01 Apr2015
Written by Antonio Santangelo. Posted in EU Financing, Innovation
The European Commission has published data on Horizon 2020 financed projects
(CORDIS website).

UK was the country with the highest number of approved projects, but Germany was awarded the higher amount of investment, followed by Spain and Italy. Germany has also the medium project impact (600.000 €), than France, Nederland and UK (400.000) and Italy (300.000).
Here you can dowload Horizon 2020 Projects and Participants data extract
30 Mar2015
Written by Antonio Santangelo. Posted in Innovation
The next European directive on circular economy should arrive later this year. The report of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a body that brings together the major European environmental organizations, has released the directive on eco- design – known as Eco-design Directive.
The eco-design is already producing significant energy savings by allowing consumers to obtain a reduction in bills for hundreds of Euros. The report “Proposing efficient products in the consumption of resources” claims that define the requirements for use of the materials in the products would provide many other benefits to businesses and consumers in theUnion. Upload the report (.pdf eu ed eco design).
30 Mar2015
Written by Francesco Cuddemi. Posted in Companies, Data, Info Point, Innovation, Stakeholders
Bring together, map out and promote the main players and protagonists in the Italian startup ecosystem in a single reference. This is the aim of the Who is Who project, the first permanent Observatory focusing on startups and the world of business innovation in Italy.
See more at: http://www.italiastartup.it/whoiswho/ and http://www.economyup.it/startup/2070_le-10-regioni-italiane-startup-friendly.htm
17 Mar2015
Written by Elisabetta Zeni. Posted in EU Financing, Events, Innovation, Institutions, International funding, Smart People
Debate about latest trends of entrepreneurial ecosystems within the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-Region. During the event the contribution of regional stakeholders will be presented together with the point of view of entrepreneurs. The debate will develop around demand and supply issues among issues connected to accessibility of services though NEXT-IS platform and their relevance in the international arena.
Objectives
- Showcase the approach to entrepreneurship by Adriatic-Ionian Macro-Region stakeholders (both public and private) and frame it into the international dimension
- Present business cases to a wide international audience
- Exploit potential for further actions beyond the NEXT project
- Promote the business and project matchmaking through NEXT-IS platform
Expected results
- Allow stakeholders from the NEXT partnership to present in front of a potential audience of investors and peers.
- Access to international practices to be further investigated/exploited to strengthen Adriatic-Ionian Macro-Region entrepreneurial ecosystems
Expected Output
- opportunities for further partnerships investigated by the NEXT partners thanks to the meeting held during the GEC 2015
- at least 100 new registered users to http://nextisplatform.eu/en
17 Mar2015
Written by Elisabetta Zeni. Posted in Events, Innovation, Smart People
Attached the catalog of innovative companies of the Adriatic Ionian macro-region involved in the project NEXT.
16 Mar2015
Written by Antonio Santangelo. Posted in Innovation
In developing the new 2014-2020 Programme is crucial to be able to define a coherent policy for the Union launched with Europe 2020, connecting points (say Steve Jobs) to discover the plan. An article on URBACT website, can very clearly to rebuild the sense of Smart Specialization Strategy connecting two strategic approaches emerged in recent years, the triple helix and the open innovation, then contextualize it in an urban area.
Peter Ramsted takes the smart specialization strategy, focused on a regional approach, to affirm the fact that cities have to carve out a role. This can use the approach of the triple helix, connecting to research centers and companies in the identification of a role and an autonomous physiognomy, and then rely on the contribution of active citizenship arriving to quadruple helix.
The set of research, business, local government and citizens must rely on companies to seek their path, the more functional as the entrepreneurial proves open to the exchange of knowledge (in a logic of open innovation).
In this way, lucidly argues the author, the smart city is not only a laboratory of technologies more or less innovative, but also points to the value of human capital and the involvement of citizens as a research tool for sustainable solutions.
If you are interested, here is the article: Smart Specialisation, triple helix, open innovation and smart cities. Going beyond the jargon.
12 Mar2015
Written by Antonio Santangelo. Posted in Events, Innovation, International funding
NEXT partnered with GEC 2015 to organize an international event focused on assessing and evaluating the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Adriatic region. The Adriatic Investor Forum will be held on saturday march 18th, and aims to gather all the NEXT partners and other stakeholders from IPA Adriatic Countries, in order to leverage the entrepreneurial opportunities in the region. NEXT will also build up a branded booths in the exhibition area, to disseminate its activities, to host private B2B meetings, and to advertise the NEXT IS Platform
10 Mar2015
Written by Elisabetta Zeni. Posted in Innovation, Smart People
REDASP organize the “Workshop – Support for using the online platform”.
Workshop will be held in Kragujevac (place – Business Innovation Centre) on 10th March 2015.
Attached agenda.
09 Mar2015
Written by Antonio Santangelo. Posted in Innovation, International funding
Forbes, the US magazine, publishes the results of a Cambridge university study about the alternative finance sector. The Uk dominates the scene with worth 3,56 Bn €; this was the first european market, 10 years ago. France is following with its 70 platforms and funding worth 253 Mn €, and Germany accounts for 3236 Mn €. Netherlands (155 Mn €) and Spain (101 Mn €) are followers. The problem of the continental markets is the uncertainty of sector regulations
09 Mar2015
Written by Antonio Santangelo. Posted in Events, Innovation
Expo 2015 has made a virtual tour 3D rendering of the exhibition.