Tag: sme innovation

European governments are stepping up their efforts to boost innovation ahead of the publication of the EU's research and innovation strategy, which is due next month. EurActiv's network looks at how small businesses across Europe can be part of the innovation ecosystem. 

Praised repeatedly by Johannes Hahn, the EU's regional policy commissioner, a centre for innovation in southern Spain has been seeking since 2002 to modernise the region's centuries-old marble and stone industry. Constant innovation is also seen as key to the centre's surviving Spain's severe recession.

Europe should temporarily relax capital requirements for banks to ease lending activities and prevent a new fall after the recovery, Rodrigo Peduzzi, a top official at Italian industrial federation Confindustria, told EurActiv in an interview.

More information, support and increased competitiveness: these are the main expectations of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) towards the EU, according to a survey conducted by the Parisian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP). EurActiv France reports.

Information and communications technology (ICT) has a key role to play in driving innovation and competitiveness for small businesses and the IT sector itself. But equipping the labour force with the right skills and providing access to high-tech infrastructure are essential if the full potential of ICT is to be harnessed.

Over two thirds of European businesses face growing difficulties in accessing credit, and as a consequence, 45% will decrease their investment activities over the next six months. The repercussions for workers could be severe, with 35% of companies warning that they may be forced to cut staff.

Public authorities should back innovative SMEs from the beginning of the procurement process, regardless of whether their product or service ultimately wins a public contract, MEP Malcolm Harbour (EPP-ED, UK) told EurActiv in an interview.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is ramping up its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by making up to €30 billion available over the next three years and providing technical assistance to microfinance institutions.

As the credit crisis continues to lower public and private investment in R&D, experts argue that innovation can also be sparked by novel combinations of 'old' knowledge in non-technology intensive companies or sectors that do not undertake much R&D.  

EU firms are struggling to better exploit public-funded research and transform findings into patents and innovations that generate growth. Barriers to collaboration between the public and private sectors still exist, in particular when it comes to sharing revenues and costs.

The Commission is hoping that a non-binding Recommendation on intellectual property and knowledge transfer managment will make EU national systems more coherent and boost transnational academia-industry cooperation to turn more research into lucrative business results.

Researchers should be more aware of the economic potential of scientific advances and systematically trained to understand the process of commercialisation, argues France Biotech, the association of French biotechnology companies.

As the EU takes stock of its two-year old 'think small first' SME policy, President of the Association for Competitive Technology Jonathan Zuck told EurActiv that EU citizens' adversity to risk-taking is exaggerated and that the real cause of lack of entrepreneurship in the bloc is the absence of a "conducive" legal environment.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are potentially the most dynamic sector of the economy. Their growth is key for the overall economic well-being. The Commission has several programmes and measures in place to promote SME growth. 

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are a crucial sector for the EU economy, and Information and Communication Technologies are key for making them grow. A one-day event in Brussels focused on ICT and SME growth. 

In his article 'The industrial policy of the European Union', published by the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-François Jamet updates readers on the current status of the EU's industrial policy.

The Commission has presented an integrated research and innovation action plan, which is an upgrade of the actions already launched with some new elements. 

Enterprise Commissioner Verheugen has announced the launch of a new strategy for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the autumn 2005.

In the debate on innovation, no one can afford to be left behind. Innovation Policy in Europe  2004, a publication from DG Enterprise and Industry, is shaping the agenda, identifying policy challenges, defining responses and illuminating the way ahead – in the 25 Member States and beyond.

The Parliament's ITRE committee has welcomed the Commission's proposal to extend the current entrepreneurship programme by one year, but refuses to accept a reduced budget for the additional year. 

Janez Potočnik is determined to anchor the next EU research programme onto the Lisbon objectives, increase SME participation and give industry more of a lead on thematic research areas.

A European Parliament report on the future of European research says that the member states should regard the doubling of the funding for Community R&D "as a minimum not be questioned during the negotiations on the financial perspectives". 

One of the Innobarometer 2004 survey findings reveal that a vast majority of European firms do not take any measures to protect their innovations through patents or trademarks.

Despite the wide range of opportunities offered by EU research funding, only 12.7 per cent of applications to participate in the FP6 first calls came from the new Member States.