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|  | | Welcome to issue No. 1 of INSMEnews, the monthly newsletter edited by the INSME Secretariat, hosted by IPI. INSMEnews brings you the latest information on the International Network for SMEs (INSME) and its stakeholders, as well as some highlights on innovation and technology transfer at international level.
We appreciate comments and suggestions to improve our work.
Enjoy your reading!
Ms. Simona Marzetti
Head of the INSME Secretariat
General manager
International Networks and technical Consultancy Dept.
Institute for Industrial Promotion (IPI)
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 | INSME VISION |
| | The INSME Secretariat is pleased to introduce to you the "International Network for SMEs" (INSME), an initiative of the Italian Government , carried out by the Institute for Industrial promotion (IPI) and open to all interested actors.
INSME aims at stimulating SME's innovation processes in the global economy by promoting and strengthening innovation services and technology transfer for SMEs through intermediary bodies and their networks. INSME is a process for developing multi-stakeholder partnerships for innovation between the private and public sector, within countries and between developed and developing economies with a view to sustaining North-South and South-South cooperation and flow of information and investments. The ongoing work of the INSME Secretariat, hosted by IPI, aims at establishing INSME as a formal Community of political and technical stakeholders, taking the form of a non profit Association at international level, focussed on innovation and technology transfer services. The Association will launch an open, multi-actors political dialogue in this area, to encourage the sharing of knowledge, expertise and methodologies as well as promote new transregional and transnational activities, projects and financing programmes specifically targeted to intermediaries and/or their networks. Moreover, from an operational point of view, INSME aims at strengthening linkages, cooperation and partnerships in this field so as to maximise the mutual benefits among members of the Community, and contribute to specialising, integrating and internationalising the offerings set of intermediaries to the final benefit of SMEs.
By taking advantage of the use of ICT, INSME will act as an information hub, a facilitator and catalyser of existing, relevant intermediaries and their networks promoting the launch of new projects, developing synergies and economies of scale. |
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top of the page
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Life of the Network |
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The INSME Promoting Committee |
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Since late April 2003 a restricted number of members of INSME Steering Group participate, on a voluntary basis, in the INSME Promoting Committee, in order to support the INSME Secretariat in promoting the establishment of the INSME Association by mid-2004. The first meeting will take place in Milan, Italy on July 7-8 so as to maximise the sharing of ideas and proposals between members on topics related to the activities of the soon to be created INSME Association and to promote the consensus building for its establishment at local, national and international level. |
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 http://www.insme.org |
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Launch of the INSME portal in July 2003 |
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The INSME Portal (information hub) will represent a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences among members, exchanging information and good practices, finding partners as well as launching joint pilot projects related to intermediaries and their networks for innovation and technology transfer to SMEs. All the sections of the INSME portal will be freely accessible to the public. Moreover, a sub-set of information, services and tools will be customised for the 3 target Communities of the portal: Policy Makers, Intermediaries and SMEs. |
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http://www.insme.org |
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The INSME database of Intermediaries and their Networks |
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| | The INSME website includes a section which is a gateway to intermediaries and networks providing innovation and technology transfer services to SMEs at international, regional and national level. | | | | http://www.insme.org |
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New members in the INSME Steering Group |
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The Development Information Network (DEVNET) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) have recently joined the INSME. So far, the number of the countries involved in the INSME has grown to 40 (35 Full Members and 5 Observers) and the number of the International Organisations and NGOs has risen to 17 (10 Full Members and 7 Observers). Further participation of representatives from other Governments and from International Organisations and NGOs interested in innovation and technology transfer promotion through intermediaries is welcome any time. |
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http://www.insme.org |
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News from the INSME Members |
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ISRAEL |
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| ISRAEL | | | | Message from the Israeli delegate Mr. Yohanan Levy, member of the INSME Steering Group.
Dear INSME Members,
I am addressing you in order to share my experience with the INSME organization of the last half year.
During this time, I have had close and constant contact with the INSME Secretariat. My professional assessment of the INSME framework is that it is an ideal platform, which can and will promote innovative ideas for the small and medium sized business.
