EARTO Annual Conference 2015 in Luxembourg

Infrastructures and Resources Sharing between Industry & RTOs in Europe

– Luxembourg, 28-29 April 2015 –

  The 2015 EARTO-EIRMA joint Annual Conference was held in Luxembourg on 28-29 April 2015. The event, jointly hosted by EARTO member LIST welcomed some 250 participants to discuss “Infrastructures and Resources Sharing between Industry & RTOs in Europe”. Highlights of the conference included a video address by EU Commissioner for R&I Mr Carlos Moedas recognizing the key role of RTOs in EU innovation ecosystems as well as keynote speeches by, among others, Luxembourg Secretaries of State on Research and on Economy and EC Directors Ms Charlina Vitcheva (DG REGIO) and Mr Peter Dröll (DG R&I).   Pictures – Part 1 (Copyright: EARTO & Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology) Pictures – Part 2 (Copyright: EARTO & Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology) Pictures – Part 3 (Copyright: EARTO & Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology)     Wednesday 29 April  

Introduction

  • Gabriel Crean, Chief Executive Officer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) – Conference Host
  • Marc Hansen, Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Luxembourg
  • Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for R&I, European Commission
  • Maria Khorsand, President of EARTO and CEO, SP
  • Carlos Härtel, EIRMA President and Director GE Global Research Europe
Session chaired by Marc Lemmer, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)  

Part 1 – How to construct an appropriate ecosystem to support infrastructures and resources sharing between industry & RTOs in Europe?

  • Overview – EIB and the Investment Plan for Europe – Klaus Trömel, Director General, Head of Operations, European Investment Bank
  • Views of the JRC – Xabier Goenaga, Head of the Innovation Systems Analysis Unit, JRC Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (will follow soon)
  • Shared infrastructures linked to economic & regional development policy – Jean-Philippe Bourgoin, Director Strategy & Programmes, CEA
  • Rejuvenate KETs technology infrastructure for SMEs: the case of the RTO’s technology infrastructures – Jean-Frédéric Clerc, Vice President of CEA Technological Research Division, CEA
  • Infrastructure sharing, industry experience of hosting start-ups – Tom Aelbrecht, Director Venture & Incubation Center, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Johnson & Johnson

Discussion moderated by Maria Khorsand, President of EARTO and CEO, SP

 

Part 2 – How is “smart specialisation” a reality? 4 Parallel Sessions

  Session 1 – Regional specialisation: what does it mean in a global competitive market?
  • Volvo experiences, Urban Wass, Senior Vice President Research & Innovation Policy, Volvo
  • Tecnalia experience, Iñaki San Sebastian, Deputy Managing Director, Tecnalia
  • Charlina Vitcheva, Director Smart & Sustainable Growth & Southern Europe, DG REGIO, European Commission

Moderator EIRMA: Léopold Demiddeleer, Honorary President of EIRMA, Formerly Solvay Rapporteur EARTO: Ragnar Heldt Nielsen, Director, GTS – Advanced Technology Group

  Session 2 – How important are shared infrastructures for the transfer of technology between industry & RTOs?
  • Frank Ruttens, Account Manager, AGFA
  • Alexander Svejkovsky, CFO, Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT)
  • Christos Tokamanis, Head of Unit Advanced Materials and Nanotechnologies, DG R&I, European Commission

Moderator EIRMA: David Brown, Chair ProFactor Pharma. Ex Global Head of Drug Discovery, Hoffman La Roche Rapporteur EARTO: Marc Lemmer, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

  Session 3 – Shared infrastructures – lessons learned
  • Procter & Gamble/BIRD working group, André Convents, Section Head, Connect & Develop, Procter & Gamble
  • IMEC experience, Rudy Lauwereins, Vice President, IMEC
  • Peter Dröll, Director Innovation & ERA, DG R&I, European Commission

Moderator EARTO: Anne-Christine Ritschkoff, Executive Vice President, CTO, VTT Technical Research Centre Rapporteur EIRMA: Christopher Shilling, Innovation Agent, EIRMA Individual Member

  Session 4 – Mapping research and technology infrastructures: what type of tools are available?
  • Mapping research infrastructures, Philippe Froissard, Deputy Head of Unit Research Infrastructures, DG R&I, European Commission
  • Alignment of public and private RDI, Georges Thielen, Manager Winter Technology Programs, Goodyear Innovation Centre, Luxembourg
  • Promoting the access of SMEs to innovation, Pedro Ortún, Director Service Industries, DG GROW, European Commission

Moderator EARTO: Frank Treppe, Director Corporate Strategy and International Affairs, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Rapporteur EIRMA: Falk Wottawah, Head of Visioning & Scouting, Siemens

  Plenary Session Four short reports on parallel sessions by rapporteurs Discussion moderated by Carlos Härtel, EIRMA President and Director GE Global Research Europe   Closing by EARTO & EIRMA Presidents