nowEurope

Who knows this programm?

Research for SME associations

Aims at developing technical solutions to common problems to a large number of SMEs in specific industrial sectors or segments of the value chain  (like ICT) through research that could not be addressed under Research for SMEs.

Projects can, for example, aim to develop or conform to European norms and standards, and to meet regulatory requirements in areas such as health, safety and environmental protection. Projects must be driven by the SME associations, which are given the opportunity to subcontract research to RTD performers in order to acquire the necessary technological knowledge for their members.

Continue reading ‘Research for SME associations’

A cluster is definitely not just a heap of companies piled upon each other in one spot under the motto “collaborate!”

Clusters are complex networks with different points of departure and different operative practices, depending on sector and target.

Continue reading ‘Cluster Discussion & Speak Brusselese: Details Outwit Strategies’

The old Indextools website is gone. The new Yahoo! Analytics website is minimalistic, offering just the home page and a second page describing the features. That’s appropriate, because this incarnation of Indextools doesn’t have to sell. It’s Yahoo! And it’s free.

However, the technology behind the screens is still 100% Indextools. They probably have four or five times more server capacity, but the features are essentially the same ones I described on the original site. (Disclosure: I was the marketing director in 2004-2005.)

In the first part of this case study I described how Indextools minimized its weaknesses to compete with VC-funded US companies. This time around I’ll talk about how this scrappy Hungarian startup maximized its natural strengths to build a world class business.

Continue reading ‘Indextools: How to maximize your strengths (part two)’

Clusters are a very popular topic in the EU at the moment. The Commission statement “Towards world-class clusters in the European Union“ was released on 17th October and this communication will be further discussed at the EU Council of Competition in December this year. Here’s a brief overview of concrete applications of EU cluster policy.

The EU envisions clusters as regional, industry-specific consortia, mainly comprised of SMEs with the perceived potential to compete with big global companies. The EU supports cluster development, as does the Czech Republic.

Continue reading ‘Cluster development has mixed results in the Czech Republic’

Is there a field where the exchange between science and economy really works well? At events or in presentations people often praise the excellent cooperation between companies, universities and research institutions. Often technology parks are built with together with institutes of higher education or universities as this makes a good impression and seems to be promising, but in fact this is rarely the case.

I think that on closer inspection the exchange between science and economy turns out to be rather poor. Of course, there are some exceptions with respect to big enterprises. But in most cases, the only cooperation is hiring already educated students. So it would be reasonable to “force” SMEs to really cooperate. The only question is how to do so and how an increase in innovation can be achieved.

Continue reading ‘Does a successful exchange between science and economy exist?’

Euractiv reports that the European Union has proposed a series of measures to strength the development of industry clusters. The Commission defines clusters as “a group of firms, related economic actors and institutions that are located near each other and have reached a sufficient scale to develop specialised expertise, services, resources, suppliers and skills.”

This is directly related to our project, CITT, which seeks to strengthen ties between ICT researchers and commercial innovators in the CENTROPE region (which includes bordering areas of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.)

Unfortunately, the Commisson’s recommendations seem vague. Or possibly I am not sophisticated enough to interpret the nuances of “Brusselese.” Does anyone have a better perspective on this?

Continue reading ‘Who here can speak Brusselese?’

A financial tsunami smashed through the world economy this month, sweeping away Wall Street titans and sending shock waves through Europe, Asia and Emerging Markets. The Hungarian stock exchange took a massive hit, dropping 40% this month. All Central European economies are affected, and analysts are asking aloud whether the region’s 10 year boom may be over, and whether the introduction of the Euro may be delayed in some markets.

It’s a confusing situation, and only when the flood waters recede will we understand how our economic landscape has been altered. While many speculate about technology recession, Google’s spectacular 3rd quarter results seems to suggest online marketing budgets are resilient.

I’d like to hear from nowEurope readers and contributors. What signs do you see? How will this recession affect your business, and what steps are you taking to meet the challenge? Please use the comments to let me know what you think.

Continue reading ‘How will the coming recession affect your business?’

Big conferences with over 1,000 attendees can promise visionary speakers and high-level panel members from industry, business and public policy. As the ICT Event 2008 does and its exhibition with cutting-edge developments from European research labs and industry. Though my experience from previous years (I participated in Helsinki, Nice and Milan) says innovative SMEs could find the most useful the networking sessions helping researchers identify future themes and find partners.

This year there is many networking sessions planned, here is a few examples relevant to what we cover

• ICT-SMEs: Your Innovation Partners (I found Bernhard’s supporting comment here)
• The Great Beyond: Advancing Ongoing SME Collaboration in EU Research
• Future Internet Socio-Economics
• Art, Creativity and Content: new foundations for ICT innovation

Continue reading ‘Plug in the ICT networking sessions’

Ashley Friedlein at E-Consultancy alerted me to the upcoming 2008 Innovation Awards. Hosted by E-Consultancy, the award recognizes ‘original and pioneering work’ in the fields of e-commerce and online marketing. The application deadline is Friday, October 24, 2008 and you can apply online for a fee of £150 + VAT (£120 + VAT for E-Consultancy members.)

The site doesn’t mention a prize, other than publicity and recognition, but presumably the winners will also be included in the company’s Innovation Report, available for $299. (Say, that’s a rather innovative way for E-Consultancy to generate revenue, wouldn’t you agree?)

Preamble 1: Let’s make a complex matter simple. Efficient technology transfer depends on efficient partners, i.e. good universities and good companies.

Preamble 2: Austria’s national economy is no. 3 or 4 within the European Union, the country is one of Europe’s strongest exporters, one of CEE’s biggest investors, no. 1 in e-Government etc.

I am making these statements not to show off but to investigate a striking contradiction which has been bothering me for years. When it comes to international rankings which are related to high tech, science, education and similar issues, Austria’s ranking has regularly been as bad as can be.

Continue reading ‘Ranking Mania: Benchmarks, Universities & the National Economy’