Promoting innovation in developing countries: a conceptual framework

The author provides a conceptual framework for approaching the promotion of technological innovation and its diffusion in developing countries. Innovation climates in developing countries are, by nature, problematic, characterized by poor business and governance conditions, low educational levels, and mediocre infrastructure. This raises particular challenges for the promotion of innovation. The latter should be understood as the diffusion of technologies-and related practices-which are new to a given context (not in absolute terms). What matters first is to provide the necessary package of support-technical, financial, commercial, legal, and so on-with flexible, autonomous agencies adapting their support and operations to the different types of concerned enterprises. Facilitating and responding to the emergence of grass-root needs at the local level is also essential. Support to entrepreneurs and local communities should be primarily provided in matching grant forms to facilitate the mobilization of local resources and ownership. It is of primary importance to pay the greatest attention to country specificities, not only in terms of development level, size, and specialization, but also in terms of administrative and cultural traditions. At the global level, major issues need also to be considered and dealt with by appropriate incentives and regulations: the role of foreign direct investment in developing countries'technological development, conditions of technologies'patenting and licensing, the North-South research asymmetry, and brain drain trends.Innovation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Agricultural Research,Poverty Assessment,Health Monitoring&Evaluation

Co-Nanomet: Co-ordination of Nanometrology in Europe

Nanometrology is a subfield of metrology, concerned with the science of measurement at the nanoscale level. Today’s global economy depends on reliable measurements and tests, which are trusted and accepted internationally. It must provide the ability to measure in three dimensions with atomic resolution over large areas. For industrial application this must also be achieved at a suitable speed/throughput. Measurements in the nanometre range should be traceable back to internationally accepted units of measurement (e.g. of length, angle, quantity of matter, and force). This requires common, validated measurement methods, calibrated scientific instrumentation as well as qualified reference samples. In some areas, even a common vocabulary needs to be defined. A traceability chain for the required measurements in the nm range has been established in only a few special cases. A common strategy for European nanometrology has been defined, as captured herein, such that future nanometrology development in Europe may build out from our many current strengths. In this way, European nanotechnology will be supported to reach its full and most exciting potential. As a strategic guidance, this document contains a vision for European nanometrology 2020; future goals and research needs, building out from an evaluation of the status of science and technology in 2010. It incorporates concepts for the acceleration of European nanometrology, in support of the effective commercial exploitation of emerging nanotechnologies. The field of nanotechnology covers a breadth of disciplines, each of which has specific and varying metrological needs. To this end, a set of four core technology fields or priority themes (Engineered Nanoparticles, Nanobiotechnology, Thin Films and Structured Surfaces and Modelling & Simulation) are the focus of this review. Each represents an area within which rapid scientific development during the last decade has seen corresponding growth in or towards commercial exploitation routes. This document was compiled under the European Commission Framework Programme 7 project, Co-Nanomet. It has drawn together input from industry, research institutes, (national) metrology institutes, regulatory and standardisation bodies across Europe. Through the common work of the partners and all those interested parties who have contributed, it represents a significant collaborative European effort in this important field. In the next decade, nanotechnology can be expected to approach maturity, as a major enabling technological discipline with widespread application. This document provides a guide to the many bodies across Europe in their activities or responsibilities in the field of nanotechnology and related measurement requirements. It will support the commercial exploitation of nanotechnology, as it transitions through this next exciting decade

La política industrial en América Latina y el Caribe a comienzos del siglo

(Disponible en idioma inglés únicamente) Este sondeo de políticas industriales en América Latina y el Caribe presenta dos afirmaciones básicas: (1) el período desde finales de los años 80 y todos los 90 fue de transición de las políticas industriales del modelo de sustitución de importaciones hacia políticas industriales adecuadas para economías nacionales abiertas en una economía mundial más cohesionada; y (2) que este período de transición no ha terminado y, por ende, es prematuro emitir juicios sobre la eficacia de este conjunto, aún emergente, de políticas.

D8.6 OPTIMAI commercialization and exploitation strategy

Deliverable D8.6 OPTIMAI commercialization and exploitation strategy 1 st version is the first version of the OPTIMAI Exploitation Plan. Exploitation aims at ensuring that OPTIMAI becomes sustainable well after the conclusion of the research project period so as to create impact. OPTIMAI intends to develop an industry environment that will optimize production, reducing production line scrap and production time, as well as improving the quality of the products through the use of a variety of technological solutions, such as Smart Instrumentation of sensors network at the shop floor, Metrology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Twins, Blockchain, and Decision Support via Augmented Reality (AR) interfaces. The innovative aspects: Decision Support Framework for Timely Notifications, Secure and adaptive multi-sensorial network and fog computing framework, Blockchain-enabled ecosystem for securing data exchange, Intelligent Marketplace for AI sharing and scrap re-use, Digital Twin for Simulation and Forecasting, Embedded Cybersecurity for IoT services, On-the-fly reconfiguration of production equipment allows businesses to reconsider quality management to eliminate faults, increase productivity, and reduce scrap. The OPTIMAI exploitation strategy has been drafted and it consists of three phases: Initial Phase, Mid Phase and Final Phase where different activities are carried out. The aim of the Initial phase (M1 to M12), reported in this deliverable, is to have an initial results' definition for OPTIMAI and the setup of the structures to be used during the project lifecycle. In this phase, also each partner's Individual Exploitation commitments and intentions are drafted, and a first analysis of the joint exploitation strategies is being presented. The next steps, leveraging on the outcomes of the preliminary market analysis, will be to update the Key Exploitable Results with a focus on their market value and business potential and to consolidate the IPR Assessment and set up a concrete Exploitation Plan. The result of the next period of activities will be reported in D8.7 OPTIMAI commercialization and exploitation strategy - 2nd version due at month 18 (June 2022

Research Institutes in the ERA: WP2 2007/S 106-12999 FORESIGHT-200702 Lot 2 WP3

This is the final report of a study looking at the past and potential future of research institutes in Europe. In contrast to the universities, which are widely studied, the institutes are barely part of the EU policy discussion and the discussion about the European Research Area. The study therefore focuses on institutes in six fields, aiming to provide a broad spread of analysis that can improve understanding of the institutes and underpin policymaking in the institute sector. The overall aim of the study is to provide a basis for informing EU- and national-level policies about the role of research institutes in the development of the European Research Area (ERA). If the ERA is to become a reality, then aspects of Europe’s institute system will need to be tuned towards effectiveness and efficiency at the European level and not only, as at present, the national level. We therefore place particular emphasis on issues related to internationalisation and the international division of labour

Quantum Technologies: Implications for European Policy: Issues for debate

New technologies for communications, computing, sensing and timing, which exploit quantum physics more deeply than heretofore, are expected to have high impact and to require a European policy response. This paper raises key discussion points, as a contribution to a wider EC initiative.JRC.G.5-Security technology assessmen