Over 650 European key innovation stakeholders and high-level representatives will debate policy priorities and actions to accelerate innovation in Europe. The conference will in particular focus on the following subjects:

• Transforming knowledge into successful businesses focusing on sectors such as knowledge intensive services, eco-innovation, life sciences and creative industries which are promising both as regards competitiveness and economic development, and in terms of quality of life and well-being. The discussions will focus on the benefit and added value for the local/regional environment; the introduction of innovative processes, products and services; new business models as well as public/private partnerships and their potential transferability.
• Supporting the creation of fast growing companies and increasing cluster collaboration looking at new tools, policies and collaborative relationships at all levels to support the development of fast-growing companies and the factors that can help or hinder the creation of these innovation leaders. Particular attention will be paid to the professionalisation of clusters and the services delivered by cluster organisations. This includes the aspects of internationalisation and opening markets for cluster companies and the integration of SMEs into the cluster process.
• Addressing the challenges of a globalised business environment concentrating on lead markets that are the carriers of globally leading innovation; knowledge transfer for world-wide markets involving an assessing new ways of acquireing and protecting intellectual property rights.

Prior to the sessions, policy debates will be launched on 22 October, when three pre-conference roundtables will set the scene. The Young Entrepreneurs Club-100 will outline the challenges for innovation in knowledge-intensive services, the Cluster Managers Forum will identify the key factors that can lead to cluster development, and the Knowledge Transfer Forum will showcase successful knowledge transfer approaches and case studies.

During the official Gala Dinner, three Europe INNOVA innovation awards will be presented.

• The Cluster Manager Award is intended to ensure the further development of good cluster management practice and will be given to a Europe INNOVA stakeholder whose performance has been the most notable in this respect;
• The Best New Tool Award will be presented to the Europe INNOVA project which has developed the most innovative tool or service to support its target groups in their innovation activities;
• The Network of the Year  award will be handed out to the Europe INNOVA project which has made the most effort to raise public awareness about its activities and to increase its visibility outside, as well as inside, the Europe INNOVA initiative.

An innovation exhibition will offer a chance to discover outstanding examples of innovation activities and tools developed by the Europe INNOVA networks and projects.

Registration: www.europe-innova.org/lyon2008