JRC TT Macro Regions contact: If you would like to learn more about the activities of the JRC, please visit:

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2 JRC TT Macro Regions contact: If you would like to learn more about the activities of the JRC, please visit: Joint Research Centre monsitj - Fotolia

3 Proof of Concept financing (PoC) can facilitate the validation (prototype, demonstrator, proof of market, etc.) and assessment of commercialisation options for technologies developed within Public Research Organisations (PROs) and micro-enterprises/smes in South Eastern Europe. The objective of providing proof of concept financing is to provide financial support to researchers to help them in successfully converting good research into good business. PoC funding is currently at a modest stage of development in South Eastern Europe and, in particular, in the Western Balkans. Technology Transfer and the commercialisation of the results of publicly funded research for the benefit of the economy and of society is now an established objective for developed economies, including the EU. However, support for technology transfer activities and proof of concept in particular remains limited in South Eastern Europe. This is for several reasons including culture, tradition and framework conditions. However, it is also linked to a lack of funding and capacity to address the critical gap between public research funding for frontier and applied research and early stage private sector funding, often available via business angels or via innovation vouchers (grants). The typical funding cycle for research commercialisation projects varies depending on the particular sector (ITC, Life Sciences etc.) for the majority of technology transfer deals the most crucial funding element remains the PoC, which is the stage at which an idea or invention is validated. Before the validation process, it is unclear if an idea or discovery will work and it is difficult to evaluate its commercial potential. In addition, transaction costs are high. All these challenges make investment at the PoC level unattractive for private investors and create a gap and market failure that can be addressed through intelligent deployment of public funds, such as grants. Specific Objectives of PoC financing: 1. To provide early stage financial support to address, in particular, the gap between Technology Readiness Levels 1 3 and 4: Proof of Concept and Laboratory Validation; 2. To provide support for a range of ancillary activities that can advance Technology Readiness Levels and accelerate technologies to a point where they are Investment Ready ; 3. To increase the capacity of researchers and intermediaries to identify robust routes to market and build strong commercialisation strategies; 4. To encourage knowledge exchange and technology transfer across and beyond the region. Content / Objectives This workshop intends to explore best practices in the creation and management of proof of concept support programmes and to consider possibilities for the creation of additional PoC support schemes in the region. PoC support schemes would address the earliest and most risky element of the technology transfer funding cycle and enable researchers and PROs to validate discoveries and ease the process of maturing technologies to a point where alternative sources of investment (including private) become available. The conclusions of this meeting are also expected to feed into broader political developments, in particular in relation to the Berlin process. Participants will include the European Investment Bank (along with the Fund) that plays a major role in the region through, among others, the Western Balkans Enterprise Development & Innovation Facility (WB EDIF). The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and, in particular, its Unit Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer are in possession of operational and technical expertise in the domains of Technology and Knowledge Transfer. JRC flagship activities and tools (training, capacity building, studies) are highly relevant to the harmonisation and development of RDI in South Eastern Europe. 1

4 Counterparties / Co-organisers and Location Trieste has been selected to host this workshop, as an area with one of the greatest concentrations of research centres in Italy. It also lies at the crossroads of three macro-regions: the Adriatic-Ionian Region, the Alpine Region and the Danube Region. AREA Science Park, that will host this event, sits at the centre of a dynamic innovationbased eco-system and has an extensive track record of supporting technology transfer and high-technology based business creation in the region. Participants The workshop will consist of two half-days and intends to assemble a plethora of innovation practitioners with an interest in PoC and regional stakeholders from EU Member States, enlargement and neighbourhood countries covered by the Adriatic-Ionian, the Alpine and the Danube macroregional strategies. Participants are likely to include: innovation and entrepreneurship policy-makers, fund managers, representatives of academia and technology transfer offices, early stage and venture capital investors. The number of participants is estimated at around , while the number of speakers will be around 25.

