News related to R&D activities
Complementing the us-eu-match News, this page brings together news related to science, innovaton and research policies and activities published on external websites.
1. JRC contributes to the Environmental Performance Index
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The JRC has contributed to the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) launched at World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos on 26 January 2012. The EPI is produced by researchers at Yale and Columbia Universities in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the JRC.
With its expertise on composite indicators and sensitivity analysis, the JRC through its Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC) contributed to the EPI by assessing the methodology and making recommendations on the balancing of the indicators.
Source: European Commission - Joint Research Centre
2012-02-06 - 14:18
Safer Internet Day 2012 take places on Tuesday 7 February 2012 and focuses on the theme "Connecting generations and educating each other", by encouraging users young and old to "discover the digital world together...safely"! Helping science and research provide a safer Internet for young media users, COST actively supports the fight against cyberbullying.
Source: European Cooperation in Science and Technology
2012-02-06 - 13:27
3. ISE 2012 reveals the shape of displays to come
ISE 2012, recently held in Amsterdam, is one of the largest professional audio-visual trade shows in Europe. It brought together over 750 exhibitors,![]()
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Source: euronews
2012-02-06 - 12:38
4. Career Tracking - a Tool for Building Quality in Research
Luxembourg is the host on 9 and 10 February 2012 of an international workshop on tracking of...
Source: European Science Foundation
2012-02-06 - 09:14
5. ERA Conference reveals results of the public consultation
Published on: 06-February-2012
On 30 January 2012, the European Commission organised the “ERA Conference 2012” gathering stakeholders from the Institutions, the Member States, industry and academia in Brussels. The a (...)
Source: EUREKA - NEWS
2012-02-06 - 08:51
6. Life on Mars? Too dry, say scientists
An international team of researchers has concluded that Mars may have been arid for hundreds of millions of years, meaning it would have been too hostile for any form of life to survive on its surface over this period.
For 3 years, the researchers from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States have been anal...
Source: Community Research and Development Information Service
2012-02-06 - 00:00
7. Researchers shed light on hearing loss and touch sensitivity connection
A European team of researchers has discovered that people with a specific form of inherited hearing loss are more sensitive to low frequency vibration.
Presented in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the findings provide insight on the association between hearing loss and touch sensitivity.
Specialised skin cells must be tuned to enable a person to...
Source: Community Research and Development Information Service
2012-02-06 - 00:00
8. 2020 Signatures for a gender sensitive Horizon 2020
As a follow up to the First European Gender Summit, a new Manifesto aims to overcome the gender...
Source: European Science Foundation
2012-02-03 - 16:40
This tannery in Silla, Spain, has made its leather production greener and safer with a new technology developed as part of an EU-funded research![]()
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Source: euronews
2012-02-03 - 10:46
10. Are European kids getting enough vitamin D? Winter weather reopens the debate
The cold snap has well and truly set in across much of Europe, and as temperatures fall, watching our health becomes increasingly more crucial.
Keeping our vitamin D levels up during the winter months has long been lauded as an important part of this fight against unforgiving winter climes, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young children.
...
Source: Community Research and Development Information Service
2012-02-03 - 00:00
1. Entrepreneurs are only taught half the lesson - FT.com

Entrepreneurial education today is incomplete. It is no wonder that so little of the new knowledge produced from institutions of higher learning is commercialised; there is no formal methodology for teaching students how to transform their business acumen into value-creating enterprises.
We are only building half of the bridge to entrepreneurial utopia and we need to finish the job. Some entrepreneurs work it out for themselves and cross the shark-infested waters to entrepreneurial success, but too few. And if we look beyond the headline-grabbing start-ups, innovation within existing companies is not exactly going well either. Such innovations, either within large corporations or in start-ups, are the work of entrepreneurs and are what create wealth and employment.
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
2. Do Unpaid Internships Exploit College Students? - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com

Employers often seem to flout the Labor Department rules about unpaid interns, but college students keep lining up for these positions year after year.
Should government intervene, because the downsides of unpaid internships outweigh the benefits? Or should officials step back, assuming that this arrangement mutually benefits employers and interns?
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
3. Just About Every Startup This Guy Has Helped Launch Has Taken Off Like A Rocket

There are tons of startup accelerators in Silicon Valley which give startups seed funding and mentorship to help them get off the ground but Tandem is a little different.
It's run by co-founder Doug Renert and two other guys, and the team focuses on being exclusive. While Y Combinator one of Silicon Valley's most popular accelerators attracts more than 20 teams each "semester," Tandem limits it to only a few teams that focus on mobile products.
The results are pretty amazing 8 of the 9 startups that Tandem has helped get off the ground have either seen positive exits or raised boatloads of money.
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
4. Who's More Creative? Introverts or Extroverts? | IdeaFeed | Big Think

