Volume Sixteen
Issue #345 (August 31, 2016)
- Introduction
- Announcements
- Editor’s Pick
- Innovation Policy
- Cities, Clusters & Regions
- Statistics & Indicators
- Policy Digest
- Events
Introduction
This newsletter is published by The Innovation Policy Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, and sponsored by the Ministry of Research and Innovation. The views and ideas expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Ontario Government.
Announcements
DOD Announces Intent to Fund New $80 Million Robotics-Focused Manufacturing Innovation Institute
SSTI Weekly Digest
The Department of Defense’s Army Contracting Command released a new federal funding opportunity (FFO) to establish and sustain a Robots in Manufacturing Environments Manufacturing Innovation Institute (RIME-MII) to increase U.S. competitiveness in robotics applied primarily in manufacturing environments. The intent of the new $80 million RIME-MII is to:
- Enourage the development and scale-up for commercialization of critical enabling technologies such as: human-robot/robot-robot collaboration; perception and sensing; robot control to include adaptation, learning, and repurposing; autonomy and mobility; and dexterous manipulation;
- Establish common standards and testing protocols allowing the integration of multiple robotics technologies;
- Create a robotic technology-solution repository (to include modelling tools, databases, catalog of technology demonstrations and concept sharing mechanisms); and,
- Provide workforce training and education programs to ensure the U.S. workforce can effectively utilize and collaborate with robots in a broad spectrum of manufacturing environments.
Lead institutions’ eligibility are restricted to institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations, and the lead institution is encouraged to partner with other entities (e.g., government and for-profit organizations).
Editor’s Pick
America’s Advanced Industries: New Trends
Mark Muro, Siddarth Kulkarni, and David M. Hart, The Brookings Institution
Leaders in cities, metropolitan areas, and states across the country continue to seek ways to reenergize the American economy in a way that works better for more people. To support those efforts, this report provides an update on the changing momentum and geography of America’s advanced industries sector—a group of 50 R&D- and STEM (science-technology-engineering-mathematics)-worker intensive industries the vitality of which will be essential for supporting any broadly shared prosperity in U.S. regions. What emerges from the update is a mixed picture of progress and drift that registers continued momentum in the manufacturing sub-sector; a major slump in energy; and strong, widely distributed growth in high-tech services— all of which adds up to a somewhat narrowed map of growth overall.
Innovation Policy
Advancing Quantum Information Science: National Challenges and Opportunities
Joint Report of the Committee on Science and the Committee on Homeland and National Security of the National Science and Technology Council
Quantum information science (QIS) builds on uniquely quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, and squeezing to obtain and process information in ways that cannot be achieved based on classical behavior. It is thus a foundational science. Its currently envisioned applications include sensing and metrology, communications, simulation, and high-performance computing, and it has the potential to enable significant scientific advances in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science, among other domains. This report provides a brief description of the field, summarizes developments and potential impacts in various fields of technology and realms of basic research, identifies impediments to progress and potential approaches to addressing them, surveys Federal investments, and discusses the Federal path forward in the context of international and private-sector activity.
Swapan Chattopadhyay, Roger Falcone, and Ronald Walsworth, US Department of Energy
An invited group of leading US quantum scientists, joined by interested officials from Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) and other Federal science agencies, met in the DC area for an all-day ‘Roundtable’ discussion on February 25, 2016. Roundtable participants felt that the most promising areas for advancement in quantum science include continued development and interdisciplinary application of the diverse portfolio of quantum sensors (e.g., solid-state, optical, atomic, microwave, hybrid); use of high-precision quantum technologies, including quantum networks, for high-energy and dark sector physics; build-up of a research and educational base in quantum engineering to enable useful quantum machines beyond sensors (e.g., quantum computers); and progress in advanced materials and theory coupled to the scientific opportunities and needs of quantum science. The participants recognized the growing impact of quantum science and technology on a wide range of both the physical and life sciences, and hence the importance of maintaining national leadership while fostering international collaboration and keeping in mind competitive aspects (e.g., commercial and security issues). To this end, the Roundtable identified a complementary set of mechanisms to maintain US leadership in quantum science, including implementing intermediate- and larger-scale project models, specialized facilities at government laboratories, and re-optimization of existing research portfolios and programs.
