EBN 40 Years Connecting Innovation Communities

High-level expert workshop and cocktail event (by invitation only)

Collaborative Models to Accelerate Europe’s Innovation Capacity

Guided by our unwavering belief in innovation as a force for economic growth, societal progress, and sustainable prosperity, we seek to leverage the shared experience of Europe’s innovation community to shape new perspectives on one of Europe’s most pressing challenges: the green transition. This event is part of EBN 40th anniversary year, we kick off this year of celebratory moments by bringing together key business and innovation ecosystem stakeholders within EU institutions and associations.

Celebrating 40 years of collaborative efforts within the pan-European EU|BIC innovation community, EBN seeks to celebrate this milestone anniversary by bringing together key business and innovation ecosystem stakeholders.

Guided by our unwavering belief in innovation as a force for economic growth, societal progress, and sustainable prosperity, we seek to leverage the shared experience of Europe’s innovation community to shape new perspectives on one of Europe’s most pressing challenges: the green transition.

Description

The workshop event embodies a “back to basics” approach, creating a space for open and constructive dialogue (Chatham House rules) among EU and regional government delegates and representatives from business, innovation, and academia associations, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders. It serves as an expert platform seeking the rapid testing of assumptions and the creation of pathways that stimulate private sector, innovation, and industry engagement in the green transition.

The overarching goal of the event is to facilitate connections in an increasingly complex environment. We seek to comprehensively understand prevailing practices and challenges in leveraging entrepreneurial innovation in partnership with regional actors to achieve sustainable economic development in Europe. It seeks to shed light on the diverse needs and constraints of users collaborating in the green transition. Delving into innovation divides, interregional investments, innovation financing, interconnected innovation ecosystems and coordination, and market and industry needs, the event serves as a mini forum to stimulate intensified, ongoing collaboration.

Ultimately, we seek to promote new collaborative models enhancing Europe’s innovation capacity supporting measurable progress towards net-zero and sustainable prosperity in the EU. The event sets out to identify the existing bottlenecks that hinder the broad and effective involvement of the private sector and industry in Europe’s territorial actions for the green transition. It aims to explore current and new potential support services and roles available for entrepreneurship and innovation support organisations (ESO), their academic spinoff, startup and SME clients, and governmental stakeholders navigating the green transition innovation landscape. The conclusions will be gathered and shared as guideline recommendations for further joint actions; addressing the nuance and emerging role of regional and interconnected innovation support actors.

Join us in the aim to leverage our shared experience to shape new perspectives for today and tomorrow, collaborating with key stakeholders to increase the EU’s innovation capacity -for the whole of Europe.

Register today, the number of seats for onsite participation is limited and the invitation is non-transferable. For more information contact bram.pauwels[@]ebn.eu.

Agenda

16.00 – 16.10 Opening Ceremony, EBN

- Laura LECCI, CEO at EBN
- Guest of honour (TBC)

16.10 – 16.30 Setting the scene: ‘Scaling up climate action: the role of private sector innovation and collaboration for cleantech solutions in new green industrial policy’.

- Mikel LANDABASO, Director, EU Joint Research Centre
- Samuel BACHELOT, EU|BIC Atlanpole – Cleantech and sustainable startup expert (Nantes, France)

16.30 – 17.30 Fishbowl roundtable discussion – active audience participation

- Peter DRÖLL, Director, Innovation, Prosperity and International Cooperation > Prosperity, EC DG RTD
- Catherine WENDT, Head of Unit, Smart and Sustainable Growth and Programme Implementation IV, EC DG REGIO
- Sebastiaan BEERENDSE, Director Value Creation, Wageningen University & Research (Moderator)
- Cristina FANJUL, Director, CEEI Asturias

17.30 – 18.00 Launch of EU|BIC Innovation Ecosystem Framework

- Laura LECCI, CEO at EBN
- Bartosz JOZEFOWSKI, Deputy Director, KTP (Poland)
- Pietro DE MARTINO, Vice-President at EBN, Manager of Incubation, Acceleration, and Innovation at EU|BIC FI.L.S.E. (Italy)
- Jorge PIMENTA, EU|BIC Instituto Pedro Nunes/ ESA BIC (Portugal)
- Emilien WATELET, EU|BIC Cap Innove (Belgium)