The conference will represent the largest convergence of the Sciences, Humanities and Culture in Europe in 2012 engendering an exciting opportunity for an interdisciplinary, pan-European meeting which aims to:

• Showcase the latest advances in science and technology,
• Promote a dialogue on the role of science and technology in society and public policy,
• Stimulate and provoke public interest, excitement and debate about science and technology.

A critical element to the conference is the Science to Business Programme which will offer delegates the opportunity to engage with business experts irrespective of what stage their idea, business or their entrepreneurial career might currently be located.

Science-2-Business Programme

The Science-2-Business Programme will be a multi-level set of activities that will offer delegates the opportunity to follow the voyage from Science to Business. It will incorporate:

• Interactive workshops (which will debate the key issues facing nascent and existing entrepreneurs from a scientific background),
• Advisory booths (companies offering free advice),
• Business speed-dating opportunities,
• Visits to local incubation centres,
• Vibrant market place buzzing with the anticipation of potential collaboration.

The programme is built on the premise that delegates who wish to participate in some elements of the Science-2-Business Programme either are now considering starting, or have already started, their entrepreneurial journey, and so they need to ask themselves three key questions:

1.  Where am I personally on my journey of Business Knowledge?
2.  Where is my business on the journey from Idea Generation to Exit Strategy?
3.  Where is my economic environment on the journey from recession to economic growth?

The Science-2-Business Programme has been designed to enable delegates to engage and learn from the programme, no matter where they are located on their journey. Dependent upon their current business skills and industry comprehension, delegates can choose to select from the menu of knowledge options available to them across a range of presentation platforms. The programme will also allow people of all backgrounds to gather information and to make valuable contacts.

Call for Proposals

The Science to Business Programme offers 15 workshops which will be held during the Parallel Sessions. Three of these workshops have been pre-determined and are not open for proposals. These are:
Pre-Determined

• 1. How can more SMEs engage in Horizon 2020 projects?
• 2. Visit to Incubation Centres
• 3. Science to Business Platform

However, the remaining 12 workshops (each of 90 minute duration) are open to the Call for Proposals and the themes for these workshops are as follows:
Open Call

• 4. How does the economic environment influence opportunities for Science to Business activity?
• 5. What do we mean by ‘Innovative Entrepreneurship’ and why should it become an integral part of government policy?
• 6. What is required to engender greater entrepreneurial activity amongst SET students / graduates?
• 7. What should universities do to encourage more spin-outs and licensing arrangements?
• 8. What actions should be taken to reduce the barriers for innovators to start a business?
• 9. What is the future of Open Innovation?
• 10. A 90 minute guide on everything you should consider when starting a business.
• 11. Why are business clusters beneficial to enterprises and regions?
• 12. What are the challenges involved in building innovative capability?
• 13. What are the challenges involved in getting Intellectual Property Protection?
• 14. Multinationals in search of research output and people?
• 15. What are ‘Exit Strategies’ and why should I think about them at the start?

Applicants are invited to submit proposals to host a specific workshop on one of the themes identified. As host, you will be responsible for the full 90 minutes of that workshop in terms of selecting speakers, style of delivery, audience interaction, and fit with the overall programme. It is crucial to note that only one proposal will be selected for each theme and therefore it is important to highlight which theme you are proposing to host.

The closing date for entries is Monday, 13th February, 2012 at 12h00 GMT. Submissions should be online at http://www.esof.eu/hub. Initial enquiries regarding submissions to the Science-2-Business Programme should be addressed to Dr. Thomas Cooney at thomas.cooney@dit.ie.

• The Guidelines for Submission of Proposals

• ESOF2012 (Euroscience Open Forum) DUBLIN