The updated agenda for the 2005 INSME Annual Meeting to be held in Barcelona from April 13 to 15 has just been released and is now available for download: 
 INSME Annual Meeting Agenda

We suggest that interested participants make their registration and hotel booking as soon as possible so as to avoid problems in finding comfortable accommodation in Barcelona.

Register at: 
 www.annualmeeting2005.insme.org

For information, please contact the INSME Secretariat:
Mr. Mariano G. Cordone
 secretariat@insme.it
Phone: +39 06 80972.472

The INSME Secretariat is pleased to announce its forthcoming training programmes planned for 2005:

� INSME-WIPO International Training Programme on Intellectual Property and Management of Innovation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
Organised in cooperation with the SME Division of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

Date: 11 - 13 May, 2005
Place: WIPO Headquarters 34, Chemin des Colombettes, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Language: English with French interpretation 

� International Training on Management of Innovation and Technology Transfer
Organised in cooperation with the Federal Investment Council - CFI (Argentinean public body) in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).

Date: 5 - 8 July, 2005
Place: CFI headquarters, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Language: Spanish with English interpretation

� INSME-API Training Programme on Supporting the Creation and Development of Innovative Enterprises
Organised in cooperation with the Tunisian Agency for the Promotion of Industry (API).

Date: 21 - 23 November, 2005
Place: API headquarters, Tunis, Tunisia
Language: French

The payment of a tuition fee is foreseen for participation in each training course. INSME Association Members are entitled to reduced fees. More information will soon be made available regarding the tuition fees and application forms.

For further information, contact the INSME Secretariat:
Mr. Mariano G. Cordone
 secretariat@insme.it
Phone: +39 06 80972.472

If your organisation is interested in partnering with INSME for the co-organisation of a training programme on innovation in SMEs related issues in your region, please read details for applying at:
  http://www.insme.org/

IPI-IKED working paper on "Business Incubation and Venture Capital: an International Survey on Synergies and Challenges" has been released.

The paper aims at investigating issues such as: How can incubators and venture capital investors cooperate? How fruitful is the collaboration for the involved parties? How is it possible to increase the venture capital investment flow to firms within incubators?

The paper is the result of a survey on 28 incubators from 16 different countries worldwide.

If you are interested in this work, to ensure you will receive a copy of the full report, please send an email to the authors:

Ms. Silvia Grandi  grandi@ipi.it Mr. Enrico Callegati  callegati@ipi.it

Ms. Glenda Napier  glenda.napier@iked.org

The executive summary can be downloaded from the INSME portal:
 Working Paper on Incubators and Venture Capital - Executive Summary

For each INSME Association Member, the Compendium includes information about its mission, the typology of services provided, budget allocation, address and contact details, international links and relationships.

The INSME Members Compendium is edited by the INSME Secretariat. The 2004 edition refers to 48 organisations from the public and private sector.

For further information please contact:
Mr. Mariano G. Cordone (Deputy Head of the INSME Secretariat)
 secretariat@insme.it
Phone: +39 06 80972.472

  Download the INSME Members Compendium (updated as of 31 December 2004).

ASTER - Science Technology Enterprise - is a Joint Stock Consortium Company created in 2001 among the following stakeholders: Emilia-Romagna Regional Government, the five regional Universities, Unioncamere (the federation of the Chambers of Commerce), the national research centres located in the region and the entrepreneurial associations. 

ASTER's three main strategic objectives include:

• To establish a network that endeavors and sustains knowledge production and exchange among scientific institutions as to fully pursue the dissimination of research results and relative transfer towards the Emilia-Romagna business sector;
  
• To encourage the participation and collaboration of research centres and business sector throughout the region for the establishment of national and trans-European S&T co-operation projects aimed at technological innovation development;
  
• To fully exploit regional research potential and know-how at national and international level.

ASTER joined the INSME Association as a Full Member in October 2004.

For further information on ASTER, please visit:
 http://www.aster.it/sitoeng/index.html

Read also about the Research to Business (RtoB) International Fair co-organised by ASTER, that will take place in Bologna, Italy, from 28 February to 1 March. The objective of the fair is to encourage contacts between Italian public centres of research and private companies in order to promote industrial research projects. New opportunities for collaboration and technological transfer will also be given priority.

What steps are countries taking to strengthen their capabilities in science, technology and innovation? How can governments best collaborate with business to create, diffuse, and exploit their intellectual assets in all sectors of an increasingly competitive, global economy?

