Tomorrow starts with chemistry at EC HQ

As part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC2011) the European Commission DG Enterprise is hosting an exhibition at the European Commission Headquarters: ‘Tomorrow starts with Chemistry’. The event will be held at the piazza of the EC’s Berlaymont building in Brussels. Earlier in the year the Berlaymont building was adorned with a giant IYC2011 banner (right).

The exhibition will take place from 5-8 September and will be officially opened on 6 September at an early evening ceremony involving EC Vice-President and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry Antonio Tajani, Mr. Giorgio Squinzi, President of Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, and Prof. Ulrich Schubert, President-elect of the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences (EuCheMS).

The exhibition will show how advanced materials can deliver a more sustainable future and demonstrate the fundamental role of chemistry in our everyday life via engaging exhibits and displays that will lead visitors through an experience that stimulates all the senses. Technologies such as conductive films, light and smart materials, photovoltaic cells and other renewable energy technologies will be highlighted to show how sustainable chemistry can turn science into tools for a world that is fit for the future.

It is often forgotten that chemistry is not only the basis for technologies that make our current high standard of living possible, but also the key to solving many of society’s current challenges.

Without chemistry, innovative advanced materials to build complex electronic devices, or to improve the efficiency and safety of current and future electric vehicles, solar panels or wind turbines to harness the energy of nature, new products to protect health, food and water would simply not be possible.

United effort
In its efforts to create smart growth and an economy based on knowledge and innovation, Europe needs to play to its strengths and build upon robust industrial sectors that have a track record of successful research, innovation and deployment of technology. The chemical industry is such a sector and is determined to play its part.

The chemical community is committed to support, and where appropriate lead, new public-private partnerships in key areas, such as raw materials, sustainable technologies, water efficiency and smart cities, to ensure that big and small businesses can collaborate with society to keep Europe at the forefront of innovation and sustainability and address the major challenges that society faces. The exhibition will demonstrate how many of these challenges may be addressed.

SusChem brokerage event open to all

Preparations are well underway for the 2011 SusChem Brokerage event. The event takes place in Brussels on September 14 and will include opportunities to present project proposals, make general expressions of interest in an area of research and engage in ‘speed dating’ for consortium building.

“The SusChem Stakeholder event is open to all stakeholders in the European sustainable chemistry community, which means anybody with an interest in the sustainable chemistry research and innovation agenda,” says Ger Spork, Innovation Manager and SusChem coordinator at Cefic. “Any party with an interest to participate in the new round of FP7 calls that relate to this agenda is welcome to join us.”

The event will be held at the Hotel Silken Berlaymont (pictured) in Brussel’s European quarter. Delegates can find out more information on the Brokerage event on the SusChem website and you can register for the event here.

The agenda for the event and other useful information, including an overview of the relevant FP7 2012 calls across topics including Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and New Production Technologies (NMP), Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE), Energy, and Environment can be accessed here.

To help in the organisation of the event, and to highlight your project idea or specific offer of expertise, the SusChem Brokerage Partnering Database is now available. This database provides you with the opportunity to upload your project idea and expression of interest for specific calls prior to the event. To register for the SusChem Brokerage Partnering Database, click here.

We look forward to seeing you on 14 September.

EU companies to boost innovation investments

The latest European Commission survey of EU R&D Investment Business Trends published on 10 August shows that the top R&D investing companies based in Europe expect their global research and development (R&D) investments to grow by 5% annually from 2011 to 2013.

The results published in the sixth EU Survey on R&D Investment Business Trends is more than double last year's expectations, and represents a significant upturn from the 2.6% R&D cuts in investment implemented by these companies during 2009. The survey also revealed that an average of 27% of the annual sales of the companies analysed in the report come from innovative products introduced in the past three years. A clear indication of the value of innovation to commercial success and to job creation.

"The survey provides welcome positive economic news and grounds for cautious medium-term optimism, given that business R&D is a key driver of sustainable growth and jobs. But if we are to achieve our Europe 2020 targets, including getting R&D investment in the EU up to 3% of GDP, we will need these forecast investments for 2011-13 to be delivered in practice,” commented Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. “We will also need further increases in the rate of growth of private R&D investment in subsequent years, both by the big companies covered in this survey and by SMEs. And we will need to deliver an Innovation Union in Europe so that investing in R&D here is more attractive than doing so elsewhere."

Investment in EU and globally
Companies surveyed expect their R&D investment inside the EU to grow 3% a year over the next three years. But they expect the growth in their R&D investment in other world regions to be higher: in particular China (25%) and Japan (17%). The surveyed companies carry out a quarter of their research outside the EU, in particular in the US and Canada.

