The INSME Secretariat is launching a Call for candidatures for co-organising and co-hosting the 7^th INSME Annual Meeting in 2011.
This is a valuable opportunity to increase your organisation's visibility among renowned international, national and local public and private players operating in the field of SMEs, innovation and technology transfer all over the world. It also offers the chance to strengthen your networking capacity and reputation in this field at international level.

Co-hosts shall assist the INSME Secretariat in organising a three or four-day event to be held indicatively between March 30^th and no later than July 15^th, 2011.

Proposals must be submitted to the INSME Secretariat by e-mail or fax (+39 06 809 72443) by the 25^th April 2010. The INSME Board will assess the proposals and a decision will be taken by May 10^th, on the occasion of the 6th INSME General Assembly, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The call is open to both INSME Members and Non Members.
 For further information and any clarification or to submit your proposal, please contact the INSME Secretariat.

 In order to submit a proposal, we invite you to view the guidelines and the template/form.

SME Innovation: Boosting Development and Growth in Times of Change


10^th-13^th May, 2010
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Venue: Hotel Sofitel, Copacabana

 Download the Agenda of the International Conference which includes six dedicated thematic panels on:

- Innovation and Entreprenuership
- National Innovation Frameworks : a Comparative Analysis
- Innovation Financing
- Sustainable Innovation and Innovation for Sustainability
- Open Innovation
- Innovation Networks

This year institutional roundtables on specific topics will also take place on May 10^th (morning) with the involvement of INSME Members and partners. Book now to join in!

No participation fee is foreseen for INSME Members, participants from Latin American, Caribbean and Central American Countries and International Governmental Organisations.

For any other participant, the registration fee is:
- 250 Euro for delegates coming from OECD countries
- 150 Euro for delegates coming from non OECD countries

(50% off for the second registered delegate from the same organisation).

Participation in the event is upon registration by filling in the following forms:
 INSME Association Member registration form (for INSME Members)
 General registration form (for other participants)

 To stay updated on the 6th INSME Annual Meeting, visit the dedicate website available at:
 www.annualmeeting2010.insme.org

or contact the INSME Secretariat at:
 insmerio2010@insme.it

The European Business & Innovation Center Netwok- EBN is organising two BIC Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) to be held, in parallel, on 20^th and 21^st April 2010. The TWGs aim to bring together BICs focused on ICT, CleanTech, Health and Food with a view to find out opportunities for both networking BICs and SMEs and to identify and build consortia to participate in specific FP7 calls.

 Draft work programmes are available at the EBN website or at each competent FP7 National Contact Point - NCP.

To learn more please visit the following website:
 http://www.ebn.eu/EventDetail.aspx?id=78

 Call for Papers

 The Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) has launched a Call for Papers for its 33rd ISBE Conference 2010 on Looking to the Future: Economic and Social Regeneration through Entrepreneurial Activity to be held in London, on the 3rd and 4th November, 2010.

The Congress will provide academics, policy makers and participating SMEs with business opportunities through exchanging views about SME problems, policies and programmes for assisting them. Furthermore, the Congress will offer an opportunity to network among various regions of the world.

Deadline for submitting abstracts: 16th April 2010

To submit your abstract, please, click here. For further information, visit:
  http://www.isbe.org.uk/isbe2010

Call for Papers

The Dubai Institute of Technology (DIT) has launched a Call for papers for the DIT 4th Strategic Forum holding the 20th WAITRO Biennial Congress & General Assembly to be held on 11^th - 14^th  October, 2010, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This year the Forum will be organised in collaboration with WAITRO (World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations), and will focus on Leadership for Innovation.

Governmental leaders, UN agencies, funding agencies, SME agencies, industry specialists and academic experts are invited to attend this Forum which will provide a platform to explore concepts, strategies and ideas with a view to stimulate leadership for Innovation, share know-how and best practices, encourage research and development of industrial technologies worldwide.

Deadline for abstract submission: 30^th April 2010.

For more information on the Call for Papers and submission of abstracts, please contact:
 Ms Samira Manar at DIT:
E-mail: samira.manar@ezw.ae
Phone: +9714 8814888
Fax: +9714 8871626

On the 3^rd March 2010 the European Commission launched the Europe 2020 Strategy, the new European economic plan focused on a trio of interlinked priorities: growth from knowledge, creating an inclusive society and building a greener economy more competitive at international level.
The EU 2020 strategy follows a public consultation that attracted some 1,500 comments across Europe.

 To learn more please visit the EU 2020 website.

The Italian Business Angels Network - IBAN is an Italian non profit association with the aim to representing the informal investors in venture capital.
Its mission is focused on the development and the growth of the Business Angels phenomena in Italy. IBAN has created a strong relationship network that links Institutions and economic operators, know-how and expertise, covering all value chain in the early stage phase. IBAN is now Member of INSME.

