Innovation Management Consulting

How to protect our children from harmful contents on Internet? Thanks to the SIP Bench II project, parents can now get involved for the 4th time. This means that a wide selection of online protection tools for a safer use of the Internet by children can be tested by parents. In order to receive a one year license, parents will have to respond to a quick survey (around 10min). This parent survey, available in English, asks for information about how easy it is to install and configure the tool, how is the usability of the tool once web-browsing, and is related to the experience of the parents on their computer, mobile or game console. Survey results help European parents choose the most appropriate on-line protection tool for their family. To become a part of this European project click here.

Parents may today choose the most appropriate parental control tool based on the results of SIP Bench II project. Outcomes from the 2^nd benchmarking cycle are now made public. 30 tools were given to a deep examination by specialists and users. This second step of a 5 cycle’s project has for goal to raise parents’ awareness towards Internet dangers and its possible harmful and illegal contents.

The analysis of various tools resulted in an identification of actions performed by children and teenagers that might expose them to risks. To overcome this existing phenomena, parents would require appropriate tools in order to block the usage of some applications, filter web-pages and set priorities once the children is in use.

The report in itself provides a wide range of test results regarding parental control tools, within the following devices: 25 PC tools, 3 game consoles and 2 mobile tools. The selection of tools was carried out with the aim to address in the best way possible the parents’ needs in terms of devices (PCs, Mobile phones, Consoles), operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux), languages, type of solutions (default systems like Microsoft Vista parental control, client software, ISP solutions).The age categories of children or teenagers are divided into two age classes (<12 years old and >13 years old).

Tools were tested against usability, effectiveness, functionality and security. The effectiveness rating on adult content has increased if comparing to results from the first cycle. Security test, which aims at verifying whether the tools prevent the user from by-passing or disabling security measures, has importantly decreased by 12.1%, so did the average rating concerning functionalities, which has decreased by 2.85%. That means the tools are less efficient at filtering content related to racism and self-harm (i. e. sites promoting anorexia, suicide or self-mutilation).

Background information

The SIP-Bench II report is the joint effort of European R&D in innovation companies, civil society organizations and was coordinated by INNOVA EUROPE for the Safer Internet Programme. It follows a first report in 2011 and will result in 5 cycles.

You can search here for the best tool meeting your needs.

Further information about the SIP-BENCH 2 project can be found on the Safer Internet Programme website.

Get a license and help other parents in Europe to choose the most suitable parental control tool for their families

Interested parents in trying a parental control tool, wish to support our test with own experiences and receive a one year valid license are invited to fill in the short registration form by clicking here.

Eco-innovation in the spotlight of the 6th Innovation PIE Newsletter

The 6th edition of the Innovation PIE Newsletter is out now. This issue highlights eco-innovation activities under PRO INNO Europe® and Europe INNOVA initiatives.

In the 6th PIE Newsletter…

· Igor Jelinski, DG ENVI, explains the role of Eco-Innovation Action Plan for Europe

· We say ‘Welcome’ to Ecopol, a new INNO-NET action

· Michal Miedzinski (Technopolis Group), Stefan Giljum (SERI) and Soeren Steger (Wuppertal Institute) explain how to measure eco-innovation

· We discover main prospects for eco-innovation through Eco-Innovation Observatory

· INNO-Grips explains how to innovate innovation policy

· We announce PIE news and events.

The Newsletter can be downloaded from http://www.proinno-europe.eu/newsletters.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the Russian funding and research landscape, the ACCESSRU team published an ‘Opportunities report for EU R&D actors’. For the first time a clear overview is available that explains how European Researchers can find ways of working in Russia and the best channels to use.

The opportunities report presents programmes open for participation of European researchers. It also highlights the benefits resulting from such cooperation, both for European and Russian partners. In line with the ACCESSRU project objectives, the Report lists recommendations for European organisations interested in accessing Russian research programmes. The findings are based on thorough analysis of Russian financing schemes as well as on the open consultation launched in June 2011.

