Innovation Relay 2013 & launch event Horizon2020
Innovation is tracking. Search for connections, gears and smart solutions. With the Innovation Relay and Horizon2020 launch event of November 12, the Amsterdam RAI was the ultimate stage for this. The visitors could from the moment they got out of the train or car literally follow graffiti tracks to the RAI for relay interesting innovations, pitches and workshops. Along the more than 250 booths were more than 5,000 visitors.
The Innovation Relay has been designed and organised in collaboration with the "Club van Maarssen" which is an online community of people from the government, the academic and scientific institutes, business and other citizens who’s aim is to stimulate innovations. Other organisers are the nine Dutch Top Sectors and the Ministries of Infrastructure and Environment and Economic Affairs.
‘12 November’ was announced as an exciting day, bubbling with new ideas with the chance to experience Dutch innovations, innovative businesses and meet like-minded people, experts and cutting-edge thinkers. EIT ICT Labs Eindhoven was one of the exhibitors and the booth was well visited by numerous visitors. In that way, to give EIT ICT Labs visibility and increase comprehension on the goals was a mission accomplished at the exhibition floor of the Innovation Relay.
Not coincidentally was November 12, the sign of the start of the Horizon2020 research programme in the Netherlands. Robert-Jan Smits, Director General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission and as such closely involved in Horizon2020 gave a keynote and says "The unique thing is that we have talked to people from the field, before we wrote the proposal first. We wanted to link research to innovation and our focus on societal challenges therein. As a result, we work demand-driven. One of our goals is to increase the competitiveness of European industry.”
Watch the short impression.
Contact: else.embregts@eitictlabs.eu