Boosting the Competitiveness of Cultural and Creative Industries for Jobs and Growth
The European Commission
Cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are at the heart of the creative economy: knowledge-intensive, based on individual creativity and talent, they generate huge economic wealth and preserve European identity, culture and values. CCIs include a number of subsectors, such as architecture, archives and libraries, artistic crafts, cultural heritage, design, fashion, film, high, end, music, performing and virtual arts, publishing, radio, television and video-games. CCIs are an important contributor to the economy with 5.3% of the total EU GVA and further 4% of nominal EU GDP generated by the high-end industries. This report examines these trends and proposes some policy actions to support CCIs and their contribution to growth.
Cities, Clusters & Regions
The City as Innovation Machine
Richard Florida, Patrick Adler, and Charlotta Mellander, Martin Prosperity Institute
This paper seeks to put cities and regions at the very center of the processes of innovation and entrepreneurship. To do so, the authors marry the insights of Jane Jacobs and more urban and regional thinking and research on the role of the city and the region to the literature on innovation and entrepreneurship going back to Joseph Schumpeter. Theory and research on innovation and entrepreneurship and their geography privileges the firm, industry clusters and/or the individual and poses the city as a container for them. Jacobs famously theorized that it is the city that is the key organizing unit for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. Marrying Jacobs’ insights on cities to those of Schumpeter on innovation, the paper argues that innovation and entrepreneurship do not simply take in place in cities but in fact require them.
Adie Tomer, Jeffrey Gutman, Joe Kane, and Nirav Patel, The Brookings Institution
The Moving to Access Initiative aims to inform and promote a more socially focused, access-first approach to urban transportation policy, planning, investment, and services. Facing a number of economic, demographic, fiscal, and environmental challenges, cities and metropolitan areas globally are looking to adopt new, actionable metrics to guide more purposeful initiatives to improve accessibility for people of all incomes. The MTA Initiative looks to move beyond theory and accelerate the adoption of these innovative efforts, exploring new tools, techniques, and performance measures across the developing and developed world. Together, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and Global Economy and Development Program not only seek to advance an understanding of flexible governance frameworks and newly emerging funding and finance strategies, but also to foster the practical implementation of such practices and develop stronger collaborations among academics, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide. To help unpack these complex issues, the project website is divided into sections provide an overview of accessibility and address several core questions that the MTA Initiative will cover in ongoing work.
AdiEU: The Impact of the Brexit on UK Cities
Metro — Dynamics
The vote to leave the European Union (‘EU’) will impact upon the economies of cities and metropolitan areas. This impact will be felt acutely by local authority teams in cities, by businesses operating in cities, and by investors who fund development in cities. The purpose of this report is not to forecast or speculate on how the unprecedented historical events of the last week will play out – this is available on the front pages of every newspaper daily – but to set out the facts as they are known today, and consider the range of likely impacts.
Statistics & Indicators
The 2016 Kauffman Index on Startup Activity
The Kauffman Foundation
Startup activity in the United States has increased for the second straight year after declining throughout the Great Recession and the years that followed, according to a newly updated index from the Kauffman Foundation. The metropolitan areas with the highest levels in the index are Austin, Miami, and Los Angeles. Among large states, the most startup activity according to the 2016 index were in Texas, Florida, and California, while Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming had the highest levels among smaller states.
Occupations in Information Technology
Julia Beckhusen, US Census Bureau
The number of men and women in computer occupations, informally known as information technology (IT) occupations, rose from 450,000 in 1970 to 4.6 million in 2014 (Figure 1). The increase of IT workers reflects the growth in computer use at home and at the workplace since the introduction of the personal computer in the mid-1970s. Between 1976 and 1984, the number of personal computer sales increased from 40,000 to over 6 million (Reimer, 2005). In 1984, 8.2 percent of households had a computer (File, 2013). This number has increased steadily to 85.0 percent in 2014. This report explores the history of IT occupations between 1970 and 2014, focusing on the growth and evolution of IT occupations. The analysis includes estimates from the 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 censuses, and the 2010 and 2014 American Community Surveys (ACS). Additionally, this report provides a detailed description of demographic and employment characteristics of workers in the 12 IT occupations in 2014.
