Issue N° 104 - November 2012
Keep up to date on innovation matters worldwide with the INSME Association!
Dear INSMEnews Readers,
"The man who has no imagination has no wings" - Muhammad Ali.
What a truth!
This phrase has inspired the continuous work of the INSME Secretariat and we are delighted to inform you that in these days our network has reached an important goal by crossing the "magic 100" and keeps continuing with its growth on our path to the future.
Special thanks go to all our members, partners and supporters, who made this achievement in times of financial crisis and general uncertainty possible.
Stay tuned and follow us on our way towards the 9th INSME Annual Meeting at Izmir/Turkey from the 21st to the 24th of May 2013 with the title "The Governance of Innovation: building an innovative Eco-System for SMEs".
All stakeholders will be addressed and diverse high-level speakers have already given their confirmation. Constructive partnership opportunities are becoming more and more tangible!
Looking forward to meeting you!
...and now as usual enjoy your reading!
Ms. Christin Pfeiffer
INSME Secretary general
The INSME Team welcomes your comments and inputs for further improvement of this service.
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The 9th INSME Annual Meeting will take place from the 21st to the 24th of May 2013 in Izmir, Turkey. The 2013 key initiative of our network will be co-organized by IZKA - IZMIR Development Agency (INSME Member) under the theme: "The Governance of Innovation: building an innovative Eco-System for SMEs".
The event is getting closer and the agenda is nearly set. Soon INSME will launch its dedicated website including all the practical and logistic information.
To know more about INSME's Annual Meeting and its former editions, read this page.
The decision of INSME to organize the 9th Annual Meeting in Turkey is also a recognition of the economic dynamism nowadays in this country.
This is demonstrated also by the Turkish Ministry of Economy announcing a new investment incentives program, comprising 4 different schemes: General Investment, Regional Investment, Large Scale Investment, Strategic Investment.
To know more about this program, click here
On the 16th of November 2012 the First World NGO Day Summit with the theme "Building Effective Cooperation" took place in London.
The World NGO Day is the yearly appointment - currently submitted for consensus by the United Nations - to "Celebrate, Commemorate and Connect" all Non-Governmental, Non-Profit Organizations in recognition of the valuable work and contribution these organizations have done - and continue to do - for the society.
The Summit brought together and gave a voice to leaders and stakeholders from all sectors to discuss cooperation, best practices and effective partnerships between the third, private and public sector.
Mrs. Leena Zittling, INSME Board Member moderated a session and represented the network in London together with Ms. Christin Pfeiffer, INSME Secretary General.
For further information see the World NGO Day and Summit website.
INSME is delighted to welcome two new Members, who joined our Network in November:
International Commercialization Alliance aims at facilitating the continuous improvement of the policies, practices, models and evidence-based success measures used by its members, stimulates collaboration on shared objectives and increases the commercialization of research outcomes on a global basis.
Created by the federally funded Centre of Excellence for Commercialization of Research (CCR), hosted by the Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc. (OCE) in March 2011, ICA is a registered non-profit corporation with 48 founding members from 18 countries and a Secretariat managed by CCR in Toronto, Canada.
To know more, visit the ICA website.
Established in 2005, Network for Business Sustainability is a powerful and growing Canadian non-profit network of international academic experts and business leaders. NBS produces authoritative resources on important sustainability issues - with the goal of shaping management practice and research.
NBS aims to connect thousands of researchers and professionals worldwide who are interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and who believe in the value of research-based practice and practice-based research.
To know more, visit the NBS website.
To view the INSME Members' profiles please visit http://insme.org/insme-members
If you are interest to join us, please contact us.
On the 29th of October 2012, the 12th International Congress on SMEs was held in Belgrade at the House of the National Assembly, organized by the Serbian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (INSME member), with the support of OECD and UEAPME.
The topic of the Congress was "The European Perspective of the Economy of the Republic of Serbia at a time of crisis".
The Congress was officially opened by Mr. Nebojša Stefanović, the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.
The Director of the Centre for Local and Regional Development of SMEs in the OECD Sergio Arzeni stated that the Serbian economy is growing more than in other areas, but there is still much left to do. According to him, it is necessary to strengthen the existing network of "business incubators", improve the education system and support women's entrepreneurship.
Ms. Christin Pfeiffer, Secretary General of the INSME introduces to the network and its activities and services with regard to international cooperation to the audience highlighting that best practice approach can be shared and discussed with the steadily expanding network.
For further information, read the official Congress webpage.
On the 25th of October 2012, UNECE launched its Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide. This is a web-based interactive tool designed to help countries to simplify cross-border trade.
The Guide shows policymakers and implementers how to identify relevant trade facilitation measures and instruments when dealing with issues such as avoiding waiting times at border crossings, setting up a Single Window for exports and imports and using modern information technologies for trade facilitation.
Case studies from Cambodia, Jordan, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal and Thailand illustrate with concrete examples how developing and transition economies have succeeded in dealing with these issues.
The Guide is available in English and will be translated into French and Russian.