This practical guide serves both as an overview of Russian research landscape and a helpful manual for applicants. It is available at: http://www.access4.eu/_media/D2_4_Opportunity_report_Final.pdf

Background information: The ACCESSRU project was launched under 7th Framework Programme in order to analyse the access opportunities in Russia and to contribute to a more balanced cooperation between EU and Russian Federation in the field of science and technology.

The 5th edition of the Innovation PIE Newsletter is out now. This issue highlights activities of the INNO-Partnering Forum – project aimed at developing SME innovation support services, mainly : • Peer review – a valuable exercise for continuous improvement of innovation policy measures, • IPF Twinning Exercises, • PRO INNO Europe® events : Annual Partnering Event in Munich, INNO-Partnering Council Meeting (18-19 May, Cambridge) and European Service Innovation Think Tank (16-17 May, London), • Innovation Festival in Vilnius, • Upcoming events and news from Cluster-Excellence, ECOPOL and European Cluster Alliance. The Newsletter can be downloaded from http://www.proinno-europe.eu/newsletters.

Background information: INNOVATION PIE and all other elements of the Promotion of PRO INNO Europe® Results project are performed by a consortium of companies headed by INNOVA Europe.

In a lively ambiance, the PRO INNO Europe® community gathered in Munich (Germany) between 5-7 April under the spirited guidance of the European Patent Office as host organization and Jeremy Philpott of the EPO Academy as moderator. During 3 days the many registrees participated and enjoyed interactive workshops and plenary presentations and debates on knowledge and technology transfer. The role of patents in these transfers and whether IP markets would be beneficial for innovation was a vividly debated topic during several of the plenary sessions. In that regard also, EPO’s Chief Economist Nikolaus Albert Thumm illustrated in a powerful manner that patent application data can illustrate policy decisions lead to product development in certain directions. As such they are also a useful tool to support policy decision making and to evaluateg the effectiveness of policy choices, e.g. when wanting to give a push to innovation in certain thematic focus areas (like: mobility, environment, …)

Other hot topics for both society, policy and industry that passed in review, were: open innovation, co-creation, user-driven innovation, strategic use of public procurement, service innovation, and leveraging design and creative industries for innovation purposes. Several representatives of the INNO-Nets and INNO-Actions under the PRO INNO Europe® contributed to the event and reported on the take-aways for their projects from the event.The social programme adjacent to this high profile policy cooperation event, took the visitors to the BMW Museum and the nanotechnology and mobility exhibitions in the Deutsches Museum, demonstrating the innovation and creativity facets of Munich even further. Also in that sense, EPO as host organization succeeded in raising the profile of the 4th PRO INNO Europe®partnering event magnificently.

The 2nd round table on ACCESSRU project will take place on 31 May 2011 (10.00 – 16.00) in the Moscow office of the Delegation of the European Union to Russia.

 

 

The ACCESSRU project is a support action funded by 7th Framework Programme of the European Community aimed at strengthening S&T cooperation between Europe and Russian Federation and facilitating access for the European researchers to the Russian research and innovation programmes (www.access-ru.eu).During the 1st Round table organized in Moscow on 15th October 2010 about 60 Russian and European participants learnt about the ACCESSRU project, Russian programmes and discussed the possible access opportunities.

The goal of the 2nd Round Table will be to discuss the access mechanisms and finalize the strategic recommendations on facilitating the European researchers entry into Russian national programs. In particular, the 2nd Round table seeks:• To report on the access opportunities and entry channels identified by the project consortium;• To provide feedback from the European/foreign researchers and Russian research organizations who experienced collaboration under Russian programs ;• To offer a forum for discussing possible mechanisms that will facilitate the access to the Russian programmes for the EU organisations ; • To formulate a vision on the future EU-RU S&T cooperation on a mutually open basis.

