View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/06604df1c779/the-mayjune-issue-of-the-insme-newsletter-is...) ** ------------------------------------------------------------ ** May/June 2019, Issue n. 176 ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Updates on the life of the INSME Network ------------------------------------------------------------ Recap from the latest 15th INSME Annual Meeting Another Annual Meeting has come to a close on the 7th of June. 100+ innovation and SMEs experts from over 25 different countries reached Naples and discussed the latest trends in the fields of Fintech and Logistics and deeply analyzed their profitable linkage that is allowing a better flow of information, quicker payment and financial solutions, is revolutionizing the market as well as facilitating international trade and offering opportunities for SMEs and entrepreneurs. A special thanks goes to SRM – the Italian Research Center for Economic Studies (https://www.sr-m.it/chi-siamo/?lang=en) related to Intesa Sanpaolo Banking Group for the support in organizing the conference. Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/recap-from-the-latest-15th-insme-annual-meeting/) Mario Ohoven from BVMW elected as new INSME Vice President During the 15th INSME General Assembly that took place on the 6th of June in Naples, INSME Members voted for the election of the new INSME Governance for the mandate 2019 – 2021. The assembly confirmed Sergio Arzeni as President and Giovanni Zazzerini as Secretary General for the next two years. Starting from this year, the INSME Board will rely on the experience of an additional Vice President to the Network: Mario Ohoven, President of BVMW The German Mittelstand (https://www.bvmw.de/international/) (INSME Strategic Member). Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/mario-ohoven-from-bvmw-elected-as-new-insme-vice-presid...) 6 Serbian businesses selected to join the next BE.ST lab in Italy On the 25th and 26th of June the premises of the Nisava Administrative District hosted the 3rd best practices lab organized in the framework of the BE.ST. (BEst practices exchange to STimulate Serbian SMEs growth) project, an initiative promoted by INSME in collaboration with Cluster House and financed by the Central European Initiative (CEI). Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/6-serbian-businesses-selected-to-join-the-next-be-st-la...) THE NEXT SOCIETY Annual Conference in Cairo The community of innovators from the Mediterranean area reunited in Cairo on the 20th of June for the 3rd Annual Conference of THE NEXT SOCIETY project. THE NEXT SOCIETY coordination team presented the main achievements of the initiative since its launch and set the basis for the activities and steps to follow in the upcoming months. Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/the-next-society-annual-conference-in-cairo/) The XPRESS project is about to sail The XPRESS project (Support for Public Procurements to facilitate the collaboration between SMEs and public sector for the development and adoption in renewables in regions) is a coordination and support action funded under H2020 programme coordinated by APRE – the Agency for the Promotion of European Research and including INSME as a partner, which is about to officially kick off. The project partners will come together on the 20th of September in Brussels to coordinate on the activities to be carried out on the first year of the project. Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/the-xpress-project-is-about-to-sail/) ** News and contributions from the INSME Members ------------------------------------------------------------ DigitaliseSME: the new frontier for SMEs that aim to stay competitive worldwide Digitalization can be a turning point for companies: it eases management operations, speeds up the production processes and helps companies to reach new customers. European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME (http://www.cea-pme.com/) (INSME Strategic Member) is coordinating the project DigitaliseSME (Digital Enablers in SMEs: Support for Digitalisation to Enhance SMEs’ Capacity to Go International and Innovate), an EU-funded initiative that supports the digital transformation of small and medium-sized companies as well as of mid-caps in Europe. Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/digitalise-smes-the-new-frontier-for-smes-that-aim-to-s...) Travel to London and learn how to build an angel investor network

From the 9th to the 12th of July the ESIL (Empowering early stage investors partnered by META Group (http://www.meta-group.com/Pages/default.aspx) holding INSME Vice Presidency) project will organize the third study visit in London targeting investors interested in discussing how to create an Effective Angel Ecosystem by learning from the UK example.

Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/travel-to-london-and-learn-how-to-build-an-angel-invest...) Technetic partners in the cybersecurity project promoted by the Parthenope University of Naples On Friday 7 June, the University of Naples 'Parthenope' awarded the winners of the local CyberChallenge 2019. It is the first Italian computer security start-up program for talented young people, an initiative organized by experts from cybersecurity, universities and several companies. The very young participants (all between 16 and 23 years old) faced complex issues for the security of information processing systems. Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/technetic-partners-in-the-cybersecurity-project-promote...) (http://www.insme.org/technetic-partners-in-the-cybersecurity-project-promote...) ** Tenders & Calls ------------------------------------------------------------ ENRICH your Research Commercialization Potential and Network ENRICH in the USA, the European Network of Research and Innovation Centres and Hubs promoted by the European Commission through Horizon 2020, is looking for individual research actors from EU Member States or Associated Countries (EU MS/AC) whose research has a high innovation potential and who aim at exploring the possibility of commercializing in USA and beyond. Selected researchers will participate in the Entrepreneurial Skills Development Program worth over 20.000 Euros and taking place from the 22nd to the 28th of August in San Diego CA, USA. The Program will include training on research commercialization aspects, technology transfer, licensing, patents, IP, skill-development and will be delivered by US experts in this field as well as a match-and-meet with highly engaged and experienced mentors. Costs for the trainings, info-sessions, venues, materials, guest speakers and meals during the program are covered. The deadline for submitting applications is the 7th of August 2019. Continue reading... (https://usa.enrichcentres.eu/entrepreneurial-skills-development-program-esdp) IDB’s challenge: Orange Innovation The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its innovation laboratory of the IDB Group (IDB Lab) and its Innovation and Creativity Division (ICD) intends to identify business models that use cutting-edge technologies from the Orange Economy sectors to support their implementation in 9 target countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, NGOs, companies, academic institutions, research institutions, social enterprises, public innovation agencies or similar entities coming from IDB member countries can apply. Pre-selected proposals will be the ones that will be considered by IDB Lab to receive financing. The amount of the financing ranges from $ 150,000 to $ 500,000 depending on the categories in which it applies (grant or innovation prototypes). Preselected proposals will also be invited to travel to FOROMIC taking place from the 30th of October to the 1st of November in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, to present the proposal. The deadline for submitting proposals is the 31st of July 2019. Continue reading... (https://convocatorias.iadb.org/en/orangeinnovation) Next Generation Internet (NGI) Explorers Next Generation Internet (NGI) Explorers is a fellowship program, supported by the European Commission, with a €1 Million fund for technology expeditions to the US. The Call is open for high profile internet researchers or innovators (hi-tech startups, SMEs) from all over Europe and H2020 associated countries that are specialised in: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Big Data, Internet of Things, 5G, Cybersecurity, Cloud/Edge Computing, Interactive Technology, Future Hyper-Connectivity, Human-centric Internet. By participating to the programme you will get: 100% sponsored 3-6 months Technology Expedition in US; free mentorship support; access to Europe's most powerful network of Internet leaders and the unique chance to work directly with a US partner to accelerate your idea. The deadline for submitting applications is the 31st of July 2019. Continue reading... (https://explorers.ngi.eu/apply-now?utm_source=f6s&utm_medium=email) The European Inventor Award The European Inventor Award is an initiative promoted by the European Patent Office aimed at recognizing inventors not only for the innovativeness of their scientific or technological breakthrough but also for the impact of the invention on the society and economy. Inventors can be nominated according to five different categories: industry – for innovation patented by large EU companies; research – for inventors working at universities or research institutes; Non-EPO countries - inventors from outside the EPO's 38 member states who have been granted a European patent; SMEs – for inventors at SMEs; Lifetime achievement to recognize the long-term contribution of European inventors over the span of their entire careers. The winners will be announced at an Award ceremony in June. The deadline for nominating inventors is the 30th of September 2019. Continue reading... (https://www.epo.org/learning-events/european-inventor/about.html) (https://www.epo.org/learning-events/european-inventor/about.html) ** Publications ------------------------------------------------------------ OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook 2019 Across the OECD, SMEs account for about 60% of employment and between 50% and 60% of value added and are the main drivers of productivity in many regions and cities. They are a major target of public policy as they are at the core of the policy agenda of many governments that seek responses to the challenges raised by globalization and digitalization. The new OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook presents the latest trends with regard to the performance of SMEs and an overview on current business conditions and policy frameworks. (http://www.insme.org/oecd-sme-and-entrepreneurship-outlook-2019/) Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/oecd-sme-and-entrepreneurship-outlook-2019/) The