Issue N° 102 - September 2012
Keep up to date on innovation matters worldwide with the INSME Association!
Dear INSMEnews Readers,
after a short summer break our team is back to provide you with the next edition of the “INSMEnews”, the monthly newsletter edited since 2004 by the INSME Association Secretariat, with updates about the activities of the International Network for SMEs, its Members and Partners worldwide.
INSME aims at promoting transnational cooperation among private and public stakeholders to make innovation happen in SMEs.
We welcome contributions, comments and suggestions to furthermore enrich this newsletter and improve our ongoing work, with the aim to support innovation intermediaries, their networking and internationalisation so as to better reach SMEs worldwide and help them to remain competitive on an international scale.
In this issue, you will be informed about INSME Members activities and some latest news on innovation-related issues from across the world.
Subscribe to INSMEnews and you will receive it via e-mail as soon as it is available for non-Members (one month after its official launch). In addition you will also receive the brand-new “Innovation Spotlight” a joint product of Global Innovation Networks and INSME targeting specially Innovation Management issues for SMEs.
Follow us also on Twitter and LinkedIn!
...and now as usual enjoy your reading!
Ms. Christin Pfeiffer
INSME Secretary general
Supporting organisations:
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The 37th International Small Business Congress (ISBC) under the theme: "Fostering small business in new and high-potential industries worldwide" was held from 15th to 18th of September 2012 in Johannesburg (South Africa).
The International Small Business Congress (ISBC) gathers individuals from governments (policy makers), small business support agencies, entrepreneurs, business membership organisations, academia, financial institutions, international development agencies and various others with an interest in entrepreneurship and small business development around the world.
The numerous sessions held during the Congress have examined a variety of topics related to SME: reflections on new opportunities, the role of Government policy and effective support mechanisms and institutional frameworks, the role of SMEs in the fragile global economy, the importance of entrepreneurship education, the use of technology to build competitive advantage, the IP management, the growth through sustainability, the actions to reduce monopolistic positions.
Besides, the event offered the chance to exchange ideas on approaches, experiences and best practices.
INSME was represented in this important event by its Secretary General, Ms. Christin Pfeiffer, who moderated the Conference session "SMEs discuss how they used technology to build competitive advantage, turn around faltering businesses and enhance customer service".
Moreover, Ms. Pfeiffer held the ISBC 2012 Training Workshop on 19th and 20th of September with the title "Advising on the management of innovation and IP in small and medium enterprises: Challenges and opportunities for SME support intermediaries".
This training workshop was co-organized by OSIBA Resarch (INSME Member) and the South African Technology Innovation Agency and included the following modules:
You can find all information at the official ISBC website.
On the 16th of November the first World NGO Day Summit with the theme "Building Effective Cooperation" will take place in London.
The World NGO Day is an annual international day - to be submitted for consensus by the United Nations - held on the 18th of November every year to Celebrate, Commemorate and Connect all Non-Governmental, Non-Profit Organisations in recognition of the valuable works these organisations have done - and continue to do - for the society.
The World NGO Day initiative was born in 2009 in London, United Kingdom and it was officially accepted in 2010 by 12 countries of the Baltic Sea NGO Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania. In 2011 this initiative has been recognised by the UN representatives. The first International NGO Day was celebrated on the 18th of November, 2011.
The mission of this Day is to generate a trailblazing network throughout the world and give impetus to the NGOs internationally. The vision in celebrating this Day is to bring changes within the NGOs; in the manner they work and the attitude they hold towards the society.
Within the World NGO Day Story, there are three aspects: "Celebrate, Commemorate and Connect".
The story of "Celebrate" starts with a fact that the NGOs and NPOs (non-governmental and non-profit organisations) are founded and generally developed for the benefit of humanity, people's welfare or wellbeing and the environment.
The story of "Commemorate" makes us believe that this is an international memorial day for people as founders, workers, members and volunteers who used to be involved in non-governmental, non-profit, civil society or charity sectors.
The story of "Connect" brings us joy and aspiration to encourage connections between NGOs in different geographical regions at different time zones.
