EUREKA Networking Session Summary...

.....With comments from a EUREKA Advisory Committee point of view

K.Pavlik EBS, 17.03.06

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From the presentations:• M. Janecek: EUREKA Vision and Ambition• G.Menozzi/P.Druenne: how to join forces to forge a

stronger EUREKA cluster in a key technology/ /market/product area

• Z.Zalis: successful, SME- led, bottom up projects with clear market focus in innovative service-oriented IT applications

• J.Bruins:Eurostars, focusing on innovative SME´s , and serving as stepping stone to program alignment between National Authorities

• M.Guilbaud:detailed vision of EUREKA´s role in shaping a coherent European R&D scenario and Public Private Partnership models to reach the Lisbon targets

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1)Today Europe is slow in converting ideas to successful innovations (making money with it), so all programmes should support Open Innovation: • Brings large companies, research institutes and SME´s

together• Quick transition basic research to application• rapid testing of ideas and prototypes

2)The importance of ICT:• Support investment in ICT infrastructure …• …but don’t forget: geographic proximity of

partners in Value Chain matters-> support regional /local clusters, Centres of Excellence etc.

The Comments (1)

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The Comments (2)

• The presentations have shown very positive initiatives to tackle the fragmented national support schemes for EUREKA projects

• But: National subsidies invariably fall under the State Aid rules and concerns about market distortion and less competitiveness: we need a level playing field with the USA and the Far East in this respect.

• Present subsidy models favour pre-competitive R&D, and classification is based on a linear innovation model (outdated)-> adapt to “Open Innovation” ecosystem

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The Comments (3)

SMEs – specific points• Subsidies: Positive discrimination in favor of

SME´s can backfire: Symbiosis between SMEs and LCU´s is the winning formula

• Main problem: if they are small and stay small (below a critical mass) they will never reach the level to sustain significant R&D expenditures->we urgently need success story of a successful SME growing to become a large company

• Potential source for growth: Open up state procurement for innovative solutions instead of lowest price (and let SMEs have a fair share)