It is published on the UNECE website at this page.
On the 13th of September 2012, UNIDO organized at Vienna, Austria, a round table discussion on the sustainable future of Asia. The event brought together regional experts and policymakers from Asian countries, as well as international practitioners in the field, representatives from industry, regional and international organizations and civil society organizations working in the fields of sustainable development, trade and commerce.
The event entitled "Asia 2050: the sustainable route to prosperity", was co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank (INSME Member), the Austrian Research Foundation for International Development and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
The Asian Development Bank has undertaken an important analysis of the future prospects for Asian growth in its recent report entitled "Asia 2050, realizing the Asian century". As this report shows, Asian countries must ensure that their industrial development becomes sustainable and inclusive.
SMEs play an important role in the growth and development of every single nation in the world. They make almost 90 per cent of business establishments and are seen as the prime economic drivers of the global economy. Most of the world's largest enterprises today have once been SMEs.
SMEs are notable job-creators, employing more than half of the working population and wealth-creators, contributing significantly towards the GDP. Thus, it is certainly true that no country can attain its social and economic development goals without the active participation of its SMEs.
In view of this, MSME™ News Network strongly believes Global SMEs Matter!
Against this background, MSME™ News Network, the first and only global SME news portal was conceptualised.
MSME™ News Network mission is to champion the cause and development of SMEs worldwide, to gather and report SME news with integrity, accuracy and professionalism, to act as the bridge for governments, NGOs, MNCs, GLCs, and PLCs to reach out to SMEs and to provide SMEs with a one-stop media platform and to be the 'voice of SMEs'.
The portal showcases the latest news relevant to SMEs across various regions; Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe, Central & South Asia and Middle East & Africa. Through SME Feature, discover what the trade commissioners, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders driving the SME industry within their respective locality has to say.
With Special Reports, gain in-depth knowledge on the background and issues surrounding a specific SME market space, subject or event. The portal also houses credible international SME experts from across the regions who regularly share their opinion and analysis on current issues in the SME world.
Interested to receive media coverage? Kindly contact the Editor.
For more information, visit MSME™ News Network portal.
Cyprus, as EU presidency, wanted to put SMEs in the centre of policy-making this year by hosting the first SME Assembly. The Assembly took place in Nicosia on the 15th and 16th of November 2012 and brought together SMEs, business organisations, European, national and regional government, Academia and media representatives to discuss how to help SMEs to 'Go for Growth'.
The Assembly culminated in the annual European Enterprise Promotion Awards ceremony, celebrating organisations that have helped to promote entrepreneurship at national, regional or local level over the last year.
As SMEs are Europe's growth engine (more than 99% of all companies being either small or medium-sized), finding ways to support them is a critical target for Europe. The SME Assembly is just one of the ways in which the European Commission is putting small businesses and crafts in the centre of policy-making.
Further information about the event at the official website.
In today's competitive market companies need to be as innovative as possible to prosper in the business environment and to keep the pace with progress. To this end, the development and acquisition of useful information is crucial to create and provide new and improved goods and services. Its uncontrolled disclosure thus might potentially lead to serious consequences.
With the aim to underline the importance of confidentiality for businesses, the European IPR Helpdesk (INSME Partner) published a fact sheet providing advice and practical hints on protection management of confidential business information, which could be beneficial in particular to small and micro entities.
Read the full fact sheet on How to manage confidential business information here.
If you want to know more about the European IPR Helpdesk please visit www.iprhelpdesk.eu
In David Witt opinion fear is counter-productive in the long term, because it prevents workers from acting in the organization's best interests.
Do you agree?
In this article Thomas K. Mccraw tells the crucial role of immigrants in the United States in the field of innovation.
As history shows, the difficult conditions of staying in a new country, without commercial and social relationships, made often immigrants better prepared to play the innovator's role.
That is why - according to the author - too strict and complicated laws about immigration could become a negative factor for the growth of innovation.
ISPIM - The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (INSME Member) launches a call for paper for its XXIV Conference, with the theme "Innovating in Global Markets: Challenges for Sustainable Growth"
Submissions from academic, research, consulting, industry, intermediary and policy organisations are encouraged.
Submission Deadlines:
31th of December 2012: Outlines Only (All Submissions)
31th of January 2013: Acceptance Notification
3rd of May 2013: Final Submissions (including abstracts, papers, profiles & photos)
1st of June 2013: Presentation of Slides
You can find the general themes of the conference and more details at ISPIM's webpage.
The European Commission has published a call for proposals for organisations to propose lists of prospective independent experts to assist the Commission's services in connection with the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
The deadline for submitting proposal documents is the 31st of July 2013.
More details at this page.
This call targets the bilateral coordination for the enhancement and development of scientific and technological partnerships. The geographical areas contemplated in the current Work Programme are Canada, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Algeria, Egypt, Mexico and Tunisia.
Organiser: European Commission
Publication Date: 10th of July 2012
Budget: € 8 000 000
Deadline: 18th of December 2012 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Find out more at this page.
