Industry and SMEs to collaborate to boost open innovation

The first day of EuroNanoForum 2015 has opened in the Latvian capital Riga.

Taking place between 10-12 June, the conference brings together major nanotechnology industrial players, policy makers, academia and SMEs to lead the discussion on European competitiveness. The emphasis of the event is on promoting reindustrialisation of Europe creating new markets for nanotechnologies and advanced materials and embracing change leading to Europe’s economic growth.

The 2014 Millennium Technology Prize Winner, Dr Stuart Parkin, director at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics and an IBM Fellow, headlines the programme of the three-day event. The Millennium Technology Prize is one of the most prestigious rewards in science and technology worldwide. Worth €1m, the prize is awarded by the Technology Academy Finland every second year.

EuroNanoForum 2015 has attracted a diverse pool of companies of various sizes, industries and technologies to highlight how open innovation should be practiced by the many, rather than mastered by the few. Major industry players include 3M, Airbus, ACCIONA and Nokia, alongside innovative SMEs such as like Beneq, Skeleton Technologies, QuantumWise, SmartMembranes and Avantium. According to the Latvian Council Presidency, the companies strive for the shared goal of supporting European competitiveness and focusing on uncovering new ideas, reducing risk and leveraging scarce resources.

Commenting, Clara de la Torre, director of the Key Enabling Technologies at DG Research and Innovation at the European Commission, said: “Europe has always been celebrated for its excellent science and industrial innovation, though today, more than ever before, we need growth. We need to keep finding new collaboration models and new ways to support our creativity.

“Nanotechnologies and advanced materials have potential to lead to unforeseen advances and new markets, as well as find fresh solutions to our problems in health, energy, climate and environment, turning those into real opportunities for growth in Europe.

The conference is organised by the University of Latvia and Spinverse, in co-operation with the DG Research and Innovation and has received funding from Horizon 2020.