Read more at:
 http://www.iban.it

Call for nomination

On the occasion of the European Business & Innovation Center network (EBN) 2010 Annual Conference, to be held in Burgos, Spain, on 30^th June - 2^nd July 2010, EBN - has planned a call for nomination for a selection of 25 innovative entrepreneurs, 25 smart champions, nominated and coached by the 250 Members of the EBN network or by a Business and Innovation Centre (BIC). During the EBN Conference, the 20 selected entrepreneurs will be invited to speak about their success stories, their models, their innovations, their passions and how their BICs contributed to their success.

The main objective of this competition is to stimulate the identification and dissemination of success stories and to illustrate the core mission of a BIC and its impact.

In addition to the prize package for all 20 finalists, the 5 winners will be awarded a cash prize of 1,500 �.

The deadline for receiving the nominations is 3^rd May 2010.

 Download the full Call for nomination document and the application form.

For further information on the EBN Congress in Burgos, please visit:
 http://www.ebnburgos2010.com/DisplayPage.aspx

Theme: Information and Communication Technologies Calls (FP7-ICT-2009-6)
Programme: Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)
Specific Programme: Cooperation - Theme: Information and Communication Technologies Calls.

Aim: Improving the competitiveness of European industry and enabling Europe to master and shape future developments in ICT so that the demands of its society and economy are met; strengthening Europe's scientific and technology base and ensuring its global leadership in ICT; stimulating product, service and process innovation and creativity through ICT use and value creation in Europe.

Deadline: 13 April 2010
Budget available: € 286 000 000

Participants: at least 3 independent legal entities must be established in a EU Member State or Associated Country and 2 of them should be established in the same Member State or Associated Country.

Read more at:
 http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CooperationCallsPage#Information and Communication Technologies

While China is a focus of attention for the healthcare industry as one of the world's largest markets, a chief concern for the medical device industry is risk from IPR infringement. For effective IP protection in the medical device industry, registration of IPR, management of IP during R&D and sourcing are among the key issues to consider.

Identifying and registering all of your IP assets defensively will help to prevent issues before they arise, which is a much simpler and affordable process than enforcing your rights following the discovery of infringement.

Read more.

Within the framework of the 2009 CIP Eco-innovation initiative, 45 best green projects were selected, among over 200 proposals submitted, to receive € 32 million of EU funding.

The selected projects, which range from innovative materials for easy sorting and recycling to advanced production methods that save water and other resources, are set to strengthen Europe's competitive edge while improving its environmental standing.

To learn more please download the press release and visit the following website:
 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eco-innovation/projects_en.htm

This study, issued by PRO INNO Europe, deals with the interface between research, technological advancement and innovation focusing on the role, as well as on outputs, of the collaborative R&D projects funded under the 5^th and 6^th European Framework Programmes for Research and Development.

 Download the Impact of publicly funded research on innovation

To find out more, please, visit the following website:
 http://www.innovationimpact.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=28

Doing Business 2010 is the annual publication of the World Bank aimed at tracking regulatory reforms in order to improve the ease of doing business. This year's report, which compares regulations from 183 economies, shows that, despite the global economic and financial crisis, the number of Country reforms has raised.

In particular, the reforms undertaken focused on making it easier to start and operate a business, strengthening property rights and improving the efficiency of commercial dispute resolution and bankruptcy procedures.

 Download the full Report.

The 9^th edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), published on the 17^th March 2010 by PRO-INNO Europe, has been released by the Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT). The EIS 2009 provides a comparative assessment of the innovation performance of EU27 Member States, under the EU Lisbon Strategy.

 Download the report here.
 To learn more please read the EU press release.

On February 2010 EUREKA launched its new on-line newsletter. This fortnightly publication focuses on the latest R&D and innovation highlights from EUREKA Network, the EU Institutions and EUREKA Secretariat's (ESE) developments.

For further information, please, contact:
 Eleni Seriatou - Editorial Coordinator eleni.seriatou@eurekanetwork.org

Read the INSME's Interview with Mr. Luuk Borg, the Director of the Brussels based EUREKA Secretariat, at:
  http://www.insme.net/page.asp?IDArea=1&page=interview&IDInterview=26

25^th-26^th March 2010
Third Session of the Team of Specialists on Innovation and Competitiveness Policies and Applied Policy Seminar Promoting Innovation in the Services Sector
Organised by UNECE- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Geneva, Switzerland

30^th-31^st March 2010
IASP European Division Workshop "Better cooperation among Science Parks - higher value for companies"
Organised by the TEHNOPOL- Tallinn Technology Park
Tallinn, Estonia

31^st March-1^st April 2010
NINA Innovation Day and 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Business Incubation & Entrepreneurship
Organised by the Technology Park Malaysia and the AABI Asian Association of Business Incubation
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

12^th-14^th April 2010
Training for the Innovation Experts: "Best Practices of the Finnish Innovation System"
Organised by InnoPraxis Training Center
Helsinki, Finland