European Innovation Scoreboard 2019 The European Innovation Scoreboard 2019 reveals that EU’s innovation performance continues to increase at a steady pace and further improvements are expected in the short term, even though progress remains uneven within the EU. Continue reading... (http://www.insme.org/the-european-innovation-scoreboard-2019/) ** Highlighted events ------------------------------------------------------------ SA Innovation Summit: From Africa to the World: Industry 4.0 – Where great ideas make it! 11 – 13 of September 2019 | Cape Town, South Africa The South African Small Enterprises Development Agency – SEDA (http://www.seda.org.za/) (INSME Strategic Member) is one of the partners of the 2019 edition of the SA Innovation Summit, a flagship event of the South Africa Innovation Calendar taking place in Cape Town from the 11th to the 13th of September. This year the event will be focused on the theme “From Africa to the World: Industry 4.0 – Where great ideas make it!” and will aim to: - Create a platform to facilitate the connection among tech entrepreneurs and innovators in order for them to share know-how and bring ideas to market; - Facilitate the collaboration between governments, academia and industry to build an African innovation ecosystem; - Bring together innovation leaders from different countries and backgrounds to create an innovative economic environment where the South African economy could prosper; - Grow and accelerate an organisational innovation culture. Continue reading... (https://innovationsummit.co.za/) 18th International Entrepreneurship Forum (IEF) Conference “Entrepreneurship as a Social Movement: Art, Technology, Design and Sustainable Entrepreneurial Transformation” 16 – 18 December 2019 | Goa, India INSME is proud to be among the organisations supporting the 18th edition of the International Entrepreneurship Forum (IEF) Conference. From the 16th to the 18th of December Goa, India will host the 18th edition of the IEF Conference “Entrepreneurship as a Social Movement: Art, Technology, Design and Sustainable Entrepreneurial Transformation” that will be an occasion for researchers, project developers, policy makers and practitioners to identify algorithms and the future of machine learning that releases space and time for the collective imagination of public enterprises. Across the two days participants will also explore how alternative finance asks new questions about the future value of money and enquire whether all entrepreneurial things can facilitate greater inequality or constrain social and institutional responsibility. The participation to the Goa event will be a unique opportunity to disseminate research results, to create new partnerships, to access new sources of information and to share creative ideas. There is also the possibility to actively contribute to the IEF Conference by submitting a paper abstract by the 31st of July 2019. Continue reading... (http://ieforums.org/) ** Future International meetings, workshops, seminars selected by INSME ------------------------------------------------------------ September ------------------------------------------------------------ The XVII International Triple Helix Conference (https://triple-helix.co.za/) Organized by The Triple Helix Association 9 - 11 of September | Cape Town, South Africa NETVAL Summer Conference "Creating value from research" (https://www.netvalsc2019.it/) Organized by NETVAL 16 - 19 of September | Rome, Italy Agorada+ 2019 “Innovative defence technologies for the virtual battlefield” (https://futurebattlefieldtech.eu/) Organized by EURADA 18 – 19 of September | Kajaani, Finland T (https://www.netvalsc2019.it/) he European Research and Innovation Days (https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/events/upcoming-events/eur...) - bringing stakeholders together to shape future research and innovation policy. Organized by the European Commission 24 - 26 of September | Brussels, Belgium 36th IASP World Conference on Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (https://www.iasp.ws/activities/events/events-overview---old/36th-iasp-world-...) The 4th Industrial Revolution: areas of innovation and science parks as key boosters for a successful transition. Organized by the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation - IASP 24 - 27 of September | Nantes, France October ------------------------------------------------------------ Global SME Finance Forum 2019: The Convergence of the Real and Financial Sectors in SME (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001xVWbcTKCuTlEM149cYhQ_Og9ng-02xywdpl0NKjZ5D7slQPeKgXUPLBpJU7AP60WNQiJtrFNND3TPBrRx1tVj8gR_CMXV4lxC6HSUiXx8XuAk_CwgLGYq3uu_3X0U_5nU5s_n6bLBMZCVKw6loH0D-QZI9AYmoKkOICrIBvvy9ZWmVi09rZcRTOs5_4bX_FU&c=h9ex4mHUR8CqYQkc4kEB7pTjpQKsQV3BO_Fauz9uhRLGbzGvE8kUfA==&ch=hsYCbkwHGhODhwxDnZN-hUZ2dSqMxnCz1QoXQL55SCjcZIGaLEDl0w==) Organized by the SME Finance Forum 7 - 9 of October | The Netherlands November ------------------------------------------------------------ World IP Forum “IP as a Powerhouse for Innovation and Economic Growth” (https://www.worldipforum.com/index.php) Organized by World IP Forum (WIPF) 6 – 8 of November | Taipei, Taiwan ============================================================ ** (https://www.facebook.com/INSME-The-International-Network-for-Small-and-Mediu...) ** (https://twitter.com/INSME_) ** (https://www.linkedin.com/authwall?trk=gf&trkInfo=AQGWXMu6CIhUZAAAAWnKJLhwr3ifeaO-IEJq7UF7xSReXOJ9VoX0Dits4fjwf9dBz1-KigYncZyu5YjShoW08lNUdzKuKFqD6UUq2b3LTzFQKGeNAcqGPG-CxpyeZRX2lBaOCK0=&originalReferer=http://www.insme.org/&sessionRedirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Finsme---the-international-network-for-small-and-medium-enterprises%3Ftrk%3Dbiz-companies-cym) ** (http://www.insme.org) Copyright © 2019 INSME - The International Network for SMEs, All rights reserved. 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