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Weekly Issue - 19 October 2011

Latest News

PRESS RELEASE

Digital Agenda: Commission proposes over EUR 9 billion for broadband investment

(19 October 2011) The European Commission has proposed to spend almost EUR 9.2 billion from 2014 to 2020 on pan-European projects to give EU citizens and businesses access to high-speed broadband networks and the services that run on them. The funding, part of the proposed Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), would take the form of both equity and debt instruments and grants. It would complement private investment and public money at local, regional and national level and EU structural or cohesion funds. At least EUR 7 billion would be available for investment in high-speed broadband infrastructure.

PRESS RELEASE

R&D Scoreboard: top EU firms increase investment in innovation, but lag behind global competitors

(18 October 2011) The European Commission's 2011 "EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard" shows that R&D investment by top EU companies recovered strongly in 2010, with a 6.1% rise following a 2.6% decrease in 2009. However, data for the world's top 1400 companies show EU companies as a whole lagging behind major competitors from the US and some Asian economies on R&D growth. There was a general positive trend in 2010, as global R&D investment increased by 4%, a robust up-turn after the 1.9% drop observed in 2009. The global top 50 in terms of total R&D investment includes 15 EU companies, 18 US firms and 13 from Japan.

See also: Questions and answers

CALL FOR TENDERS

Tender for the facilitation of the Community Platform of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Active and Healthy Ageing

The European Commission (DG SANCO and DG INFSO jointly) will launch early 2012 an online platform for the mobilisation of stakeholders in the delivery of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Active and Healthy Ageing. The platform will be accessible form the EIP's home page (http://ec.europa.eu/active-healthy-ageing). It will include a "market and partnering" area based on collaborative tools (wikis) that will allow interested parties to exchange concrete ideas, innovation solutions, idea proposals, to run partner searches, to raise awareness on funding opportunities, to build coalitions. A call for tenders will be sent soon to a minimum of 5 candidates identified by the European Commission for a service contract of a maximum value of EUR 60.000 for the facilitation of the platform. The platform will be maintained by the European Commission, the objective of the contract is to provide support via the platform for the mobilisation of actors active in the areas of prevention, integrated care, independent living, using the tools offered by the platform (wiki, forums, newsletter...) as well as "mash-up" possibilities offered by pre-existing, free, web 2.0 tools to stimulate the mobilisation of actors.

Contact: einclusion(at)ec.europa.eu
See also: Guidance paper for the Steering Group of the EIP

NEWS ARTICLE

Madrid hospital sends patients appointment reminders via SMS

(19 October 2011) At the beginning of October 2011, the Tajo Hospital in Madrid started implementing an SMS reminder system for medical appointments. This new means of communication has been made possible as a result of a new mobile device application that was developed by the hospital's Admissions Service and IT Department. This new software sends an SMS which notifies patients of the date, approximate time and exact location of a consultation 48 hours before the scheduled appointment.

NEWS ARTICLE

The eHealth Infso Daily

(18 October 2011) Get a daily overview of worldwide eHealth activities and related topics brought to you via articles from various authors from the web.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Information Systems 2012

10 March 2012 - 12 March 2012 Berlin, Germany

IADIS, the International Association for Development of the Information Society, is preparing its "Information Systems"-conference for 2012. It covers both the technical as well as the non-technical aspects of the Information Society. Broad areas of interest are eSociety and Digital Divide, eBusiness / eCommerce, eLearning, New Media and E-Society, Digital Services in eESociety, eGovernment /eGovernance, eHealth, Information Systems, and Information Management. A call for papers is open until 28 October 2011.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

ECTA Regulatory Conference 2011

28 November 2011 - 30 November 2011 Brussels, Belgium

As the European Commission considers new rules to achieve its digital agenda targets, ECTA's annual conference will explore how different regulatory approaches and business models have shaped European and global telecoms markets, and what steps are needed to deliver advanced communications infrastructure and services across the single market and beyond. In a series of keynote speeches, workshops and panels, high-level policy makers and industry leaders will debate key policy questions. Registration is required.

