Agenda

Thursday, 15 March 2018 (Day 1)

including exhibition: Innovations for Europe based in NRW

Friday, 16 March 2018 (Day 1)

including exhibition: Innovations for Europe based in NRW

Van der Valk Airporthotel

Am Hülserhof 5740472, Düsseldorf

Airport-Venue shuttle

The shuttle with e-cars will run from the airport to the venue (and back) on 15 or 16 March 2018.

About one week prior to the event, we will inform all participants who have indicated that they require an airport-venue shuttle where and when the shuttle service will run!

The meeting point at the airport where the shuttle leaves will be signposted.

The service is operated free of charge as a courtesy to our participants and on a “first-come, first served” basis. Please note that it is not possible to book the shuttle in

Prior to the conference each year we announce a Call for Presentations.

Delegates are invited to submit suggestions for the presentation either of an idea for a joint Horizon 2020 proposal or of results from an EU-funded project ready for commercialisation. The presentations are held in the framework of workshops on specific themes, which are announced together with the conference programme.

The aim of the Call for Presentations is to facilitate communication between the participants.

Speakers profit threefold:

• They have the opportunity to present their ideas for joint Horizon 2020 proposals/EU-funded research results to the audience in a thematically related workshop.
• During the breaks there are special booths for further discussions between presenter and audience.
• The conference participation fee is waived for speakers! (One per presentation.)

Once the Call for Presentations has closed, all submissions are reviewed against specific criteria as follows:

1. Was the required information provided (and within the deadline)?
2. Is there evidence of sufficient experience in EU R&D&I programmes?
3. Is there clear potential for joint projects within Horizon 2020, e.g. are concrete calls mentioned, or do the R&D&I results have real potential for commercialisation?
4. Does the proposed topic fit in with the overall concept of the foreseen workshop and complement (and not duplicate/is not similar to) the other presentations?

The selected speakers are notified and allocated a 6-minute time slot in one of the thematic workshops. They are then asked to submit a draft of their presentation so that the workshops can be prepared. Presenters are welcome to bring a final version to the event and upload it before the start of their session.

All presentations are uploaded on the conference website after the event.

Exhibition

Exhibition „Innovations for Europe based in NRW“ on 15 March 2018

(Download Flyer)

Ingpuls GmbH
Nurogames GmbH
Breuckmann GmbH & Co. KG
Wilhelm Schröder GmbH
Stellar DBS GmbH
University of Applied Sciences Hochschule Niederrhein

Once again in 2018, the importance of the “Successful R&I in Europe” conference series for Europe’s research and innovation calendar was substantiated by the number of participants. Around 300 delegates from 28 countries attended the European Networking Event in Düsseldorf on 15-16 March: 42 % were entrepreneurs and over 50 % were representatives of universities or research institutes. The fact that about half the participants came from abroad confirms that the event answers a demand for networking platforms at international level. 

The conference, which was organised by ZENIT GmbH on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, was opened by Dr. Beate Wieland, Director of the Ministry’s Research Division. Keynote speaker was Dr. Erich Unterwurzacher, Director, Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission, Brussels.

The event was structured in thematic workshops and open networking sessions. Researchers previously selected within a call for proposals had the opportunity to present not only new ideas for future projects but also research results ready for commercialisation: Some 90 pitches over the two-day event! Delegates profited from the opportunity for an exchange of experience as well as to meet new potential partners and – most importantly – initiate joint EU projects.

Topics were:

• Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• Nanotechnology, Materials and Manufacturing (NMM)
• Energy
• Sustainable Economy
• Life Sciences
• Transport

In the framework of a parallel exhibition entitled “Innovations for Europe based in NRW”, a number of selected projects and initiatives were presented.  

The event benefited from extensive promotional activities undertaken by the Enterprise Europe Network, the largest business, technology and innovation support network in the world (over 600 organisations in over 60 countries), of which ZENIT is a partner in a consortium with NRW.BANK and NRW.International. Further assistance was provided by the National Contact Points in Germany and a large number of organisations in this year’s partner regions of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Israel, the Netherlands and Poland.

Delegates had at their disposal an eCar shuttle service between Düsseldorf Airport and the impressive venue of Van der Valk Airporthotel.

Next year will see the 10^th anniversary of this major R&I networking event – watch this space!