Useful Stats: Business and R&D Performance by State (2010-2013)
SSTI Weekly Digest
U.S. companies continue to emphasize innovation, as private performance of R&D increased for the fourth consecutive year, according to recently released data from the National Science Foundation. In total, U.S. businesses performed 6.7 percent more R&D in 2013 than in 2012, according to the data, and nearly 19 percent more R&D from 2010 to 2013. Combined, the top 10 states performed approximately two-thirds (65.3 percent) of all private research and development in the United States, led by California, whose $89.4 billion in corporate R&D performance accounted for 27.7 percent of the national total.
Policy Digest
Richard Florida, Shade Shutters, and Greg Spencer
Ontario, like many jurisdictions, is currently facing major economic upheaval due to rapid advances in technologies, increasing open borders, and shifting work practices. It is a time of significant anxiety but at the same time there is a sense of possibility. The way forward has been made abundantly clear, in order to succeed in the 21st century economy places must develop vibrant ‘knowledge economies’ underpinned by creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Turning the rhetoric into reality is the stumbling block for policy makers. Exactly how these things are achieved presents a series of difficult choices, which if not taken wisely, can prove to be costly mistakes. In the context of finite public resources the pressures to make efficient decisions with taxpayer dollars is ever increasing. When it comes to economic development strategy the term ‘picking winners’, meaning choosing to support and invest in certain industries and firms over others, is often derided. Yet, governments like Ontario do have to make judgements about where to direct resources if they want to develop their knowledge economies further. This report presents a system for identifying the most promising pathways for economic growth on a region-by-region basis within the Province of Ontario.
A Need for Differentiated Policies
As the Province of Ontario continues to build and refine its economic development policies, it needs to maintain a keen understanding of its current assets and how they may be leveraged for future growth. An essential aspect of this understanding is that Ontario’s regions have starkly different economic identities. The key implication is that “one-size-fits-all” policies are unlikely to be effective in all parts of the province. Instead, policies must reflect local realties and be nuanced enough to make positive impacts in places where they are intended to and be sure to avoid making negative impacts in places where they are not. With this in mind, the most effective policies are the ones that are informed by local communities.
A Commitment to Cluster-Driven and Knowledge-Intensive Policy
Ontario’s commitment to cluster-driven policy is a solid way to deliver on this as it recognizes the need for policy to reflect local circumstances. As Ontario’s economy responds to rapidly changing global circumstances, local economies will need to adapt and evolve to meet these challenges. The province and its communities cannot primarily compete on a low-cost model, but rather need to increasingly move to a more knowledge-intensive and high-value-added approach. With this in mind, it should be recognized that whole economies cannot be reinvented from scratch. Instead, they follow evolutionary trajectories based on their traditional strengths.
Leverage Strengths
The Province and its local partners need to understand and recognize what these particular strengths are, and then find ways to chart pathways to developing them with innovation as the core value. This report presents a method for identifying the core strengths of Ontario’s regional economies based on the skills present in their current labour market. This analysis reveals the differing structural realities of the province’s regions and therefore suggests differing pathways forward. The three broad groupings of city-regions offer a framework for discussing these pathways in general terms.
Three City-Region Groupings and Pathways
The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, including the Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, and Oshawa regions, is the current centre of Ontario’s knowledge-driven economy. A diverse range of high-value-added services and an impressive mix of advanced manufacturing, puts this part of the province in an enviable position to be a major competitor in the global economy. These industries are supported by a world-class knowledge infrastructure anchored by leading research intensive universities. Key challenges going forward include accessing global markets, a local infrastructure deficit, and quality of life issues — especially problems with growing inequality and decreasing affordability.
Southwestern Ontario, which includes London, Windsor, St. Catharines-Niagara, and Brantford, is dominated by auto manufacturing and related industries. The future of this part of the province largely depends on adapting the manufacturing base. Within this constraint are a number of non-mutually exclusive options going forward. As the auto manufacturing sector is at a point of major disruption, leading that shake-up is one possible pathway. Driverless technology and a shift towards electric vehicles are two major sources of innovation that present both a threat and a major opportunity. Another option is moving into other advanced manufacturing sectors that require similar skillsets.