This trend shows that EU-based companies want to benefit from the growth in emerging economies while still retaining a strong overall focus on the EU.

In response to questions on the key factors that have a positive effect on innovation, the main factors identified were: the availability of qualified personnel and of public support such as grants and fiscal incentives. Collaboration with other entities, such as higher education institutions, was also seen as important.

Factors perceived as negative for all sectors were enforcement costs of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and the time needed to obtain IPR protection. This again highlights the critical importance of fostering an innovation-friendly IPR regime in Europe -in particular the proposed unitary EU patent.

Survey background:
The EU Survey on R&D Investment Business Trends was carried out by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre’s Institute for Prospective Technology Studies based in Sevilla, Spain. The survey results are based on 205 responses of mainly larger companies from the 1000 EU-based companies in the 2010 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. Taken together, these 205 companies are responsible for R&D investment worth almost €40 billion, constituting around 30% of the total R&D investment by the 1000 EU Scoreboard companies, which is a significant share of European business investment in R&D.

New EU prize celebrates Innovative Women

The role of female innovators is being highlighted by a new EU prize. Women make a continuing and vital contribution to Europe's research scene, developing, managing and commercialising the results of myriad studies that impact sectors across the continent.

However turning bright ideas and research into commercial success is an issue in Europe. This latest initiative for encouraging and fuelling the participation of women in innovative enterprises is the European Union Women Innovators prize. The idea is to reward three of Europe’s top women innovators, who have seen the fruits of their labour successfully go to market.

The prize will bolster awareness of why innovation is important, and why an increasing number of women entrepreneurs are needed in both research and industry. These womens’ success can, in turn, foster innovation and enterprise in other women.

How to get involved?
Interested parties must meet six conditions in order to participate in the competition. The contestant must be:

• a woman living in either a EU Member States or a country associated to the EU's Research Framework Programme;
• a founder or co-founder of an active company;
• their company must have been registered before 1 January 2009;
• their company should have posted a turnover of at least €100,000 in 2010;
• the contestant must be a recipient of EU funding from either the EU Research Framework Programme or Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) - either as an individual or through the business founded/co-founded by the contestant;
• the candidate must be active in research and innovation activities, linked to the origin of the product or services, provided by the company she founded or co-founded.

Those keen, and qualified, to take part in the contest must submit their applications by 20 September 2011 at the Women Innovators prize application site. The winning contestants will be notified in mid November.

A total of €175,000 in prize money is on offer! The first prize is worth €100,000, second prize €50,000 and third prize €25,000. An independent panel of judges from academia and industry will assess and select the winning candidates. An award ceremony will take place during the European Commission Innovation Convention taking in Brussels, Belgium on 5 December 2011.

World Chemistry Congress kicks off in Puerto Rico

Academics and business leaders have come to Puerto Rico to attend three significant International Year of Chemistry 2011 events. The 43rd World Chemistry Congress, the 46th IUPAC (International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry) General Assembly and the World Chemistry Leadership Meeting take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico from today (July 31) to August 7.

The 43rd World Chemistry Congress has the theme "Chemistry Bridging Innovation Between the Americas and the World” and will be a major event for the development of chemistry and related scientific and technological disciplines. The Congress includes plenary lectures, symposia, oral presentations, poster presentations, workshops, group meetings and an up-to-date scientific exhibition. Seven chemistry Nobel laureates will be joining the event as plenary speakers.

The World Chemistry Leadership Meeting will be held during the IUPAC 2011 General Assembly. A full-day event is planned for August 2 and Cefic President Giorgio Squinzi will give a keynote address at this event. The meeting will aim to identify new ways to accelerate the contributions of chemistry to Sustainable Development through innovative international collaboration between involving scientists from chemistry and the chemical related sciences, policy makers and social actors, including those with global responsibilities from the relevant UN agencies, and those who apply the science and who will develop the key technologies for tomorrow from industry. It will be a perfect opportunity for leaders from chemistry to set new priorities for the science.

Gernot Klotz of Cefic and SusChem will present at a session on employment and professional development for chemists. He will present the recent Cefic work on skills needs to improve innovation in the chemical industry.

Call for increased support for chemical innovation

SusChem board member, Gernot Klotz from Cefic R&I, has called for increased support for chemical innovation in an interview for an article published in Chemistry World today (July 29).

Klotz welcomed the boost to total funding for calls in FP7 for 2012 (up 9% compared to 2011), but indicated that chemistry-related funding for basic research in the new package will remain at about the same proportional level as for previous FP7 calls. The main chemistry-related beneficiaries will include key enabling technologies such as nanotechnologies, advanced materials, biotechnology as well as environment and energy.

