Please find below a list of a series of planned ERRIN public events in 2010, to be branded ERRIN Mind Forums, organized by or in cooperation with ERRIN’s thematic working groups . These are public events, aimed at the wider R&D and innovation community and Brussels-based stakeholders, which will frame and discuss cutting-edge issues and provide opportunities present good practice from ERRIN regions to a wider audience.

This is a draft document, which is going to be updated regularly depending on availability of information. Please note: As discussed at the MB Meeting of 15 December 2009, the two Annual General Meetings of ERRIN will be reduced to two half-day internal meetings for ERRIN members only, which will focusing on improving and streamlining ERRIN business.

(1) Hospital of the Future (2 March 2010)

While we are all familiar with hospitals, value innovation and demand high quality healthcare, the hospital itself is in many cases an institution that remains largely unreformed. Indeed, increased demands have been placed on hospitals and they continue to be central to all healthcare systems. This event will explore the future role of hospitals and their ability to anchor care, embrace good management, work with new knowledge and research, and adopt innovative changes, and in this way act as a “model company” showing effective use of public money, demonstrating sustainable development and at the same time contributing to regional advantage. More information

(2) Smart Region - How to get there? (25 March 2010)

The recently released Commission communication on investing in the development of low carbon technologies (Strategic Energy Technology Plan - SET) referred amongst others to the smart cities initiative, put in place to support not only cities but also regions in taking ambitious steps to a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. It will help regional innovation stakeholders and actors to develop better understanding of the concept of „smart region", allow the sharing of best practice and benchmarking, and will encourage a wider take up of „smart" policies, practices and technologies. More information and registration

(3) The role of ERA-NETS in the development of regional excellence (May 2010)

The ERA-net is a funding policy instrument of FP7 (Coordination & Support Action), where member states and regional authorities collaborate in order to coordinate their research funding policies and programs on a European level. This event will highlight the regional dimension of ERA-NETS and their contribution to the implementation of a coherent European Research Area (ERA). It will contribute to the general awareness and knowledge of this important policy instrument from a practical implementation point of view, contribute to the discussion of alignment between European, national and regional research policies and feed relevant perspectives into the ERRIN WG on FP8. These issues are in line with the priorities for R&D and innovation put forward in the draft of the 18 months programme of the Council for the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Presidencies.

(4) Key enabling technologies (June 2010)

Bio- and nanotech are often referred to as ‘key enabling technologies’ (KETs), which also include micro- and nanoelectronics, photonics and industrial biotech. KETs reflect the enabling nature of general purpose technologies that support widespread industrial deployment and provide significant economic improvement over existing complementary technologies. They are measured by direct R&D, indirect R&D embodied in intermediate goods, capital intensity and their potential value-added. Their spill-over and multiplier effects help to improve performance in other sectors, such as ICT, chemicals, steel, medical devices, automotives, space, aeronautics, etc. As part of its efforts to develop a strategy for KETs, the European Commission released a Communication entitled 'Preparing for our future: developing a common strategy for key enabling technologies in the EU'. This ERRIN conference will highlight regional strategies and actions to harness these technologies and how regions can get involved in related EU action.

(5) The Role of the Regions in ICT (27 September 2010).

This session during the ICT 2010 Belgian EU Presidency Conference will address the role of the Regions in ICT Policy. It is an ERRIN Mind Forum organised by the ICT Working Group.
The Conference aims at encouraging regional stakeholders in a discussion about their R&D&I policy in relation to ICT. We want to focus on (reconsidering) the policy mix. Indeed, subsidy is the classical aid of R&D&I, but there exist other possibilities like risk capital, procurement, synergy with structural funds, networking with universities. Why does ICT clustering work in the USA but not in Europe? How to optimize ICT policy? What is the long term vision at European level?

(6) Regional innovation indicators/ evidence-based policymaking for EU2020 (October 2010)

This event will look at the data situation with regard to the local/regional level and discuss, which indicators would make sense for EU2020 and for linking the macro policy and macro indicators of post-Lisbon more than is currently the case to the regional dimension. In particular, it will highlight the results of EU R&D policies at regional level and look at innovation patterns in general, asking the question how EU indicators on innovation can be regionalized, and how can they also encompass rural innovation and non technological innovation in order to reflect other dynamics than the ones happening in urban regions. This event will be jointly organised with CPMR and could possibly be organised within the framework of the Open days.

(7) Science in the City (12 October 2010)

This event will examine the concept of science cities, i.e. their role and objectives and how they support the knowledge triangle and build partnerships in the city region. It will also highlight the importance and provide examples of successful science cities concepts and related science communication in building a strong science and research base in the city with the possible involvement of the ECSITE/ERRIN FP7 PLACES project starting in 2010 and discuss how science cities play into the spatial dimensions of EU research and innovation policy, e.g. re-thinking the triple helix and how they can help build competitive clusters with a strong R&D &I focus.

(8) The green knowledge triangle (November 2010)

The FP8 group’s second major event will be organized in cooperation with CPU, the French University Association, who is a recent ERRIN member. The conference will take place in the European Parliament. It will highlight practical approaches to drive cooperation in the knowledge triangle and will have, as a major thematic focus, ecoinnovation and related cluster development in EU regions and will also highlight related R&D cooperation with third countries, particularly concerning sustainable regional development in the southern hemisphere.

(9) Access to finance and early stage risk capital (December 2010)

There is a clear correlation between access to finance and risk capital for small and medium enterprises and economic growth and competitiveness. It has long been known that the EU, compared to the US and more and more also to Asia, has a clear problem in this respect, which was exacerbated by the financial and economic crisis. This event will present regional good practices and tools in working with a) high-tech start-ups on the one hand and with the VC/BA community on the other in matching these and developing sustainable relationships and b) established SMEs and finance institutions. This event could be organised together with EBN and/or with the European Venture Capital Association.

(10) EUBIO2020 - Driving Biotechnology in Europe (December 2010)

This 2 day working meeting to be organised in cooperation with CEBR and European Biotechnology Network, will bring together experts and representatives of commercial biotechnology across Europe. It will identify the 10 year commercial healthcare biotechnology objectives for Europe as a single biotechnology sector, define the current state of commercial biotechnology delivery in Europe and publish a manifesto of 10 year needs and roadmap to for delivery through policy, regulation, financing and all support needs.