Objective of this call is to improve the competitiveness of European industry and enable Europe to master and shape future developments in ICT so that the demands of its society and economy are met.
Publication Date: 24th of September 2012
Budget: € 50 000 000
Deadline: 12th of March 2013 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Find out more at this page.
TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). It brings emerging women leaders in technology sectors from the Middle East and Africa together with their American counterparts for a professional mentorship and exchange program in the United States.
Participants are women who are engaged or rising in professional careers that require significant expertise and knowledge of technology.
Read more about the TechWomen project at the official website.
UNCTAD's Technology and Innovation Report 2012 focuses on whether South-South exchanges could lead to building technological capabilities and under what circumstances. From an analysis of the current patterns of South-South exchanges on technology and innovation issues, the Report seeks to identify key issues in this area and derive best practices for moving forward in fostering South-South collaboration on technology and innovation.
Find out more at:http://unctad.org/en/pages/PublicationWebflyer.aspx?publicationid=253
To Download the Full Report, please click here.
The Single Market Entrepreneurs Centre, research hub of the Lisbon Council, published on the 10th of October its latest paper entitled "SMEs in the single market. A growth agenda for the 21st century".
In this Report eight leading personalities offer strategic advice on how to unleash the potential of the single market to European entrepreneurs and SMEs and in return drive growth and create much-needed jobs.
The Paper also contains an essay co-written by Helmut Kraemer-Eis and Richard Pelly, Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund - EIF (INSME Member), entitled "Improving the funding landscape for entrepreneurs".
The study was launched at the 2012 Single Market Entrepreneurs Summit, just days before the Single Market Week, a celebration of 20 years of the internal market.
To download the Full Report, please click here
The Procurement Forum, managed by the European Secretariat of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and PIANOo, the Dutch Procurement Expertise Centre, is the online network for procurement professionals, containing news about sustainable public procurement, innovation, standards and norms and fair trade.
It represents a space to explore how to get a better understanding of procurement issues and improve public procurement practices.
To learn more, please click the following link: http://www.procurement-forum.eu/.
The World Bank Institute e-newsletter provides a concise selection of WBI news including all related links. It operates as a global connector of knowledge, learning and innovation by supporting people who want to learn the latest development trends, enhance their skills and share knowledge.
To read the latest issue of the WBI Newsletter, please click here or read the latest updated about WBI here.
To subscribe to the Newsletter, please click here.
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4th - 6th of December 2012
The Summit will combine EAI's annual strategy meetings with a presentation of Israel's innovation start-up model. EFI's strategic mission is to drive innovation in emerging ICT - enabled areas by facilitating communication, engagement and collaboration between institutions, companies and grassroots communities.
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11th - 12th of December 2012
Mohammed Bin Rashid Est. for SME Development (INSME Member) is one of the organizers. The event will offer the opportunity to discuss about economic change, development and knowledge exchange. It unites the region's policy makers, entrepreneurs, SME stakeholders, investors, corporate leaders, incubators and procurement decision makers, with the aim to explore new business alliances.
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26th - 28th of November 2012
IASP Asian Divisions Conference "Open Innovation: A Great Opportunity to Seize"
Organized by Thailand Science Park
Bangkok, Thailand
28th - 30th of November 2012
World Innovation Convention
Organized by B2BEUROPE
Cannes, France
28th - 30th of November 2012
Ci2012 - Creative Innovation 2012 Asia-Pacific
Organized by Baldwin Consulting Group
Melbourne, Australia
28th - 30th of November 2012
18th ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN "Reaching Beyond Tomorrow"
Organized by ICWE GmbH
Berlin, Germany
3rd - 5th of December 2012
Cross-Border Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Organized by SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) and Essec Business School
Singapore, Republic of Singapore
6th - 7th of December 2012
The Paneuropean Intellectual Property Summit - Brussels IP2012 "Patents Reloaded"
Organized by the European Commission
Brussels, Belgium
9th - 12th of December 2012
5th ISPIM Innovation Symposium "Stimulating Innovation: Challenges for Management, Science & Technology"
Organized by ISPIM - The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (INSME Member) and hosted by KISTEP - The Korea Institute of Science & Technology, Evaluation and Planning
Seoul, Korea
10th - 11th of December 2012
The Paneuropean Intellectual Property Summit-Alicante IP2012 "Regenerating Trademarks"
Organized by the Office for the Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM)
Alicante, Spain
12th of December 2012
Workshop "International Cluster Cooperation for SMEs: Towards a European Approach"
Co-organized by Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry in collaboration with the Competiveness Agency for Catalonia (ACC1O) and the Enterprise Rhône-Alpes International Agency (ERAI)
Brussels, Belgium
17th - 18th of January 2013
EBAN's 11th Winter University "Improving Exits for successful Investments"
Organized by EBAN
Istanbul, Turkey
23rd - 30th of January 2013
Fifth International IPR Conference "GIPC 2013"
Organized by ITAG Business Solutions Ltd
Bangalore, India
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