Eastern, Central, and Northern Ontario present a more mixed picture. Ottawa-Gatineau and Kingston are heavily skewed towards public sector employment. In bad economic times this provides a degree of resiliency, but in better times it tends to dampen dynamism. The ICT sector in the Ottawa-Gatineau region provides a solid example of private sector industry that thrives alongside a strong government presence. Similar cases in both regions need to be developed. Peterborough and Barrie exist on the edge of the Greater Toronto Area and are generally lower-knowledge intensive economies. The big challenge for these regions is to develop local niches that tie into the larger region while avoiding being predominantly long-distance commuting locations. Sudbury and Thunder Bay are regions built on natural resources. Mining and forestry are the main drivers of their economies and thus they are subject to swings in global commodity prices. Buffering themselves from these external forces depends on diversifying the economic base while drawing on their existing stock of knowledge. Mining and forestry services are good places to start. Environmental technologies are also likely a source of future development.
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While the specific industrial pathways may differ between Ontario’s regions, the mechanisms for developing more knowledge-intensive economies are similar. The key message for every community is to build upon existing strengths. This can mean enhancing what places already possess or evolving into activities that are closely related. The knowledge component needs to be increased no matter what industry or function. Tighter integration between local institutions of higher education and the local economy is essentialxvi. This can mean being more responsive to the needs of local employers, targeting research into areas that have local economic applications, or hosting start-up incubators and accelerators. Such actors can also be used to help nudge local economic development down related paths rather than recreate what has come before. Clusters are also high potential agents of change. Local organizations of industry, government, and related institutions can help focus policies and aggregate demand for infrastructure and other collective needs. Such organizations can help facilitate coordination with higher levels of government by presenting private sector requests with a unified voice. If Ontario and its regions are to face the challenges of a knowledge-driven global economy, all those involved will need to recognize both the overall picture as well as the local nuances.
Events
3rd International Workshop on the Sharing Economy
Southampton, England, 15-16 September, 2016
Enabled by digital platform technologies, the sharing economy allows households, individuals, businesses, government and non-government organisations to engage in collaborative production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. It can potentially lead to an increase in employment, economic efficiency, sustainable use of resources, broadened access to highly valuable assets, and enhanced social relationships. The sharing economy can also give rise to innovation driven business models appealing to a different group of customers, normally ignored by mainstream businesses, and based on a novel supply chain and operations model which makes it possible to outsource to platform users a significant portion of business functions. These inevitably challenge conventional business and policy thinking about the role and functions of customers, employees and the organization. To no small degree, the interest in the sharing economy is fueled by ongoing international media stories about the expansion of new and highly successful sharing economy platforms (such as Uber, Airbnb, Taskrabbit, Blablacar, etc.). The academic debate is yet to fully catch up with this business media buzz. It has only now started to critically investigate the popular claims about the sharing economy. There is still very little systematic understanding of the antecedents of the sharing economy, its organizational forms and their novelty, the enabling and constraining factors of the sharing economy and its impacts. Hence, the purpose of this workshop is to engage with different strands of academic scholarship on the sharing economy originating across different disciplines (such as management and business studies, economics, geography, legal studies, sociology, political sciences and other disciplines) to help to develop an integrated understanding of the sharing economy phenomenon, its drivers, forms and implications for individuals, businesses and society.
OECD Blue Sky Forum on Science and Technology Indicators
Ghent, Belgium, 19-21 September, 2016
Every ten years the OECD Blue Sky Forum engages the policy community, data users and providers into an open dialogue to review and develop its long-term agenda on science, technology and innovation (STI) data and indicators. This event is known as the “OECD Blue Sky Forum”, an open and unconstrained discussion on evidence gaps in science and innovation and on initiatives the international community can take to address data needs in this area.
Changing Patterns of Territorial Policy: Smart Specialization and Innovation in Europe
Seville, Spain, 29 – 30 September, 2016
The smart specialization approach is characterized by the identification of strategic areas for intervention based both on the analysis of the strengths and potential of the economy and on a process of entrepreneurial discovery with wide stakeholder involvement. It embraces a wide view of innovation that goes beyond research-oriented and technology-based activities, and requires a sound logic of intervention supported by effective monitoring mechanisms. This conference aims to take stock of the smart specialization experience and assess its current state of the art both in terms of conceptual developments and practical implementation. It offers to a limited number of participants from academia, European Institutions and territorial authorities, a unique opportunity to discuss these issues, to define the scope and main avenues for future research and policy analysis, and to address the challenges confronting policy makers and practitioners. The conference organizers are keen to attract papers that address the whole spectrum of topics, disciplines, and methodologies encompassed by the smart specialization approach, including contributions from all areas of regional analysis with a link to smart specialization.
