Entrepreneurial innovation: networking key players and users

Brussels, 26 Oct 2004

A call for proposals for 'Entrepreneurial innovation: networking key players and users' has been launched by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

The call relates to the following areas:

- Entrepreneurial innovation and sectors (area 1.2.1.2 in the work programme) Innovation challenges and strategies differ widely by sector, type of company, technology area and market. The objective of this action is to identify sector-specific leverages and barriers to innovation such as consumer habits, tradition and culture, organisational rigidities, product regulations and interoperability constraints, market fragmentation, workforce mobility, lack of skills and sources of financing. In addition, the action will identify by sector the main types of innovation players, such as 'pioneers', innovation 'drivers' and 'catalysers', and define sectoral benchmarks and indicators.

- Entrepreneurial innovation and clusters (area 1.2.1.3 in the work programme) The objective of this action is to activate cooperation between business clusters in Europe through the establishment of networks between clusters that operate in the same or different domains. The action will assist existing clusters to adopt 'outward looking' approaches by establishing learning platforms between them for exchanging experiences, information, good practices and knowledge. These networks will facilitate the exploitation of synergies, the joint development of collaborative projects and assist clusters from different domains to move towards megaclusters through partnership schemes. The projects will be encouraged to involve regional agencies aspiring to undertake policies fostering the development of clusters, in particular in the new Member States. Outcomes should include specific proposals for policy actions. Synergies with existing projects and networks that have been already developed in the framework of the PAXIS initiative will be strongly encouraged.

- Networking innovation actors by sectors (area 1.2.1.4 in the work programme) This action aims at tackling sector-specific innovation finance issues. A number of pan-European networks per sector will be created involving innovation financing professionals such as investors, incubators as well as industry federations and relevant associations. The selected projects will undertake actions such as identification of a sector's specificities relevant to innovation financing, and new business models for particular sectors. They will also organise a number of business forums per year allowing the different parties (investors, incubators, firms, University spin-offs and start-up companies) to meet and discuss consumers' needs, new niche markets, technology foresight, and funding strategies suitable for each sector. Synergies with existing projects and networks that have been already developed in the framework of the Gate2Growth and PAXIS initiatives, as well as cooperation with the EIF and other national-based relevant initiatives will be strongly encouraged.

For further information on the instruments to be used for this call, interested parties are invited to visit the full call text at the reference below.

The total indicative budget for this call is 20 million euro
To see the full details of the call, please consult the following web address:
http:///fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cf m?CALL_ID=172
Document Reference: OJ No C 263 of 26.10.2004

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