5 Thursday 21 September 2017 Workshop on Proof of Concept (PoC) in South Eastern Europe Best Practices, Challenges and Opportunities for Promoting Technology Transfer and Innovation AREA Science Park, Trieste 12:30-14:00 Registration and lunch 14:00-15:00 Welcome address Stephen Taylor Director of Marketing, Communications and Business Development, AREA Science Park Giancarlo Caratti Head of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Unit, Directorate-General Joint Research Centre, European Commission Colin Wolfe Head of Western Balkans Regional Cooperation and Programmes Unit, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission (through video conference) Vanja Ivošević Senior Expert on Skills and Mobility, Regional Cooperation Council Albena Vutsova Member of the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre s Board of Governors Atanas Kochov Member of the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre s Board of Governors 15:00-16:15 Introductory discussion on how to learn from successful examples and adapt to local needs Moderator: Patrick McCutcheon Senior Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission Liduina Hammer Fund Manager, UNIIQ Maddalena Furlan AREA Science Park Elena Andonova Policy Officer, Directorate-General Joint Research Centre, European Commission Eladio Crego Gil, Fundacion Barrie Science Seed Fund for Galicia Andrea Piccaluga President of the Italian Network of Technology Transfer Offices of Universities and Public Research Organizations (NETVAL) Frank Tooley Program Manager, High Growth Ventures at Scottish Enterprise Ltd 16:15 16:45 Coffee Break 16: EU supported initiatives what works in the Proof of Concept space and why? Moderator: Dalibor Marijanović Key Expert, EU4Tech project Laura Pontiggia Policy Adviser, European Research Council Executive Agency Mattias Dinnetz Project Officer, Directorate-General Joint Research Centre, European Commission

6 Dragan Šoljan Adviser, Western Balkans Enterprise Development & Innovation Facility, European Investment Bank Judit Hegedus European Institute of Innovation & Technology Lisa Cowey Key Expert for Technology Transfer, Project Capacity Building for Technology Transfer for the Western Balkans - EU4Tech 19:30 Networking dinner Friday 22 September 2017 Workshop on Proof of Concept (PoC) in South Eastern Europe Best Practices, Challenges and Opportunities for Promoting Technology Transfer and Innovation AREA Science Park, Trieste 09:00 09:30 Registration and welcome coffee 09:30 10:45 Regional initiatives examples and possible models for Proof of Concept structures Moderator: Luigi Amati Co-founder, Meta Group Mlađan Stojanović Technology Transfer Facility, Innovation Fund, Serbia Mislav Jurišić Advisor, Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO) Yordan Zarev Investment Manager, Bulgaria Jelena Petrović Business Support Coordinator, Science and Technology Park, Serbia 10:45 11:15 Coffee break 11:15 11:45 How to fill the PoC gaps in the region Elena Andonova Policy Officer, Directorate-General Joint Research Centre, European Commission Andreea Sava Project Manager, AREA Science Park Bob Bush Venture Capitalist and Local Investor 11:45 13:00 Panel discussion with local and external stakeholders on Proof of Concept Moderator: Dragan Šoljan Advisor, Western Balkans Enterprise Development & Innovation Facility, European Investment Bank Milena Kostadinović Operations Manager, Innovation Fund, Serbia Katerina Kreceva Adviser in the Unit for programming, State Fund for Innovation and Technological Development, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

7 Biljana Vojvodić Assistant Minister for Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Darko Petrušić Ministry of Science, Montenegro Jeta Zagragja Chief Business Development Officer, CACTTUS, Kosovo* 13:00 13:15 Closing and conclusions Giancarlo Caratti Head of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Unit, Joint Research Centre, European Commission 13:15 14:15 Lunch and departures * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

8 How to get to and from venue place AREA Science Park Padriciano 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy 1. BY ORGANISED BUS TRANSFER Thursday, 21/09/ route Departure place: Trieste city centre (Piazza G. Oberdan 9) Departure time: 11:45 Arrival place: AREA Science Park (12:15) Friday, 22/09/ route Departure place: Trieste city centre (Piazza G. Oberdan 9) Departure time: 08:15 Arrival place: AREA Science Park (08:50) 2 route Departure place: AREA Science Park Departure time: 18:20 Arrival place: Ristorante Le Terrazze (Strada Costiera, 22, 34151, Trieste) (19:00) 2 route Departure place: AREA Science Park Departure time: 14:15 Arrival place: Trieste city centre 1 Piazza G. Oberdan 9 2 Trieste Central Station (14:45) 3 route Departure place: Ristorante Le Terrazze Departure time 21:30 Arrival place: Trieste City Centre (Piazza G. Oberdan 9) (22:00) Location of Bus stop

9 2. BY PUBLIC BUS 51, please see the time table below: 3. BY CAR Address: ARE SCIENCE PARK, Padriciano 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy GPS: ;

10 JRC Mission As the science and knowledge service of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre s mission is to support EU policies with independent evidence throughout the whole policy cycle. EU Science Hub EU Science Hub - Joint Research Centre Joint Research Centre EU Science Hub