successfully! Thanks to all its participants.

Learn more about the issues discussed at the INSME International Conference 2006 by reading the speakers presentations:
 http://www.annualmeeting2006.insme.org/default.asp?pg=Speakers

Documents related to the 3^rd INSME Board Meeting and the 2^nd INSME General Assembly are available in the Members' Area of the INSME portal:
 http://www.insme.org/

Enjoy the pictures taken during this 3-day event in Uruguay:
 http://www.insme.org/

11-12 July 2006

 
 
WIPO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland

 
Download the updated draft agenda:
 word format [1.6 Mb]      pdf format [105 Kb]

Participation is for free. Register now:  Registration Form
(deadline for registering: July 3, 2006)

Please, note that the INSME Secretariat cannot provide any grants to support participation in training courses. Travel costs and hotel accommodation are to be covered by each participant. 
 Recommended hotels

If you are interested in attending or getting more information, please contact the INSME Secretariat:
 secretariat@insme.it

The INSME Association and its activities were promoted at an information booth at the second edition of the Research to Business (R2B) Fair and Conference Research Renews Business, which took place in Bologna, Italy, on 11-12 May 2006.

229 exhibitors among the most accredited research centres and national and international spin-offs had the opportunity to present 246 proposals for technological innovation, research projects, prototypes of new products and marketable applications to entrepreneurs and investors.

R2B was co-organised by ASTER-Science Technology and Enterprise Consortium (INSME Full Member).

Read about the speakers presentations at:
 http://www.rtob.it/

Learn from Mrs. Mercedes Carazo (National Coordinator of the Peruvian Technological Innovation Centers Network) what Peru is doing to strengthen its capacity in answering the issues brought about by technological change and to help SMEs face their innovation needs.

Read INSME Interview with Mrs. Carazo at:
 http://www.insme.org/

SPICE Group - Science Park and Innovation Center Experts
 http://www.spice-group.de/

With a view to creating linkages and joining forces to promote innovation culture around the globe, we are pleased to announce that the SPICE Group, a global network based in Germany and Poland representing 41 countries and including 27 national and international associations of innovation centres, has recently become a partner of INSME.

Members of SPICE Group are experts in business incubation, innovation centres, technology parks, regional economic development, technology transfer and entrepreneurship.

View the full list of INSME Partners:
 http://www.insme.org/

� Call for Candidatures
Title: Call for co-organising the INSME Annual Meeting 2007
Both INSME Members and non-Members are encouraged to present their candidatures, no matter where they are located. To assist you in the drafting of your proposal, please use the following template:
 Template
You can send it either via e-mail or fax (contact details are specified in the document template).
Deadline: 15 July 2006

� Call for Applications
Title: Asian SME Management Awards (ASMA)
Only Small and Medium Enterprises can enter in the awards (SMEs are defined as those with 100 or less employees with annual sales of less than US$5,000,000).
Issuer: Entrepreneur Asia Convention
Entries will be accepted starting June 2006.

� Call for Proposals
Title: CEI Award: From Research to Enterprise
This call is addressed to researchers and scientists who have ideas on how to commercialise their scientific inventions.
Issuer: CEI-Central European Initiative
Deadline: 16 June 2006

� Call for Proposals
Title: INNOV 10 - Encouraging Regional Innovation Policies and Transregional Cooperation
Strands: 2. INNO-Policy Watch; 3. INNO-Views; 4. INNO-Appraisal
Programme: Sixth Framework Programme - Specific programme: Structuring the European Research Area
Issuer: European Commission
Deadline: 28 June 2006


This call is part of the PRO INNO Europe initiative, the new EU innovation policy initiative representing the focal point of innovation policy analysis and development throughout Europe.

� Call for Proposals
Title: CORNET Call for Proposals for Transnational Collective Research Projects

CORNET stands for COllective Research NETworking, an initiative funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). IPI, the Italian Institute for Industrial Promotion (INSME Member), participates in the CORNET project as coordinator of the Italian Network for Innovation and Technology Transfer to SMEs (RIDITT).

Issuers: Ministries and funding agencies of the following CORNET partner countries/regions: Austria, Germany, Cyprus, Slovenia, Catalonia (Spain), Valencia (Spain), Norway, France, Walloon Region (Belgium), Flanders (Belgium).
Closing date: 16 October 2006

The full list of calls selected by the INSME Secretariat is available on the INSME portal at
 http://www.insme.org/

"Sparks"

Copies of "Sparks" may be downloaded from the Europe INNOVA website:
 http://www.europe-innova.org/servlet/Doc?cid=5851&lg=EN

Paper copies are sent upon registration. Register at:
 www.europe-innova.org/newsletter

The aim of this consultation is to identify the main problems public research organisations (such as universities) and industry experience when working together - be they cultural barriers or legal ones - and how the research and industry communities feel that these problems should be addressed. Views of all stakeholders concerned, including those of universities, industry, SMEs, and publicly-funded research laboratories and public authorities are therefore welcome.

