New Internet tools that make use of Web 2.0 technology, including blogs, wikis and social networking sites, are helping to turn millions of web users into content creators. At EU level, blogs are proving particularly adept at bringing debate closer to citizens, and even some European commissioners maintain their own.
“Brussels-based communications and public affairs professionals are aware of the importance of the web, [but] most are still holding firm to their traditional working styles,” like distributing press releases and hosting press conferences, according to Helen Dunnett, eCommunications manager at the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA).
Continue reading ‘The European Commission is discovering the value of blogs’
Monthly Archive for January, 2009
We’ve just reported to the European Commission about nowEurope’s progress building its traffic and audience. I’d like to offer a few figures, based on data collected with Google Analytics through the period of April through December, 2008.
In terms of unique visitors to the website, nowEurope has doubled its audience in the last months. Eastern Europe dominates the traffic and the Centrope region is our most active, engaged audience. As could be expected, our highest quality content attracts the greatest share of nowEurope traffic.
Continue reading ‘nowEurope has doubled its traffic, built an engaged audience’
This is the title of a conference that took place in Berlin in September last year. The conference was organized by the European Academy for Taxes, Economics & Law, with the support of European Commission. Speakers and participants were from all over Europe. It was demonstrated that in the vast majority of EU countries governments – both national and regional – recognized the potential of clusters as drivers of the innovation process and they are strongly supporting them. Importance of clusters is even more valuated by European Commission, which is supporting and financing different programs, initiatives and events related to clusters.
Why am I writing about this conference?
It was source of many interesting and useful information for anybody who participates in the work and/or management of some cluster. Unfortunately there is not a web page, where one could find all conference presentations. I will mention some of them, who drew my attention and where a web page was presented.
Continue reading ‘Cluster Policy and Management – European and Regional Initiatives for Innovation’
On Thursday, Jan 22, the ICT researchers and innovative companies are going to meet at a large event in Budapest. The ICT Proposers Day organised by the European Commission’s Information Society and Media Directorate-General, in cooperation with the Hungarian National Office for Research and Technology, should help them to form FP7 consortia for the 4th upcoming call and especially the SMEs from Centrope countries have a unique chance to network with their peers.
Already now you can browse research ideas on the web and add your own presentation (by Monday noon). I may attend for example Computational trust and reputation management, CrowdSourcing with Logica or Advanced Social Networks covering projects integrating social excluded groups, a new generation of on-line games, education & training and content aware networks & network aware applications.
If you are coming to Budapest, let me know at vesely@park.cz and we could have coffee together while discussing how CITT can help you to find the right partner in the region. Moreover it’s always nice to see faces behind your comments.
On the coming CeBIT the ICT matchmaking event called Future Match 2009 will be organised, following a long year tradition since 1999.
The popularity of matchmaking events hasn’t decreased in recent years, however I wonder, if the participation is worthwhile.
Continue reading ‘Matchmaking events – Way to success?’
When trying to research deeper into the patterns of Centrope cooperation I found different determinants for the choice of transnational partners among firms that cooperate in R&D. In particular vertical cooperation possibilities influenced the propensity of firms to develop new products or enter transnational, neighboring markets. Horizontal cooperation still face obstacles albeit generally useful when expanding the market or trying to move up the supply chain.
Finding the right partners and establishing patterns to help others find the right pick is among CITT objectives. But in particular, the coordination of two or more partners, goal conflicts, lack of trust and understanding or cultural differences make the right choice a difficult venture prior to any cooperation agreement. CITT is a EU-funded (seventh framework) project that seeks to foster IT transfer in between the Centrope region and is designed to unleash cooperation potential within these proximate regions; using the different regional, complementary advantages to create synergy effects.
Continue reading ‘Choosing the Right Partner’
Within the CITT project we are looking for successful examples of applied research and ICT technologies that can be brought to the market. And we like reporting when a Central European university or a company succeed in pan-European competition. Here are two recent stories from Brno that may be inspiring for other FP projects and small start-ups.
Continue reading ‘MUFIN & Webnode: two success stories from Brno’
On behalf of nowEurope I’d like to extend my congratulations to my Slovak colleagues who, as of January 1st are the first Central European country to adopt the currency of the European Union. The rest of the region, particularly Hungary, is still still a number years away from joining the Eurozone.
The news reports I’ve seen indicate that Slovakia’s currency transition has been successful. However, at least one news source seems to be confused about Slovakia’s actual location.
Continue reading ‘Congratulations, Slovakia! (Slovenia?)’
For the past several years, I’ve been wondering if a facilitator and a manager can be found in the same person. Or are the skill sets for each position so dissimilar, that two different personalities are necessary? It would be great to solve this while we are thinking about clusters, but not only because of clusters. Facilitators may play a critical role in instigating some bigger cooperation initiatives or partnership projects among several private companies, or between companies and the public sector.
Continue reading ‘Facilitators vs. managers’
Please note that on the 28th of January not only the IT’n’T fair (27th to 29th) but also the very interesting event “Visual Computing Trends 2009” takes place in Vienna.
Those who come to Vienna could take the chance and visit both events!
Would be nice to see you there, Participation is free.
Continue reading ‘Event: “Visual Computing Trends 2009″’
