2009 - EUROPEAN YEAR OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
The official launch of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation (EYCI 2009) was held in Prague, Czech Republic, on the 7th January 2009 during the Czech Presidency of the EU with the slogan “Imagine. Create. Innovate.”. The main objective of the EYCI 2009 is to promote the importance of creativity and innovation as key competences for Personal, social and economic development. In particular, the Year aims to help European citizens and entrepreneurs face the challenges of the globalization.

 You can request permission to use the name and logo of the year and have the activities advertised on the official calendar of the year by filling an easy form under the following webpage: http://create2009.europa.eu/communication_toolbox.html

More info:

Http://create2009.europa.eu/index_en.html

NEW IT TOOL FOR PROJECT REPORTING IN FP6 AND FP7
The new web based tool FORCE (Form C Editor) allows project coordinators access, change and submit an electronic Form C during the reporting. In the future also individual beneficiaries will have the possibility to modify and view their Form C. The
new Form C Editor FORCE is available via SESAM. at the following address:
http://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sesam

FORCE is available for all FP7 projects managed by the Directorates-General Research (RTD) and Enterprise and Industry (ENTR). In Directorate-General Energy and Transport (TREN), FORCE should be also available in a near future.

For internal operational reasons, for the projects managed by the Directorate-General Information Society (INFSO), the way of accessing Forms C is slightly different. However the Forms C are the same. The way of working in DG INFSO is explained in
the slides available under the following hyperlink:
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/services/coord_day/pdf/3-payments.pdf

PUBLIC CONSULTATION - EFFECTIVENESS OF INNOVATION SUPPORT IN EUROPE
The public consultation consists of two online questionnaires: The one asks the beneficiaries of innovation support measures, namely companies , to provide their views on the direction of future innovation support policies and instruments in the EU,
while the other invites institutional stakeholders active in the design, funding, implementation, and evaluation of innovation support measures at regional, national and European level to give their opinion on the key issues of better innovation support
in Europe. It is expected that the open consultation will, above all, shed more light on which types of support would create the most impact on companies’ capacities to innovate. While the aim is to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of European innovation support initiatives.

 
More info:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=2490

NEWLY LUNCHED MARIE CURIE WEB SERVICE
The newly launched web service will keep users abreast of progress of calls for proposals, funding decisions, and other tips to succeed in research project.
More info:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/mariecurieactions/home_en.html

THE UPDATED VERSION OF THE GUIDE TO IP RULES TO FP7 PROJECTS PUBLISHED
The European Commission recently published an updated version of the 'Guide to Intellectual Property Rules for FP7
projects' (Guide to IPR). The updated version clarifies a number of key points by giving a valid reason for an objection to a transfer of foreground by another beneficiary (p. 9) and explaining how to deal with the plan for the use and dissemination (p. 36). It incorporates additional references that have to do specifically with Marie Curie actions (pp. 4 and 29) and special clauses to the grant agreement in space-related projects and environmental projects (p. 30). Reference is also made to the Commission
Recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities and the Code of Practice for universities and other public research organizations (p. 40).

More info:
http://www.ipr-helpdesk.org/news/news_6632.en.xml.html?mode=subscription

INNOVATION SCOREBOARD 2008 - A POSITIVE TREND IN INNOVATION PERFORMANCE
The European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2008 was recently published by PRO INNO Europe initiative. It is a comparative assessment of the innovation performance of EU Member States, under the EU Lisbon Strategy. The study shows very favorable
trends in the European Union as a whole, and in most Member States. Aside from some structural differences among the member states, a trend to convergence is observed within the EU. While innovation performance is improving in general, and the gap with the U.S. and Japan is gradually narrowing, considerable effort is needed to catch up with the main competitors.

 Along with the Scoreboard, PRO INNO Europe released the 'Inno Policy Trendchart', which takes a more qualitative look at Europe's innovation policies, providing successful examples and measures applied in different Member States.
More info:

http://www.proinno-europe.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=437&parentID=51

FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
7-8.05.2009, Prague, Czech Republic
Research Connection 2009. Networking our way to a research future
11-12.05.2009, Brussels, Belgium
IPR and Contract Management
12.05.2009, Warsaw, Poland
Chances and barriers in the development of innovative enterprises in Poland
15.05.2009, Chisinau, Moldova FP7 - Opportunities for SMEs
02.06.2009, Brussels, Belgium
The innovation economy. Getting new ideas, new partners and new growth for the global economy
02.06.2009, London - Heathrow, UK 3Day in-depth FP7 Financial Workshop
21-23.10.2009, Istanbul, Turkey
eChallenges e-2009, Conference and Exhibition