ARC Fund has been the host organisation of the Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) in Bulgaria for more than seven years. IRC-Bulgaria is part of the IRCs Network which spans all over Europe. In less than ten years, the network has assisted more than 200,000 innovative client companies, and more join the portfolio every month. In concrete terms, the network has helped in the successful conclusion of more than 800 transnational technology transfer agreements, bringing significant new business to clients.
The European Commission has recently renewed its commitment to the Innovation Relay Centres network – the largest technology transfer network in the world, securing its services in support of technology transfer for a further four-year period under the Sixth Framework Programme. Each year the whole Network gathers for its Annual Meeting in order to plan the network’s activities for the coming years. Representatives of all 71 IRCs, including Mr. Angel Milev – Coordinator of IRC-Bulgaria, met in Vienna on 7-9 June 2004 for the network’s 8th annual meeting.
The meeting was opened by the recently appointed European Commissioner, Mr. J. Figel, responsible for Enterprise and the Information Society. He highlighted the importance of innovation in the enlarged EU.
Renate Weissenhorn, Head of the Innovation Networks Unit in the European Commission’s Enterprise DG, outlined the new challenges the network faces.
On 7 and 8 June a series of parallel sessions were organised on the following topics: Building strategy – a vision for the future; Management financing and IPR in TTT; New challenges – new methods; and New methodologies of TTT.
The meeting concluded with a second plenary session on 8 June, focusing on the coordination of the IRC Network and an update on the services offered to members from the new network secretariat. The closing speech was given by Mr. Timo Summa, the Commission’s Director for Promotion of Entrepreneurship and SMEs.
Details on the activities and services provided by IRC-Bulgaria can be found at www.enterprise-europe-network.bg