Ms. Christin Pfeiffer, INSME .Secretary General and Mrs Leena Zittling, INSME Board Member will be representing the network in London. Mrs. Zittling is also a Charter President and Vice Chair of Advisory Board of European Proclusters Association-EPROCA (INSME Member) and an Honorary Ambassador of the World NGO Day initiative in Nordic countries.
The Summit will include practical presentations and discussions and its programme will focus on six specific areas (winning Corporate Social Responsibility activities and strategies, more effective fundraising and better use of funds, making the most of marketing and PR, leveraging new technologies for the improvement of all, understanding cultures, promoting sustainable development).
For further information see the World NGO Day and Summit website
In the framework of the Transatlantic Economic Council stakeholders and Government representatives agreed in Rome on 12th of July 2012 to facilitate SMEs presence in both continents.
This transatlantic cooperation intends to create conditions to allow SMEs from both sides of the Atlantic to better profit from more active trade exchanges between the US and the EU.
Find out more at this page.
The European Commission published a practical guide providing information on how to access over 50 billion of public finance in the 27 Member States, thanks to the help of the Enterprise Europe Network.
The aim of the plan is to make it easier for potential entrepreneurs to set up their own business.
This is one of the key factors to stimulate self-employment and to develop the entrepreneurial potential in Europe.
It is more and more evident that the European economy needs new innovative and creative enterprises to overcome the current crisis and have a stronger basis for the future to remain competitive.
Find out more at this page.
The European Commission's SME Envoy, Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo (Mr. SME), is now on Facebook.
Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo will listen to small businesses and promote their interests in the European Commission.
You can follow him on his Facebook page.
According to Professor Ron Adner, the reason why some great innovations succeed and some great innovations fail is a too narrow view of the context.
Some case studies (Michelin, Motorola) explain the problem and give hints on its solution.
Read the article at this page.
This article describes the role of intermediaries in reducing the risks of crowdsourcing and in making a crowdsourcing project a success.
Read the article at this page.
CHINA IPR SME Helpdesk (INSME Partner) in this article shows the benefits of using Utility model patents in China. This powerful tool is often overlooked by foreign entities and should be considered by SMEs as part of their IP strategy in China.
Publication Date: 10th of July 2012
Budget: € 2.000.000
Deadline: 7th of November 2012 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Specific Programme(s): CAPACITIES
Theme(s): Support for the coherent development of research policies
Find out more at this page.
Whether you work in industry, at a university or research institute or for an association, are an individual inventor, or even just someone with an interest in the work inventors do, this is your chance to join in by entering your favourite inventor or invention for the award.
Deadline: 18th of October 2012
Find out more at this page.
Objective of the consultation: this consultation seeks reactions to a variety of possible measures which could be brought together under the Entrepreneurship Action Plan so as to bring together the best practices for the broadest impact across Europe.
Target groups: All citizens and organisations are welcome to contribute to this consultation. Contributions are particularly sought from public administrations and private sector organizations and individuals who support entrepreneurs in starting up businesses and in helping them face challenges, particularly during the first years of life of their business, individual entrepreneurs and businesses.
Deadline: 1st of October 2012
Find out more at this page.
The EU-Japan Centre is currently conducting a survey among European companies through the intermediary of local support organisations.
The objective of this survey is to develop an inventory of EU SMEs working (or wishing to work) with/in Japan and to assess the challenges that those SMEs are facing in accessing the Japanese market and when networking with potential partners (Trade & Investment and R&D innovation).
To participate in the survey check this link.
The Energy Efficient Buildings Association (E2BA) has introduced the first draft of a new Energy-efficient Buildings Research and Innovation Roadmap covering the period 2014-2020.
The Public Consultation on the roadmap is now open.
This is a unique opportunity to have your say in the creation of the next E2BA strategic research and innovation roadmap for the 'Energy-efficient Buildings' public-private partnership under Horizon 2020.
The consultation process will run until the 1st of October 2012.