In answering to these questions, the OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2004 delves into themes such as the role of public/private partnerships in stimulating innovation, determinants of service sector innovation, global challenges related to the supply of human resources for science and technology and the contributions of multinational enterprises to productivity growth and innovation.

For further information:
  Download the Table of contents
  Read an abstract and learn how to access the full publication

The European Commission is seeking input on its ideas for a new framework Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation, to run from 2007 until 2013. Alongside instruments to encourage innovation, the Programme would aim to increase the uptake and mastery of Information and Communication Technologies, enhance SMEs' access to finance and stimulate better framework conditions for business.

Consultation closes on February 7, 2005.

Further information:
 http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/enterprise_policy/cip/consultation.htm

The Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development (CFE) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) invites individuals to submit papers for its Conference on "Fostering Entrepreneurship: The Role of Higher Education" to take place in Trento, Italy on June 24-25, 2005.

Papers are invited on any of the issues falling under the two conference themes: 

1. Entrepreneurship education and training in the higher education sector; 
2. Higher ucation and the promotion of SME innovation.

Deadline for submitting paper proposals: February 28, 2005.

For details on themes and application procedure, download the text of the call:
 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/31/56/34238271.pdf

We are pleased to announce the consolidation of partnership with TII - Technology, Innovation, Information, one of the largest, longest-standing voluntary associations representing the innovation support and technology transfer professions in Europe.

With 260 members in over 30 countries operating in this area the association offers services in the field of information and networking, professional training and technology transfer facilitation.

Foreign investment in developing countries is on the increase, but is development being served? How do policy makers balance the interests of foreign investors and domestic  enterprise? Who should be accountable for positive social and economic outcomes? Are there promising business models and investment opportunities? These are the core questions addressed in this Special Report.

Read interviews with leaders in private sector, government and civil society as well as collections of articles addressing the issues raised:
  http://topics.developmentgateway.org/special/corporateinvestment?goo=1001

Download the final agenda of the "Small & Medium Enterprises International Conference and Exhibition" co-organised by the INSME Association:
  Final Agenda

Ms. Simona Marzetti, INSME Secretary General, looks forward to welcoming you in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) from January 31 to February 2, 2005!

For further information: 
 http://www.ismedubai.com/
 info@seagull.ae

� 4 February 2005, Valenzano (Bari), Italy
Technological and non-Technological Innovation: a Challenge for the Fashion Sector in Europe 

The Conference is being organised by the Italian Institute for Industrial Promotion (IPI) and the Italian Science and Technology Park Tecnopolis CSATA in the framework of the ITE Project (Intelligent Textile Environment, funded within the Sixth Framework Programme) in collaboration with FashionNet.

Fashion Europe will see the participation of institutes and international organisations such as:

• EURATEX - European Apparel & Textile Organisation (Belgium);
• ASINTEC - Centro Tecnol�gico de Confecci�n (Spain);
• IFTH - Institut Fran�ais Textile-Habillement (France);
• WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organisation, SMEs Division;
• Ghent University - Department of Textiles (Belgium).

  Download the Programme (Italian version only)

Subscribe to FN-News, Fashionnet quarterly newsletter:
  info@fashionnet.org

7 - 8 February, 2005
Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Investment Programme Working Group Meeting: Promoting Policies for Financial Sector Development and Enterprise Development in Support of Diversification
Organised in the framework of the MENA-OECD Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development and focused on financial sector development and enterprise development, taking into account micro-enterprise, SMEs and entrepreneurship, including women's entrepreneurship.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

10 February, 2005
EU Funding for Research and Innovation: What Opportunities in 2005?
Organised by: CLAIRE (Club Aquitain d'Information sur la Recherche Européenne).
Topics discussed: funding opportunities outside the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6); funding opportunities within FP6; factors influencing successful applications in FP6.
Bordeaux, France

16 - 18 February, 2005
Third International Forum on Creativity and Inventions - A Better Future for Humanity in the 21st Century
Organised by WIPO-World Intellectual Property Organization, Division for Infrastructure Services and Innovation Promotion.
Capetown, South Africa

28 February - 1 March, 2005
Research To Business - "Research Reinvigorates Business"
Co-organised by Aster - Science Technology and Enterprise Consortium.
INSME Association will attend the Fair and will have an information booth.
Bologna, Italy