Toronto, 6-7 October, 2016
This conference takes a special look at how the business of city-building is essential to manage rapid urban growth. Participants at the conference will discuss the investments in infrastructure, innovation, resilience, transportation and energy systems that are required to build a globally competitive urban economy in the 21st Century. The broader Toronto metropolitan region will see its population increase from 9 million to 13.5 million people by 2041. How can the region, and other Canadian and global cities like it, thrive amid this growth, rather that be choked by it? This is a gathering of leaders in business, government, academe and society who are shaping the business opportunities and partnerships that build better cities and grow the economy.
5th European Colloquium on Culture, Creativity, and Economy
Seville, Spain, 6-8 October, 2016
In recent years, myriad links between culture, creativity and economic practice have become major topics of interdisciplinary debates. There is a growing consensus that the intersections between these spheres, and symbolic and culturally embedded values in particular, pervade the global economy. Culture is not confined to artistic practice or heritage, nor is creativity confined to networks of creative workers and entrepreneurs: culture and creativity are practiced by workers and individuals in a range of occupational, institutional and geographical settings. Indeed, far from being restricted to global cities and urban settings, a growing body of research highlights the presence and uniqueness of cultural and creative activities in suburban and rural settings and across the Global South. Moreover, digital technologies and processes of globalization continue to create, destroy and restructure the markets and conditions under which cultural production, intermediation and consumption are undertaken and experienced. These are in turn underpinned by a plurality of micro-spatialities and micro-processes through which the dynamics and spaces of culture and creativity emerge. Together, this underlines the importance of paying critical academic attention to the particularities of the different social, political, technological and cultural models that enable, hinder or displace the creative and cultural economy. For research and policy, there is a strong need to generate nuanced and tempered accounts which understand both the potentialities and limitations involved in the intersections of culture, creativity and economy. There is a need to pursue new research avenues that not only encompass but go beyond critical engagement with policies. For example, a “critical agenda on critical approaches” might unveil significant aporias and pitfalls in the ways we study the webs that tie culture, creativity and economy together. More than ever perhaps there is a need for critical and radical academic debate that addresses questions about the value and values inherent in culture and creativity; questions surrounding the ownership and marketization of culture and creativity; and the dynamics of cultural and creative spaces, production and work.
2016 Barcelona Workshop on Regional and Urban Economics
Barcelona, Spain, 27-28 October, 2016
The workshop will be focused on innovation and the spatial diffusion of knowledge with emphasis in collaboration networks. Its aim is to bring together researchers in urban and regional economics who are working in topics where the broad concept of the geography of innovation plays a fundamental role. Particular attention will be paid to papers dealing with the mechanisms and actors of knowledge diffusion (knowledge spillovers, networks, technological collaboration, and knowledge relatedness). Although the Workshop will focus on empirical papers, theoretical studies are also welcome.
CFP – Regional Studies Association Research Network on EU Cohesion Policy – ‘EU and the CITY’
Delft, Netherlands, 14 October, 2016
More than two thirds of EU citizens live in urban areas and that share is set to grow further. Cities are Europe’s core hubs for economic growth, innovation and employment. However, at the same time cities magnify some of the key challenges that Europe faces, from environment, social deprivation, quality of life, mobility, to integration of migrants and refugees. The importance of cities for Europe’s future is reflected in recent European strategies and agreements such as the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities, the Toledo Declaration or the more recent Urban Agenda for the EU, acknowledging the cities as focal points for economic development and as actors with a key responsibility in achieving territorial cohesion and the EU’s strategic goals. This in turn resulted in a pledge for boosting the urban dimension in EU cohesion policy as well as the development of national urban policies across all of the member states. Consequently, there is a growing number of instruments and initiatives as part of EU cohesion policy (e.g. JESSICA, Community-Led Local Development) and other initiatives (Adaptation Strategies for European Cities, European Urban Knowledge Network, URBACT, etc.) that support sustainable urban development and facilitate cooperation across municipal boundaries to promote development in metropolitan areas (e.g. Integrated Territorial Investment). Echoing these developments DG Regio recently changed its name to Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy. But what is behind those changes? What have been the effects of the new instruments? How have cities responded to them and who actually benefits from them? To what extent these new instruments contribute to Europe 2020 goals? To what extent and how has the EU influenced national urban policies and practices of urban practitioners on the ground? Does this new EU urban agenda stimulate new urban governance solutions? Do the EU instruments help to respond to the emerging challenges in the cities? These are some of the questions that this workshop in Delft aims to address. By bringing together scholars and practitioners working on this still under-researched but vitally important topic, the workshop seeks to offer a significant contribution to the scholarly debates and a forum for a critical reflection on the emerging EU urban policy.