The final version of the roadmap will be presented to the European Commission as the core element of the industrial proposal for a Public-Private Partnership on Energy-efficient Buildings under Horizon 2020.
You can find the Consultation Document at this page
or send your comments informally at the email address of the E2BA Secretariat.
During the Women Cluster Conference that took place in Vienna from 18th to 20th of April 2012, the Cluster Women European Network (ClusterWene) was set up by 30 women from 12 countries.
It represents an entrepreneurial initiative aiming to strengthen women's position in the cluster world through personal relationships, by sharing knowledge and contacts and offering each other various kinds of support.
The network is open for all women with an interest in clustering and willing to contribute and profit from the networking.
It's possible to join the initiative through the LinkedIn Group "ClusterWene" (gathering more than 65 women).
To learn more please click here.
The Global Innovation Index 2012 has been co-published by INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Under the theme "Stronger Innovation Linkages for Global Growth", the Report represents a recognition of the key role that innovation serves as a driver of economic growth and prosperity.
This year's GII Report underlines the importance of linkages and of supporting the optimal infrastructure for these innovation ecosystems.
It is also an acknowledgement of the need for a broad horizontal vision of innovation that is applicable to both developed and emerging economies, with the inclusion of indicators that go beyond the traditional measures of innovation. The GII helps to create an environment in which innovation factors are under continual evaluation, and it provides a key tool for refining innovation policies.
The GII is a valuable benchmarking tool to facilitate public-private dialogue, whereby policymakers, business leaders and other stakeholders can evaluate progress on a continual basis.
To download the full Report please click here.
The Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) in collaboration with the Eco-Innovation Observatory, developed and officially launched in April 2012 a thematic Report on "Eco-innovation practices and business opportunities for European SMEs in the emerging markets of Asia, Latin America and Africa" exploring the role of European SMEs in promoting a green economy not just "in house" but also on a global scale.
It analyses the challenges and opportunities for European eco-innovators that exist within the emerging markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
This Report presents a unique overview of trends and case studies of eco-innovation in emerging markets. It should be seen as a useful reference source mainly for national and regional agencies supporting the internationalization of SMEs, in particular those engaged in eco-innovation.
It outlines concrete examples of eco-innovation support measures, which can be directly relevant to SMEs looking for an entry point into emerging markets.
To download the full Report, please click here.
Hot to Grow is a platform designed to boost the growth of creative companies across Europe. It offers a set of services and tools to facilitate the access to knowledge and to financial resources.
It also provides subjects that can enhance the company's performance and growth. It permits to find relevant businesses and people to build a fine-tuned network to all professional needs.
Furthermore, How to grow is a tool that helps people to search for best fitting partners for project or business plan.
This Newsletter is designed to help people keep up with the latest developments in the areas of innovation strategies for small to medium-sized businesses and business growth.
This new publication, created in partnership with INSME and Global Innovation Network Inc., combines the best original articles from InnovationManagement.se and InnovationTools.com, plus a curated list of the best articles from around the web - a focused collection of the "must-read" articles in this space.
SME Innovation Spotlight is published every other week. Its target audience is owners of SMEs, entrepreneurs and innovators who seek to launch and grow new businesses anywhere in the world.
INSME will send the SME Innovation Spotlight newsletter to all its members and all the INSMEnews subscribers
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4th - 6th of October 2012 
The Inno-Summit 2012, organized by the European Alliance for Innovation-EAI (INSME Member), will bring together worldwide participation, offering unsurpassed opportunities to succeed through intelligent innovation and cooperation. The main theme of the event will be "Using Emerging IoT for Dissemination towards Innovation". INSME President Mr. Paolo Anselmo will take part in the event as a speaker. The summit aims at promoting the development and adoption of advanced solutions in the ICT domain with the two-fold goal of fostering innovation in the European ICT domain as well as ensuring that future ICT is able to sustain innovation in all application domains: future Internet technologies and services, communications infrastructure and computing.
