The aim of science and technology parks is to promote innovation and the competitiveness of businesses and as a result, economic growth. The body that will have the task of managing the park will be bilateral (San Marino and Italy), but the company will be founded under San Marino law alone, also adopting its taxation system.

The research and development laboratories, business incubators, new companies and residences will be concentrated in a territorially-limited area that is entirely within the borders of San Marino. It will provide job opportunities for young people, the cultural revaluation and relaunching of the territory and an increase in the competitiveness of companies, but will also offer benefits for foreign investors.

More info on www.sanmarinofixing.com.

The event, which is part of AgriTech, the international agriculture exhibition of Tel Aviv, will host Italy’s Minister for Agriculture Policy, Mario Catania, his Israeli counterpart, Orit Noked, and the president of Confagricoltura, Mario Guidi.

In 2009 Italy and Israel signed an agreement to exchange know-how and researchers in the agriculture and food sectors. This was followed in November 2010 by an agreement on scientific research and agricultural innovation.

The aim of the conference, say the organizers, is to focus on collaborative activities and explore new cooperative prospects in a sector that, in Israel, has a high level of innovation, thanks to strong cooperation between universities, corporate think-tanks and companies in the areas of research and development.

Source: AGI.it

The annual event represents a unique opportunity for meeting and networking, exchange of ideas and experiences, creating a partnership that involves all actors in the innovation system and economic development in Italy: innovative startups, research teams from universities, small businesses with new technology, large corporations looking for innovative solutions.

During the 4-day festival dedicated to the public administration and the relationship with business and territory, from the AGINNOVAZIONE’s desk will be possible to obtain information about the FINNO project and the opportunities it represents.

“Is Tech, a company that is experiencing in Rome APA, the well-known system for the abatement of air pollution and particulate matter, and Systemdesign, specializing in research, engineering and marketing of products and services mainly in field of newtechnologies, electronics and sensors, which is developing solutions especiallydedicated to renewable energy, energy saving and environmental monitoring, haveofficially initiating their operational collaboration. ”

Source and full post: Ecoseven.net

Against this background the AREA m styria GmbH, as a regional economic and development agency together with support from the University of Leoben and the Fachhochschule Joanneum Kapfenberg is hosting the TOOLING DAYS from 13^th to 14^th of June 2012.

This two-day event shows future issues of productivity, efficiency and the development of new technologies in machining. Moreover this event offers a platform for innovative solutions and gives you the opportunity to learn about latest developments. Take the chance and benefit from the know-how of our key players in the fields of tool steel, coating, tool management and many more.

An evening event with a matching program offers you the opportunity to explore cross-border mergers and deepen your relationships with the main actors in the subject area. With high-profile speakers from industry and academia, a fruitful symbiosis of research, development and industry should be developed.

Downolad the Agenda here.
More info on: areamstyria.at

DEKA will promote entrepreneurship and innovation and will support new and established entrepreneurs in business development, financing, promotion, collaborations, internationalization, intellectual property management etc.

More Informarion: Science & Technology Park of Crete, Artemis Saitakis, saitakis@stepc.gr

On day April 18th 2012 from 10.30 am to 6 pm is announced the inauguration of EIT ICT labs Italy in Povo,Trento.

“EIT ICT Labs” is a new initiative intended to turnEurope into the global leader in ICT innovation.

It aims to fulfill this mission by establishing a new type of partnership between leading companies, research centres, and universities in Europe.

The Trento Node of EIT ICT Labs will officially open its Co-location Centre as the central EIT ICT Labs inItaly and home of the Italian Node management team.

In the numerous planned events, that will take place during the day, will participate representatives of the institutional, entrepreneurial, academic and research world as: Raffaele Liberali, Ministry of Education, University and Research – Head of the University and Research Department; the President of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Lorenzo Dellai; Franco Bernabè, Telecom Italia CEO; Ennio Lucarelli, Confindustria Innovative Services and Technology – Chairman; Paolo Pandozy Engineering – CEO; Davide Bassi, University of Trento – Rector; Massimo Egidi Fondazione Bruno Kessler – President; Willem Jonker EIT ICT Labs – CEO.

More info on: www.provincia.tn.it

“Emerging Clusters, Energy and Innovation”

Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel, 19-25 Parthenonos str,
117-42 Athens Greece

in Athens, Greece, 3 & 4 May 2012

The following issues will be discussed

1. Cluster development and excellence

2. Clusters and Employment- opportunities, cluster contribution to innovation

3. Cluster testimonies, success stories

For more information, please contact Artemis Saitakis, at saitakis@stepc.gr

Director of ‘Tera Tehnopolis’ Ivan Štefanić, at the beginning of the conference stressed that the Enterprise Europe Network is the largest enterprise network, because it includes countries much more than European Union itself. GREEN project, conducted between June 2010 and April this year, deals with environmental protection in the food industry and production of building materials. It operates on an equal footing with other countries in the region, and contributes to improvement of SMEs regarding their obligations under national and European requirements relating to environmental protection.
The area of Green project includes about 310,000 businesses and more than four million employees in the food production and production of construction materials. The European Commission funded project Green from the Program for competitiveness and innovation, partners are from research centers and commercial and industrial chamber of Italy, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey and Croatia.