Closing date: 19 July 2006.

To participate in the consultation, please go to
 http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=KTconsultation

Economic and technological intelligence tools (ETI, i.e. databases, strategic information, advanced know-how, etc.) presented in this guide will allow SMEs of the textile and fashion industry to detect and elaborate knowledge and transform it into useful elements in decision making  process both at technical and managerial level.

This ETI guide has been developed thanks to the international  expertise collected in the Fashion Net Project.

Download the guide for free:
 http://fashionnet.insme.org/upload/sub/docs/ETIGuide.pdf

This document details the findings of the Conference on SME and Entrepreneurship Financing which took place in Brazilia on 27-30 March 2006.

It particularly examines issues related to 2 types of SME financing: debt and credit and risk capital.

On debt and credit financing it stresses the importance of competition among lending institutions. Government guarantee schemes can help boost lending to SMEs but measures are needed to promote better risk-sharing between lenders and SMEs. On risk capital it concludes there is a need to enhance awareness on equity financing. Regulations and tax regimes should ensure neutrality between different funds of risk capital. Orderly, equitable and transparent exit routes need to be safeguarded for investors. Obstacles hampering venture capitalists and business angels should be removed, and business angel networks promoted.

The OECD Brasilia Action Statement for SME and Entrepreneurship Financing is available on the OECD website:
 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/38/60/36507430.pdf

25-26 May 2006
Clustering06 - International Conference on Clustering
Organised by ABIGEM - EU-Turkey Business Centres, Fashion and Textile Cluster Project and GAP/GIDEM Project. Ms. Marzetti will attend as a speaker on behalf of INSME.
Istanbul, Turkey 

06-09 June 2006 
XXIII IASP World Conference on Science and Technology Park - "Helping Innovative Companies to Succeed and Communities to Prosper"
Organised by the International Association of Science Parks.
Helsinki, Finland

06-08 June 2006
La Baule 2006 World Investment Conference: Europe, Building a Hub for the World
Organised by the Europe+ Foundation.
La Baule, France

07-08 June 2006
European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing - First Conference
Organised by EURATEX - The European Apparel and Textile Organisation.
Brussels, Belgium

08-11 June 2006
2nd European Research & Innovation Exhibition
Organised by Fondamental Expo, under the auspices of Mr. Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic.
Paris, France

13-14 June 2006
Conference on the European Charter for Small Enterprises
Jointly organised by the Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General of the European Commission and the Austrian EU Presidency.
Vienna, Austria

13-14 June 2006
The 2nd Conference on Access to Finance for SMEs: "Sources of Funding and Supportive Measures for SMEs in South Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans"
The meeting place for banks, equity providers, venture capitalists, consulting/IT firms looking to the emerging European SME market.
Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

14-15 June 2006
WIPO Forum on Intellectual Property and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises for Intellectual Property Offices and other Relevant Institutions in OECD Countries
Organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and hosted by the Benelux Trademarks Office (BTO).
The Hague, Netherlands

19-23 June 2006
First Iberoamerican Congress on Science and Technology, Society and innovation
(CTS + I)
Organised by the Organisation of Iberoamerican Countries for Education Science and Culture (OEI), the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Mexico City, Mexico

26-30 June 2006
UNIDO Training Workshop on Measuring, Benchmarking and Managing of Industrial Enterprises with UNIDO Pharas Software Suite
Organised by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with GOLEM IMS GMBH, Austria (INSME Member).
Vienna, Austria

11-12 July 2006
WIPO-INSME International Training Program on the Role of Intellectual Property in Raising Financing Opportunities for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
Organised by the INSME Association and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Geneva, Switzerland 

08-10 August 2006
WAITRO 2006 Biannual Congress - "The Business of Innovation"
Organised by the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO).
Saskatoon, Canada

04-07 October 2006
4th Globelics International Conference - "Innovation Systems for Competitiveness and Shared Prosperity in Developing Countries"
Organised by the Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems (Globelics).
Trivandrum, Kerala, India

31 October - 02 November 2006
29th ISBE Conference - "International Entrepreneurship - From Local to Global Enterprise Creation and Development"
Organised by the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ISBE), INSME Full Member.
Cardiff, United Kingdom