The advice and recommendations obtained during the 2nd Round table, will be reflected in the proposals on the mechanisms aiming to incite European participation into the Russian programmers. The round table is open to the representatives of research institutes and Universities, top scientists as well as the representatives of the embassies in Moscow, RF Ministries and the European Commission.

For additional enquiries:Irina Sharova, Biotechnology, Agricultural and Food FP7 National Contact Point of Russia, tel.: +7 (495) 954-44-74, E-mail: sharova@inbi.ras.ru Shira Tabachnikoff, European Science Foundation, France, E-mail: STabachnikoff@esf.org Svetlana Klessova, innoAG, Germany, E-mail: s.klessova@inno-group.com

The 4th edition of the Innovation PIE Newsletter is out now

The 4th edition of the Innovation PIE Newsletter is out now. It has “creativity” as thematic focus this time and provides coverage on the following PRO INNO Europe® activities:

Background information: INNOVATION PIE and all other elements of the Promotion of PRO INNO Europe® Results project are performed by a consortium of companies headed by INNOVA Europe.

KIS Partnering Forum, 27-28 January 2011, Warsaw, Poland

INNOVA Europe acts as coordinator for the promotion of the results coming out of policy analysis and policy cooperation projects under the PRO INNO Europe® initiative 2009-2012. Results from the projects will e.g. be showcased by means of good practice case stories and video productions, by means of a periodical newsletter, through the PRO INNO Europe® web portal and annual partnering events.PRO INNO Europe® is an initiative of Directorate General Enterprise and Industry which aims to become the focal point for innovation policy analysis and policy cooperation in Europe, with a view to learn from the best and contribute to the development of new and better innovation policies in Europe. The ultimate aim is to help European enterprises to innovate better and faster and to optimise and leverage complementarities between the various innovation support measures that exist throughout Europe (be it at regional, national and Community level).

For more information about the INNOVA Europe assignment and the PRO INNO Europe® initiative, please visit: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/. For the upcoming Annual Partnering Event, please keep an eye on: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/proinno-partnering-event/

Coming up: 4th Innovation PIE Newsletter

INNOVA Europe, notably in cooperation with Publicis Consultants and Cybion are currently preparing the 4th edition of the Innovation PIE newsletter. It will be released in February 2011 and will focus considerably design and creativity and their role to innovation.

The 4th Innovation PIE will report, among others, on experiences from the Innovation Festivals held in Kortrijk (B), Lisbon (P) and Milan (I).

Also, it will dwell on latest evolutions around the cluster projects under PRO INNO Europe®, i.e. the TACTICS and Cluster-Excellence.eu projects. In addition, the newsletter will provide a preview on the next PRO INNO Europe® partnering event to be held in April 2011 in München and will contain an interview with a representative from the European Patent Office, as host to this partnering event. Furthermore, it will provide coverage on a number of workshops that took place recently under the policy analysis strand of PRO INNO Europe® (notably organized by the INNO-Grips2 project).

Background information

The Innovation PIE Newsletter is one of the main tools to draw attention to events and activities organized on behalf of the different projects taking place under the PRO INNO Europe® initiative. Previous editions can be consulted via: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/newsletters .

NEW WAYS TO PROMOTE SERVICES INNOVATION IN EUROPE: THE ROLE OF THE STRUCTURAL FUNDS

KIS Partnering Forum, 27-28 January 2011, Warsaw, Poland

Organised by the KIS Innovation Platform, a European initiative funded under Europe INNOVA aiming at accelerating the take-up of services innovation in Europe, the KIS Partnering Event will discuss novel and groundbreaking approaches to supporting services innovation with a special focus on the possibilities of providing effective support through the Structural Funds.

The objectives of the event will be therefore:

This seminar will be hosted by the Warsaw Stock Exchange and should be of particular interest for programme managers and innovation and development agencies who are interested in stimulating regional development through new economic activities. It is expected to bring together some 150 participants from relevant national, regional and local authorities and public agencies responsible for the promotion of, or support for innovation and having a specific interest in applying Structural Funds aid to the services sector.

