Description
Kick-off Event of the Smart Specialisation Platform on Industrial Modernisation and launch of the Watify campaign, Barcelona 16-17th November 2016
The European Commission's S3 Platform on Industrial Modernisation calls upon the regions that have priorities in their research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3) related to industrial modernisation to join forces in joint investment projects to foster the development of new European value chains. The European Commission is committed to develop support and advisory services to accelerate this project pipeline. The kick-off event of the platform will take place in Barcelona on 16-17 November 2016 is open to all European regions committed to industrial modernisation. More specifically, the event aims to bring together regions that have already submitted their expressions of interest in specific thematic partnerships as well as those willing to join these proposed partnerships, or interested in submitting new proposals for such interregional collaborations.
Regions are invited to submit Expression of Interest for setting-up new partnerships in specific thematic areas.
A key objective for this operational meeting is to kick-off the first group of partnerships that have already expressed their interest in becoming members of this thematic platform. It is envisaged that this event will result in agreed governance and working arrangements that would allow regions to collectively activate the proposed partnerships. These working arrangements are critical as they would allow partner regions to focus on jointly-funded pilots and demonstration projects leading to a pipeline of bankable investment projects.
During the event in Barcelona, the European Commission services will jointly present an overview of EU support activities ranging from analytical support as well as expert/advisory support to various funding instruments.
The European Commission will also present and re-launch the awareness raising campaign Watify. The Watify campaign started in 2014 and has become a strong brand with the aim to speed up the digital transformation of European industry and SMEs through advanced technologies and to support the successful translation of Key Enabling Technologies related to Smart Specialisation priorities into actual projects with real economic impact.
The event is co-organised by the European Commission's S3 Platform together with the Government of Catalonia (Ministry of the Vice-presidency and of the Economy and Finance and ACCIÓ) and is coinciding with the Smart City Congress. Registered participants of the S3P-Industrial Modernisation event will have free access to the Smart City Congress exhibition.
Special prices for further activities at the Smart City Congress will be soon available at organisers.