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Izdehar SME is an event that will support the growth and development of the SME sector by providing a platform for businesses, entrepreneurs and SME stakeholders to engage with individuals and organizations that can help SME businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs drive their business forward and do business in a vibrant business environment. Organized by Informa Saudi Arabia and National Exhibitions Co. and supported by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the event will take place from 11th to 13th of November 2012 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a place where SMEs represent almost 95% of all enterprises by providing about 24.7% of total employment. The INSME Association is involved as partner of the Izdehar SME Conference 2012.
9th - 12th of December 2012
It has the aim to help companies and nations to stimulate innovation. In fact, companies need new offerings to secure competitive advantages in rapidly changing global markets and nations need new policies to restore and advance economic growth. National policies meet company strategies in stimulating scientific research, technology development and managerial innovation. The three-day programme will focus on the following themes:
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4th – 5th of October 2012
9th ASIALICS International Conference 2012: "Innovation and Appropriate Technology for the Development and Inclusive Growth of Asian SMEs"
Co-organized by the De La Salle University and the Asian Network for Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems (ASIALICS)
Manila, Philippines
5th of October 2012
Workshop "Management of Intellectual Property Rights"
Co-organized by the training Centre (FTU) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Brussels, Belgium
11th - 13th of October 2012
RIP 2012 - 7th International Seminar on Regional Innovation Policies "How can Regions enhance Europe's Innovation Union Agenda commitments?"
Hosted by INESCTEC
Porto, Portugal
13th - 15th of October 2012
4th West Lake International Conference on Small & Medium Business (WLICSMB 2012)
Jointly organized by Hangzhou Municipal Government, Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang Small & Medium Enterprises Bureau, World Association of Industrial & Technological Research organizations, Chinese Society of Technology Economics, The University of Akron, and Clemson University Center for China Studies
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
16th – 18th of October 2012
World Manufacturing Forum: "Smart Policies for Global Manufacturing Innovation"
Organized by the world.MANUFACTURING.forum
Stuttgart, Germany
16th - 17th of October 2012
IASP Workshop Vitoria "Green opportunities and challenges for Science and Technology Parks"
Organized by Alava Technology Park
Vitoria, Spain
16th - 19th of October 2012
15th TCI Annual Global Conference "Constructing place-based Competitiveness in times of Global Changes"
Organized by the TCI Network and hosted by the Basque Government and Orkestra – The Basque Institute of Competitiveness
Basque Country, Spain
18th - 21st of October 2012
International Conference on Engineering & Business Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Organized by the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Sibiu, Romania
22nd - 24th of October 2012
Enterprise Europe Network Annual Conference
Organized by DG Enterprise & Industry, Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Research Promotion Foundation
Paphos, Cyprus
23rd - 24th of October 2012
Europa INNOVA 2012 Conference "Stress Test of European Innovation"
Organized by the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education in the Framework of the Europe INNOVA Initiative
Copenhagen, Denmark
23rd - 25th of October 2012
XVI International Business Meeting of the Northeast (EINNE)
Organized by SEBRAE - Brazilian Service of Support for Micro and Small-sized Companies (INSME Board Member)
Salvador, State of Bahia, Brazil
24th - 27th of October 2012
5th Edition World Entrepreneurship Forum
Organized by the World Entrepreneurship Forum
Lyon, France
24th – 26th of October 2012
ICSMEESI 2012: International Conference on SME, Entrepreneurship and Service Innovation
Organized by the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET)
Bali, Indonesia
1st - 3rd of November 2012
The 2012 Conference on Sustainable Business in Asia
Organized by COSA
Bangkok, Thailand
2nd - 3rd of November 2012
World SME Partnership Summit
Co-organized by India International Trade Centre (IITC-India) and SME Export Promotion Council
Mumbai, India
6th – 8th of November 2012
Patent Information Conference 2012
Organized by EPO-European Patent Office
Hamburg, Germany
26th - 28th of November 2012
IASP Asian Divisions Conference, 2012 "Open Innovation: a Great Opportunity to Seize"
Organized by IASP and Thailand Science Park
Bangkok, Thailand
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11th - 13th of November 2012
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