Innovativeness in the economy Europe has already recognized
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is a key instrument in the EU strategy to boost growth and employment. Bringing together close to 600 business support organizations from 50 countries, it helps small businesses to take advantage of business opportunities in the single EU market. EEN was launched in February 2008 as an idea of DG Enterprise and Industry, and continues to work on the foundations of the former Euro Info Centre (EIC) and Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) of 1987.

Membership in the Enterprise Europe Network is important for linking the databases, because it allows the transfer of knowledge, technology and finding business partners in all countries of the network. EEN is closely associated with the European Commission, which allows everyone to follow the EU policy towards small firms.

Supporting small businesses is the cornerstone of the EU drive for recruitment. Since 99% of all enterprises in the EU are in the category of small and medium enterprise, it carries almost 67% of working places. Moreover, many commercial solutions are at hand, seeking market opportunities for empowerment of innovation, and inventiveness, with huge potential for job creation

Greening business
Dr. Filippo Mazzariol from Italy, Veneto region, is an expert in “green business” in the Enterprise Europe Network. “European regulations and directives on environmental protection and global legislations are implemented national legislation of each Member State, and in Croatia. However, differences still exist on the local level in any country. EU legislation is a “living” material on which professionals and experts are working, bringing changes observed in practice in some countries. For example, Italy is after “Napoli case” with irresolvable piles of garbage had to modify and amend its law on waste. So, twenty years ago situation was definitely different in terms of environmental activism, environmental NGOs had “hands full” of job to point to the need to protect the environment during economic development Today it’s different, because the business sector realized that environmental protection is a necessity, implementation of the regulations are unconditional and production of tools and technologies for clean production – an endless business, “said Mazzariol.

Slovenian green services
It is certain that for small and medium-sized enterprises is great importance to get assistance provided by various “services” or the offices and departments that provide environmental permits and certificates. Antonija Božič-Cerar from the Department for Environment Slovenian Chamber of Commerce showed that IT knowledge and innovatory ideas simplifying the implementation of work of the enterprise sector. They organized the field of “green legislation”, gathering the data base of all regulations covering the environment and allowing interested parties to participate in their adjustment to real life situations, make comments, opinions and criticisms. On that way they reduced administrative load vehicle and gave opportunity for public participation before problems in practice is created. With a base of “green legislation”, they open phone lines and e-mail contacts with professionals and experts in particular environmental sub-sectors, which are available to entrepreneurs. In addition, they organized the “Business Environment Day,” round table discussions and public meetings in which SMEs, with the help of NGOs, were introduced to news for entrepreneurs in the region and Europe, and networking opportunities with allied disciplines.

Growing non-food plants-as a hotbed of ideas for business
The economic potential of non-food crops and business opportunities in Croatia, were presented by Edita Štefanić as an innovative topic. In non-food crops we including meadow and other plants, which are mostly destroyed by pesticides and the soil is treated with agrochemicals. At the same time many types of plants are for use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, manufacture of pesticides in floriculture, fruit and vegetables. In Croatia, the meadow plants and non-food plants and crops are huge potential for replacement of fossil and synthetic fertilizers, and in the same time they are reducing use of natural resources and broadcast of CO2. Planting and growing of pyrethrum, sisal, wormwood, coriander and other herbs, restoring meadows and meadow ecosystems are engaged in many European farms (farming biodiversity), acting through the associations and federations.
In Croatia, there are very weak attempts of agricultural planned breeding of non-food plants that could be counted as a basis for development of entrepreneurship.

Serbia-dump opened for innovation in waste management
Useful was the presentation of Jelena Jovanovic from Mihailo Pupin Institute, who, once again, demonstrates the enormous opportunities for business and entrepreneurship in the sector of waste management. Serbia, which has just started to coordinate some regulations and laws solve the problems of waste, with new entrepreneurial and innovative market, because it needs to urgently implement the recycling, sorting and recovery of 334 000 tones of packaging waste per year, about 50,000 tons of various mineral oil per year, about 300,000 tons of animal waste for the same period, 13 million tons of agricultural waste per year and around 1 million tones of construction waste.

Power of funghus
It is interesting to mention the presentation of Antunovic Slavica and Cosic Jasenka from Faculty of Agriculture Osijek about the properties of fungi and bacteria in the soil that are very useful for the production of biological preparations in gardening and fruit growing, because they can replace toxic chemical agents.
The use of chemical pesticides, including fungicides, is on the rise and has been shown that adversely affects to environment, biological diversity and balance in nature, causing very negative consequences. It is therefore very important to support innovative ideas of Innovators and scientists who are finding other options in phytopharmacy, creating conditions for the production of biological preparations or biofungicides.

Using of geothermal energy
Mladen Bosnjakovic from the Polytechnic in Slavonski Brod presented a system that uses the resources of geothermal energy for heating greenhouses. Although the sources do not find geothermal sources “at hand” in some areas, for example, in Slavonia, they are available, indeed.
These sources, along with the application of certain technologies may be useful and feasible for greenhouse vegetable and flower production. It is certainly significant that, besides cheapness, they do not damage environment or natural resources.

Continued cooperation
GREEN 2012 was the final conference of the project, but Tera Tehnopolis will continue to support Croatian enterpreneurs through the project “Wizard of the environment: The Enterprise Europe (WE-EEN)”, whose task is to improve the environmental performances of SMEs, but with the emphasis on waste management, especially electronic.