13^th-14^th  April 2010
IV Conference on the FP7 "The European Framework Programmes: From Economic Recovery to Sustainability"
Seventh Framework Programme
Valencia, Spain

14^th April 2010
Strategies for Innovation and Competitiveness in Europe
Organised by the Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum-Enterprise Europe Network Baden-W�rttemberg
Stuttgart, Germany

14^th-16^th April 2010
6th International Congress on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources for South East Europe
Organised by Via Expo
Sofia, Bulgaria

15^th-16^th April 2010
EBAN 10th Annual Congress and 5th Award Ceremony
Organised by the European Trade Association for Business Angels, Seed Funds, and other Early Stage Market Players - EBAN and the Middle East Technical University's Technopolis' business angel network - METUTECH-BAN
Istanbul, Turkey

15^th-16^th April 2010
Eco-Innovation & Regional Development Seminar
Organised by IMADE - Madrid Regional Development Agency and EURADA
Madrid, Spain

19^th-23^th April 2010
6th CINet PhD Seminar
Organised by the Continuous Innovation Network (CINet)
Milan, Italy

21^st April 2010
Partnering Event CORNET / EraSME at the Hannover Fair "Creating proposals for transnational research projects - establishing sustainable partnerships"
Organised within the framework of the CORNET and EraSME Projects
Hannover, Germany

23^rd April 2010
Boosting Regional Competitiveness Through Cluster Initiatives
Organized by the Center of Competitiveness of the University of Fribourg and the Scientific and Technological Center of Fribourg
Fribourg, Switzerland

25^th-27^th April 2010
FINPIN 2010 Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Universities
Organised by FINPIN - Finnish Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network for Higher Education and North Karelia University of Applied Sciences
Joensuu, Finland

26^th April 2010
8th Annual European Financial Services Conference
A New Deal Between Finance & Society. Restoring Confidence and Responding to Public Concerns.
Brussels, Belgium

26^th April 2010
2nd High level conference on Industrial Competitiveness "The role of policy and markets in difficult times: What have we learnt, where do we go?"
Organised by the European Commission
Brussels, Belgium

27^th- 28^th April 2010
European Challenges for Innovation
Jointly organised by the European Commission and the Spanish Presidency
Bilbao, Spain

28^th-29^th April 2010
European Patent Forum 2010 and European Inventor Award 2010
Organised by the European Patent Office in co-operation with the Spanish EU Presidency, the European Commission and the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office
Madrid, Spain

28^th-29^th April 2010
Asia Competitiveness Forum
Organised by the The Competitiveness Institute (TCI) and Institute for Competitiveness
New Delhi, India

28^th-30^th April 2010
TII 2010 Annual Conference "Innovation 3.0: Challenges, Needs and Skills of the New Innovation Era"
Organised by TII- Technology Innovation International
D�sseldorf, Germany

30^th April - 1^st May 2010
BioParks 2010: No Boundaries to Innovation
Organised by AURP -Association of University Research Parks
Chicago, United States

5^th May 2010
World Business Angels Association- WBAA's International Exchange Workshop
Organized within the framework of the Angel Capital Association - ACA Summit 2010
San Francisco, United States

10^th- 13^th May 2010
6th INSME Annual Meeting on "SME Innovation: boosting development and growth in times of change"
Organised by the INSME Association in collaboration with SEBRAE (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

18^th May 2010
VI EU-LAC Summit "Towards a new phase of the bi-regional association: innovation and technology for sustainable development and social inclusion"
Supported by the European Commission
Madrid, Spain

19^th May 2010
ESA Investment Forum 2010
Organised by ESA's Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) in collaboration with Europe Unlimited
Stuttgart, Germany

20^th May 2010
Partnering Event CORNET / EraSME at Vienna Polymer Days
Organised within the framework of the CORNET and EraSME Projects
Vienna, Austria

23^rd-26^th May 2010
27th IASP 2010 World Conference on Science and Technology Parks "Global Green Growth(G3): Challenges & Opportunities for Science and Technology Parks"
Organised by Dadeok Innopolis
Daejeon, Korea Rep. of

25^th May-1^st June 2010
European SME Week 2010
Supported by the European Commission
Worldwide

31^st May- 1^st June 2010
SBA Conference "Getting SMEs on the road to recovery - the Small Business Act for Europe & European Enterprise Awards 2010: exchange of good practices"
Organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the Spanish EU Presidency
Madrid, Spain

2^nd June 2010
SME Forum 2010 Growing SMEs: Its time to invest
Organised by the BiD Network
The Hague, The Netherlands

6^th-9^th June 2010
2010 ISPIM Conference - The Dynamics of Innovation
Organized by the International Society for Professional Innovation Management - ISPIM
Bilbao, Spain

30^th June- 2^nd July 2010
19th EBN Annual Congress 2010
Organised by the European Business & Innovation Centre Network
Burgos, Spain