More information about this event including the draft programme, registration, venue and accomodation is available on the event website.

INNOVA Europe issues recommendations and roadmap to optimize the use of Structural Funds for research capacity building among public R&D institutions in Romania.

Between late 2008 and early 2010 INNOVA Europe carried out a research and advisory assignment for the Romania Unit of Directorate General Regional Policy, against the following background and mission statement: to enhance the ability of the National Agency for Scientific Research in Romania (NASR) to manage the (public) R&D institutes in the country and to allocate corresponding funds in such a way that it contributes both to achieve the goals set out by the Lisbon Strategy and to subscribe to the objectives of the Cohesion Policy.  Overall, the assignment served the following operational objectives:

Apart from a screening of the institutional context to RDI in Romania (policy and public / governmental organizations with a stake in RDI), also the supply side to RDI (research and innovation centres) and te demand side to RDI (businesses) were thoroughly screened. E.g. by means of large-scale surveys, in-depth interviews, focus group meetings, expert workshops and statistical data analysis.

Based on the main findings of the various research activities and analyses, a roadmap (“action plan”) has been proposed to overcome a series of identified shortcomings and to endow and empower the responsible authorities with appropriate means for improvement.

For a view on the consequent recommendations and action plan issued, please visit: http://www.adrnordest.ro/user/file/news/10/Management%20of%20public%20RD... .

The INNO-Learning Platform leaves a rich legacy of tools, methodologies and reports

From late 2006 until January 2010 INNOVA Europe co-ordinated the INNO-Learning Platform, which forms part of the PRO INNO Europe® initiative of Directorate General Enterprise and Industry. It focused on improving the effectiveness of innovation support in Europe by stimulating more and better transnational cooperation among innovation agencies across Member States and regions and policy learning among the actors involved.

In order to effectively exploit Europe's innovation potential, the INNO-Learning Platform explored the added value of targeted forms of transnational cooperation between innovation support actors from different Member States and regions. As such, the INNO-Learning Platform helped to overcome the problems faced by individual public funding agencies that support innovation, notably through the creation of structuring effects across Europe between authorities and agencies working in the field of innovation support. To this end, the INNO-Learning Platform identified and exchanged successful practices, thus fostering a more receptive culture among innovation support providers towards transnational innovation cooperation.

Through INNOVA Europe’s co-ordinatorship, the INNO-Learning Platform functioned as an 'incubator' for innovation support ideas and partnerships, exploring the scope for transnational cooperation in the field of innovation. Its experimental nature and aim to provide ideas for the formulation of possible forms of transnational innovation policy cooperation initiatives to be launched by the European Commission, were instrumental in the conceiving of the 2009-2012 INNO-Nets and INNO-Actions. To this end, the INNO-Learning Platform also carried out ex ante impact assessments for future areas of joint European transnational innovation cooperation activities, while also examining the interest of stakeholders in participating in these activities. Take note that legacy of the activities, results, manuals and toolboxes of the INNO-Learning Platform live on especially via the INNO-Partnering Forum (an INNO-Net, which will run from 2009-2012 and which will roll out among others peer review and good practice exchange schemes between innovation agencies) and via the PRO INNO Europe® web portal.

For the running of the INNO-Learning Platform, INNOVA Europe worked together with inno AG, Intrasoft and MERIT. Together, this consortium secured ample experience in innovation policy consultancy and analysis, in information technology and website development, and in process guidance, network animation and the management of large-scale events, to drive the INNO-Learning Platform successfully.

The INNO-Learning Platform consisted, besides the INNO-Learning Platform Consortium, of the INNO-Learning Steering Group and was assisted by several exploratory teams and thematic task forces for its analytical activities and report development tasks.

For a complete overview of the achievements and outputs of the INNO-Learning Platform, have a look at: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/learning-platform/publications, http://www.proinno-europe.eu/learning-platform/annual-partnering-events and http://www.proinno-europe.eu/learning-platform/annual-reports.