However, although he is pleased that the European Commission has emphasised the importance of innovation as the end goal of basic research in the 2012 call and in the thinking for the next Framework Programme now named Horizon 2020, Klotz feels that more concrete support for innovation is needed in terms of funding, policy alignment and coherence.

More support needed
‘Research does not equal innovation,’ he states. ‘We (Europe) have to work on innovation to be a world leader. Compared to the Asia-Pacific region and the US, Europe is not good at commercial deployment of knowledge, so we would like to see more action, not just more words. But the chemicals sector is ready to make big contributions.’

One area of innovation support that Klotz says is lacking is the ‘processing side,’ which includes conversion of feedstock into chemicals, pulp and paper, and metals. He says the chemicals sector is taking the lead in cooperation with other sectors in developing key technologies and is currently working on concrete proposals to improve resource and water efficiency, for using raw materials, and in creating so-called ‘smart cities’ of the future in a public-private cooperation.

He hopes that the Commission will strive to support the long process from basic research to innovation and commercial deployment. ‘Innovation is a chain that breaks at its weakest link and we have to speed up,’ Klotz says. ‘In addition (we) need to have very efficient research: no double research, working closely together, with explicit priorities.’

Call information, brokerage
Full information on all new FP7 calls, including the 2012 call, can be found at a new dedicated Participant Portal. This is now the entry point for all electronic administration of EU-funded research and innovation projects, and hosts the services for managing proposals and projects throughout their lifecycle.

Currently the portal covers mainly actions under FP7. In the future, its coverage will be extended to other programmes in the area of research and innovation.

The site has experienced some teething troubles, but technical issues are now said to be completely resolved.

And don't forget the SusChem Brokerage event that is taking place in Brussels on 14 September. This will be a great opportunity to get involved with SusChem-related FP7 projects in the latest call.

BIOCHEM accelerates at Milan

BIOCHEM, the Europe-wide partnership co-funded by the European Commission to support companies entering the rapidly emerging market of bio-based products, will be staging an Accelerator Forum in Milan from 5 to 7 October 2011. The Forum will offer the chance to promote your organisation or company to an influential audience of biotechnology investors, entrepreneurs and other major players in the area.

The Accelerator Forum takes place at FieraMilanoCity as part of the LIFE-MED 2011 event. The BIOCHEM event is free but requires compulsory registration. Entry to the BIOCHEM Accelerator Forum will also allow participants access to LIFE-MED 2011.

Presentations at the BIOCHEM Accelerator Forum event will give a comprehensive briefing on BIOCHEM’s business support toolbox. This suite of business tools can help evaluate a company’s potential to enter and succeed in the bio-based market and boost innovation.

The meeting will also give an overview of the current status of the bio-based market in Europe and support for bio-based regional networks across the EU. Further presentations will describe examples of best practice in the sector and examine a number of EU-funded INNOVA projects (BIOCHEM is funded under this European Commission scheme).

Venture capital networking
As well as expert presentations the Forum offers the chance to present to a number of venture capitalists and other industry investors. A set of six formal company presentation sessions are envisaged. In addition One2One meetings can be arranged between potential collaborators or investors throughout the event.

The full programme for the Milan BIOCHEM Accelerator Forum can be found here together with registration here.

More information on the BIOCHEM Accelerator event can be obtained from Julie Gruchy at Europe Unlimited.

BIOCHEM background
Bio-based products are made from renewable, biological raw materials such as plants and trees. They are typically sold into market sectors such as bio-plastics, bio-lubricants, surfactants, enzymes and pharmaceuticals. BIOCHEM aims to improve the innovation capacity of bio-based chemistry start-ups and SMEs. It provides a business support toolbox for entrepreneurs to assess their potential to enter the bio-based products market and to assist in boosting innovation capacity.

The BIOCHEM toolbox provides bio-based market information, individual audits, coaching, and business planning elements. To support the toolbox a European online partnering and innovation resources system to find the right research and business partners, test facilities and experts everywhere in Europe is also available.

LIFE-MED 2011
LIFE-MED 2011 is recognised as a reference point for Life Sciences in the Mediterranean region and has three components:

• NUCE INTERNATIONAL - the international fair for the Nutraceutics, Cosmeceutics, Functional Foods & Drinks and Health Ingredients industry
• BIOTECH - the international event and conference on biotechnologies
• ALGAE EUROPE - the fair-conference on production technologies and industrial applications for algae culture.