NEWS ARTICLE

The FUTURAGE Road Map for European Ageing Research now available

(18 October 2011) The Road Map summarises the research priorities for ageing research in Europe. It is the collective product of the most extensive consultation ever undertaken on this topic, which spanned two years and involved the major stakeholder groups in ageing research and policy among Member States and Associate Countries. These included scientists (from a wide range of disciplines), policy makers, practitioners, product developers and producers, carers and older people and their organisations. The Seven Major Priorities for European Ageing Research identified in the roadmap are: Healthy Ageing for More Life in Years; Maintaining and Regaining Mental Capacity; Inclusion and Participation in the Community and in the Labour Market; Guaranteeing the Quality and Sustainability of Social Protection Systems; Ageing Well at Home and in Community Environments; Unequal Ageing and Age-Related Inequalities; Biogerontology.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Pre-conference to the 6th European Ministerial eGovernment Conference "Innovation for eParticipation"

16 November 2011 Poznan University of Economics, Poland

Organised one day before the 6th European Ministerial eGovernment Conference and Exhibition "Borderless eGovernment Services for Europeans", the Pre-Conference is intended to show the results of important European eGovernment research in generating and implementing e-visions and e-solutions, as well as the possibilities to build new strategies upon current results. The focus will be on the three following themes: Innovations for Government e-participation; Innovations for Business e-participation; Innovative e-services. This 3rd Pre-Conference is jointly organized by two governmental agencies involved in innovation: VINNOVA from Sweden and Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) from Poland. It is hosted by the Poznan University of Economics. The pre-conference will be followed by a dinner and is free of charge. Participants have to pre-register on the website of the pre-conference.

NEWS ARTICLE

Launch of the WAI-ACT Project to Support eAccessibility

(17 October 2011) The WAI-ACT project will develop a framework for open, expanded cooperation among European and international stakeholders, technical guidance on advanced web technologies; an evaluation methodology for web accessibility; and a research agenda for eAccessibility. Technical guidance will include a repository of information on accessibility support in web technologies, application notes on authoring accessible web page components, and code samples for web applications. WAI-ACT will result in: expanded cooperation on the development of accessibility solutions; authoritative accessibility guidance on advanced web technologies; harmonised methodologies for evaluating accessibility of websites; common visions for a coordinated eAccessibility research agenda. WAI-ACT will build upon the strengths of the existing World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) cooperation mechanisms to facilitate strategic European and international participation throughout the project. WAI-ACT will also seek active exchange with relevant networks in Europe such as eAccess+, and with standardisation activities such as EC Mandate M/376. WAI-ACT is co-funded by the European Commission as a Specific Support Action under the IST 7th Framework Programme.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Going Local 2011: Session on Digital Inclusion

24 October 2011 Dublin, Ireland

The session is organised in the context of the Digital Agenda Going Local exercise.

Contact: to register contact: Sinead Dooley

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Innovation Convention 2011

5 December 2011 - 6 December 2011 Brussels, Belgium

The European Commission is holding its first Innovation Convention following the adoption of the Innovation Union Flagship initiative in October 2010. This major event will gather more than 1200 participants involved in the innovation chain, including high-level policy makers, leading CEOs, deans of universities and research centres, bankers, venture capitalists, top researchers and innovators. The programme of the Innovation Convention will include master classes and round tables on innovation, an interactive panel debate with global innovation players and the award of the Women Innovators Prize. The exhibition of the Innovation Convention will showcase exciting research and innovation results being developed in Europe. Registration is now open.

New in the Library

SPEECH

Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda

Connecting Europe Facility - broadband and digital infrastructure services

Press briefing. Warsaw, Poland, 19th October 2011

SPEECH

Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda

e-Communications: making Europe the connected, competitive continent

Conference on Perspectives for the development of the electronics communications market in the EU. Warsaw, Poland, 19th October 2011

AUDIOVISUAL

Neelie Kroes on Innovation for Ageing Well

14 October 2011

Neelie Kroes speaks to the Ambient Assisted Living Forum on how Europe can use new technology to become a leader in Innovation for Ageing Well.

BROCHURE

New brochure of the AAL JP projects

14 October 2011

This catalogue presents a number of projects resulting from the first three thematic calls issued since the launch of the AAL Joint Programme (AAL JP) in 2008: "ICT based solutions for prevention and management of chronic conditions of elderly people"; "ICT based solutions for advancement of social interaction of elderly people"; "Self- serve society".

SPEECH

Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda

Opening Europe's telecoms markets - BEREC's crucial role

Opening Speech for the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) Office, Riga, Latvia, 14 October 2011

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