However, even the best framework and platform will not succeed without the active involvement of its members. Only the dedication of each one of us, with the guidance of the INSME Secretariat, as well as direct contacts between our members through the INSME portal can lead to a higher level of innovation, particularly for businesses in the traditional sector.
It is important to remember that there is a correlation between innovation and success. In a recently published study, a direct effect has been found between innovation and the success of a business.
I believe we have walked only the first step on the road to innovation. Joint pilot projects among member countries will enhance the level of innovation in general (see article at the INSME website).
In order to assess the rate of innovation in each member country we need to define more clearly the term INNOVATION It is difficult to compare, globally, how innovative a business is.
In my opinion we should think about three levels of innovation
1. Innovation which is 'new to the company';
2. Innovation which is 'new to the country';
3. Innovation which is 'new to the world'.
I believe it beneficial to target our programmes in order to foster the 'new to the world' innovation ideas, products and concepts.
Recently I advised the OECD organization to broaden the INSME idea and concept to new topics such as financing, management, etc.
as follows:
IMSME- Improving Management in SMEs.
FINSME- Financing in SMEs.
WINSME- Women in SMEs.
Any country, which excels in one of these topics, can coordinate the efforts and foster a study, in collaboration with other interested volunteering countries.
On behalf of all of us I would like to thank Mr Corbo and Ms Marzetti for their efforts, dedication and contribution.
Mr. Yohannan Levi
Deputy Director General
Ministry of Industry and Trade |
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ITALY |
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RIDITT - the Italian Network for Innovation Promotion and Technology Transfer to SMEs is a newly launched initiative aimed at improving, integrating and rationalising the supply of services for the promotion of innovation to SMEs and the creation of hi-tech enterprises in Italy. Promoted by the Italian Ministry of Productive Activities and implemented by IPI - Institute for Industrial Promotion, this initiative is part of a national programme for the development and creation of enterprises in less developed areas of the country. RIDITT will be linked to INSME in order to foster the internationalisation of Italian intermediaries.
More info at: |
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http://www.riditt.it |
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION - DG ENTERPRISE |
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Improving Institutions for Technology Transfer to Enterprises (ITTE) is one of the new projects adopted by the European Commission - Enterprise DG. The ITTE project intends to perform a specific benchmarking exercise on Technology Transfer Institutions (TTIs), aimed at identifying key frameworks and success factors that lead to best performance in TTIs. The geographical coverage includes the European Union and Candidate Countries. |
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http://europa.eu.int |
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B2Europe : implemented by the European Commission - Enterprise DG in order to rationalise and streamline existing European Community business support networks (EIC, IRC, BIC, etc.), this initiative aims at bringing SMEs up to date on what has been undertaken by the Commission in the field of business support networks at European level. A common web site portal, a "Multiple Entry Point" system and consistent "signposting" are some of the new tools which will be introduced in the course of 2003. |
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http://europa.eu.int |
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OECD-DSTI |
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| | The Department of Science Technology and Industry (DSTI) is preparing the second OECD Ministerial Conference on SMEs, which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey on 3-5 June 2004, on "Promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovative SMEs in a Global Economy". The Ministerial Conference will be preceded by a Business Forum on SMEs: Innovation, Technology & ICTs. The official launch of the INSME non profit Association could take place on the occasion of the Istanbul Conference as one of the main deliverables of the Bologna Process. | | | | http://www.insme.org | | | http://www.insme.org |
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Events |
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The INSME Secretariat is promoting the set up of the INSME Association through several contacts at international, regional and national level.
Here are the next events where the Secretariat will be participating:
- XX International Association of Science Parks (IASP) World Conference on Science & Technology Parks 2003
" Habitats of Excellence: Managing and Promoting Innovation"
Lisbon, Portugal, 1-4 June 2003
- 48th International Council for Small Business (ICSB) World Conference
" Advancing Entrepreneurship and Small Business"
Belfast, Northern Ireland, 15-18 June 2003
- 12th European Business Innovation Center Network (EBN) Congress
Lyon, France, 18-21 June 2003
http://www.insme.org |
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