2016 Regional Innovation Policies Conference
Cardiff Wales, November 3-4, 2016
Welcome to the 11th Regional Innovation Policies Conference 2016. For more than a decade the Regional Innovation Policies Conference has been an essential date in the diaries of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners with an interest in the field of regional innovation, regional development and innovation policy. The conference will feature keynote addresses and parallel sessions on a number of key themes arranged around the central topic of regional innovation, regional development and innovation policy. The role of regions in innovation debates; the role of innovation in promoting the growth of innovation; the spatial distribution of innovation, and the role of regional policies in both stimulating and harnessing innovation are recurrent themes for the Regional Innovation Policies Conference.
The 2016 Technology Transfer Society Annual Conference
Phoenix, Arizona, 3-5 November, 2016
At least two decades of research show that new knowledge is a critical component of economic and social development. Recent comprehensive reviews of the technology transfer literature conceptualize university technology transfer in terms of a patent-centric linear model—formal technology transfer—including technology disclosure, patent filing, and licensing. This paradigm not only overlooks a diversity of practices by technology transfer offices, it also neglects other innovative practices or conceptualizations relating to the creation and exchange of new knowledge. To address the aforementioned gaps, the 2016 T2S Annual meeting will focus on alternative practices, policies, and conceptualizations of knowledge exchange that go beyond formal university technology transfer. We are especially interested in empirical works that utilize frameworks and methodologies from a variety of disciplines and that utilize a variety of perspectives.
Regional Studies Association Winter Conference 2016 – New Pressures on Cities and Regions
London, UK, 24-25 November, 2016
This conference provides an intellectual and policy-relevant platform for scholars around the world to address the new and emerging challenges facing cities and regions. The global economic slowdown poses major concerns to many territories – through shortfalls in employment, household incomes, corporate profitability and tax revenues. The steel industry has been one of the hardest hit, forcing massive plant closures and redundancies from China to the UK. Austerity in public finances threatens the infrastructure required to lay the foundation for future growth and development. Economic uncertainties and uneven development also contribute to growing social unrest and new waves of international migration. Heightened regulation of the banks and other financial institutions is bound to have an impact on the funding of house-building and other real estate development, with uncertain consequences. Meanwhile the accelerating pace of technological change in many industries and occupations means different skills and capabilities are required of the workforce, causing painful adjustments for many communities. And looming concerns about climate change and accelerating environmental degradation complicate the task of urban and regional revitalization. The 2016 Winter Conference of the Regional Studies Association presents a timely opportunity to discuss these issues, to clarify the research imperatives, and to consider the challenges facing policymakers and practitioners. The conference organizers are keen to attract papers and sessions that address a broad research and policy agenda, including contributions from any discipline which can offer relevant insights into the urban-regional-global nexus.
Brussels, Belgium, 30 November – 2 December, 2016
The fifth edition of the European Cluster Conference will be an inspiring event not to be missed by policy-makers from national and regional authorities involved or interested in cluster policies and cluster practitioners. The last edition of the European Cluster Conference in 2014 gathered over 340 cluster stakeholders from across Europe. As the 2016 edition is limited to 250 participants, early registration is advised – once possible; the registration platform is expected to be open in September. This year’s conference will focus on Cluster 4.0 – Shaping Smart Industries and include high-level plenary speeches, panel discussions and interactive sessions where participants will have the chance to share their experiences and challenges. Parallel discussions will take place in four priority areas related to industrial modernization, namely smart manufacturing and digital transformation, the circular economy, key enabling technologies, and creative and data-driven services. The parallel discussions will all cover the same key horizontal topics in different sessions. These include the role of clusters in boosting the innovation uptake and growth opportunities through strengthening cross-sectoral value chain linkages, strategic European partnering, international collaboration and skills towards shaping smart industries.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.