Monthly Archive for May, 2009

The social dimension of cluster construction

Published on May 26, 2009 in Business innovation and Czech Republic. 5 Comments Tags: , .

We have already discussed a lot of different views about clusters at NowEurope: What are the impacts of clusters, how to facilitate and manage them, how to finance clusters, what are the administrative and obstacles of building clusters etc.

But what about social dimensions of clusters? As cluster facilitators, we were taught that cluster members should live or work not far away from each other. Maximum half an hour by car. Why? Just to be able to meet in person regularly, best in some informal way …

While facilitating a wooden-industry cluster in the Czech Republic, I realized the economic impacts of cluster is just one point of truth. Managers need to see tangible results, but perhaps more importantly they need to see the leadership of other cluster members, and have a good relationship with them as well.

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Visualising news: a Hungarian innovation

Published on May 25, 2009 in Case studies. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

As the Internet is evolving, publishers are experimenting with new ways of presenting information. The Hungarian daily Nepszabadsag is trying out an interesting concept, in partnership with a local service called Newsmatrix.

News presentation is driven by functionality and fashion. Nowadays the starting page of a leading portals shows a relatively big picture of a key story + a list of top stories + 4-5 short summary of some other top stories. (see CNN and NOL as an examples.)

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Telemedicine: Ideal test bed for EU’s efficiency

Published on May 20, 2009 in Current events and Czech Republic. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

Below, Miklos Barta posted that interesting comment on telemedicine in the US vs. Europe and that this cross border issue is still hampered by national regulations.

1) I definitely prefer and appreciate the medical care systems as practiced in Europe’s most advanced countries, such as Germany, Austria, Sweden, or the Czech Republic (I am mentioning CR as I was positively surprised on what a high level health care is being practiced here). In these countries (but also in most other EU countries as well as Switzerland), health care is heavily regulated and largely controlled by public bodies, therefore mostly bureaucratic and tedious, but it works! (I am not going to discuss here prevention vs. treatment etc., which would be a crucial point in such a debate)

2) Telemedicine is definitely an upcoming technology and will improve homecare, geriatric treatment etc., and in my home country Austria there is a growing number of very innovative solutions both on the development as well as the application side. If you want to know more, contact me.

3) In this respect, European mobility is still in its infancy, both on the patients’ and the health systems’ sides. Continue reading ‘Telemedicine: Ideal test bed for EU’s efficiency’

Telemedicine is good for Central Europe

Published on May 12, 2009 in Current events and Facts, figures & trends. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The following topic is not just a concern of mine personally as a medical professional. All of you will experience some of its consequences in the near future.

Telemedicine is a rapidly evolving and developing profession and business as part of the globalization and is a priority for the EU. This is also reflected in the document Commission services priorities for ICT standardization in 2009, where the first sectoral item is eHealth.

The development of the eHealth market has shown great potential to contribute to the European economy, but this development is currently hampered by a lack of interoperability and standardization across systems.

Most of the contributors here are well aware of the effects of  globalization and the opening up of a market or a sector, but for medical professionals and for many patients/customers there might be surprises to come.

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Interested in research cooperation on Digital Content?

Published on May 7, 2009 in Current events, Czech Republic, eCommerce, eGovernment and EU funding programmes. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

On Thursday last week Gunther Krumpak and I were facilitating one of the discussion tables within the ICT Brokerage in Brno, the event co-organised by our FIRST Innovation Park. See Gunther’s post about the event. The second day consisted of interactive discussions divided into six tables according to the FP7 5th & 6th call’s challenges. Ours was dedicated to Digital Content, Technology Enhanced Learning and Intelligent Information Management.

We had an interesting bunch of researchers, companies, both experienced Framework Programme players as newcomers around the table. As usually the most useful talks happen with those you choose (or who choose you) for coffee conversations. We have also distributed copies of two documents that may be also of your interest – the relevant part of the FP7 workprogramme and the examples of projects funded under FP6 or FP7 1st call. By the way the 4th ICT call (closed on April 1) attracted in total 1267 project proposals – 954 STREPs 954 and 172 integrated projects (IPs).

If you are interested in international R&D projects around building virtual communities, Internet application including web 2.0 and social networks and if you are looking for a partner in the Czech Republic for 5th or 6th call proposals, feel free to contact us.

A recession is a good time to learn a new skill

Published on May 7, 2009 in Austria, Czech Republic, Facts, figures & trends, Hungary and Slovakia. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

On several occasions, Vlastimil Vesely and I have volunteered our time with Europe Unlimited, teaching Central European entrepreneurs how to present their business plans to an investor. The simplest part is teaching entrepreneurs what investors want to see in a business plan. By far, the greater challenge is coaching them on basic presentation skills.

Unfortunately, the art of public speaking is not much emphasized in Central European education. Nevertheless, if you have any ambition in business or public life, there comes a time when you will need to stand up and present your ideas to an audience. You will have to win that sale, convince your colleagues, win new partners and if you’re especially persuasive you might one day address the board of directors and the media.

The good news is there’s an easy way to learn how to speak in public, and you can take part in each of our CENTROPE countries.

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CETEX – Central European Technology Exchange

Published on May 7, 2009 in Current events. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Since the beginning of May you can find the CITT project output – CETEX – Central European Technology Exchange at http://www.cetex.org. The target of the above named communication solution is to provide the user group from the ICT industry segment within the CENTROPE region with an opportunity to join the CETEX community.

The CETEX community is an open community of companies and organizations, which might utilize the possibility and chance to find co-operation partners and/or know-how exchange. Concurrently, CETEX is opening the solution for cooperation with selected international networks in order to provide the community users with the best of the breed on the know-how, innovation market and boost the offering and collection of current offers and demands for technology cooperation, as well as for innovative know how transfer.

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ICT Brokerage Brno: ICT better off than other industries

Published on May 6, 2009 in Current events and Facts, figures & trends. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

In the framework of the Czech Republic’s EU presidency Masaryk University in Brno, CITT partner First Innovation Park and others organised an EU project information and brokerage event on April 30, 2009, where I had the honour and pleasure to speak. The hall was full, people interested and attentive. Allow me therefore this time to comment myself.

Originally I planned to talk about chances and risks in R&D and EU activities in Central Europe, but facing the present economic situation I thought I should rather offer general information on what is happening in the ICT markets in the region. Continue reading ‘ICT Brokerage Brno: ICT better off than other industries’

Re: cluster building in CEE

Published on May 3, 2009 in Innovation policy. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Let me react to recent Robert’s interesting post here. I’m picking up some of his statements to comment …

Cluster cooperation may appear in two forms: as a formal legal entity or as natural cooperation among the participants. The current focus of publicly funded initiatives in CZ, HU and SK is to support formal legal entities.

That is IMHO a fundamental mistake slowing down bottom-up initiatives that might set up meaningful and sustainable clusters. Having to set up a new legal entity  – in the environment where public-private partnership is still something to be learnt and where taking risk attitudes are low – builds another barrier of more demanding administration and bureaucracy.

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