What's the Latest Development?
Extroverts and introverts are not different in the ways we usually consider them to be. Introverts want lower-stimulation environmentsless noise, less actionwhile extroverts crave stimulation to feel their best. Introverts may be very outgoing people, just as an extrovert may actually be shy. The big difference is the kind of environment they thrive in, says Susan Cain, author of a new book on the creative power of introverts. Now more than ever before, says Cain, Western society approves more of extroverts.
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
5. America Looks Over Her Shoulder and Washington Starts to Act - Entrepreneurship.org

Despite it being an election year and a period in American history of great political divide, the prospect that Washington, DC might actually get something done to make the path easier for nascent entrepreneurs and young firms is looking more promising. This past week saw lots of activity at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. First, on January 31st the one-year anniversary of both the White House Startup America Initiative and the private-sector Startup America PartnershipPresident Barack Obama sent a Startup America Legislative Agenda to Congress. The following day, I took part in an official Senate roundtable on Capitol Hill focused on developing more high-growth entrepreneurship legislation. Add to this the efforts to support new and young firms announced in late 2011, particularly the Startup Act, and you have the most active pro-startup focus Washington has ever seen.
Accelerating the emergence of new high-growth firms is mostly about helping cities and educational institutions foster new communities of bottom up nascent entrepreneurs. However, government sets the rules and incentives and can play a vital role in encouraging more Americans to take risk from the top. This is
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
6. Wanted: female entrepreneurs - The Globe and Mail

Women make up nearly half the Canadian work force and more than 50 per cent of postsecondary students. Yet, when it comes to entrepreneurship, they fall short of men and the gap between the sexes hasnt closed much over the past decade.
The relative lack of female entrepreneurs is unusual because Canada enjoys a high rate of entrepreneurship relative to other developed nations, a factor that helps drive our economic growth. But while Canadian men start businesses more frequently than their international counterparts, Canadian women are only average.
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
7. Most Investors Bite Only at Specific Startup Stages

If you are looking for an outside investor, you need to know how they see you. Different types of investors look for startups at different levels of maturity. If your startup is at the wrong stage for the investor you are approaching, fishing for money is a waste of time for both of you.
For instance, if your company is only a few weeks old and you have zero customers and your product offering is still in design, dont expect someone to hand over $10 million to fund your efforts. It wouldnt work anyway, since your valuation at that stage would be less than the funding, meaning you would have to give away all ownership for the money.
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00

Question Number One
Co-founder relationships: do the founders of your startup actually get along?
My thoughts:
Founder matching is now a recognised startup investment and formation discipline, with its own systems, social networks, software, business models and startups (e.g., StartupWithMe, CoFoundify, Cofounderslab and FounderDating) addressing it as a lucrative and growing requirement.
In case you were wondering, Solo-founder applicants to accelerators are now almost universally seen as profoundly problematic, so Drew Houston, as solo founder of what many consider to be Y Combinators biggest hit, DropBox is seen (especially by Y Combinator themselves) as an unrepresentative anomaly and is not accepted as being a reason not to insist on startups having co-founders.
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
9. 7 signs of a dysfunctional company - CBS News

I was just reading about how Barack Obama and George W. Bush are the most polarizing presidents of the past 50 years, meaning they had the largest gap in approval ratings between democrats and republicans. Some think there's a chicken and egg aspect to the question of which came first, our divisive leaders or our divided nation, but I think it's entirely a function of leadership. If Obama and Bush were effective leaders, the nation wouldn't be so divided.
That's because, by definition, leadership is about somehow getting people with disparate views to coalesce and execute on goals and plans they would never agree to on their own. Clearly, that's not happening in Washington and that's why America's so divided. Makes sense, right?
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
10. A roundup of the Super Bowl and tech, by the numbers | VentureBeat

Super Bowl 46 is history now and heres a roundup of all of the internet-related reports. Roughly 100 million watch the Super Bowl every year, making it one of the most viewed events in the world.
Twitter reported that there were an average of 10,000 tweets per second in the final three minutes of the game. That beats the Royal Wedding at 3,966 tweets per second and Osama Bin Ladens death at 5,106 tweets per second.
Social TV startup Bluefin Labs said it saw 11.5 million comments during the game, up six fold over last year.
The official Super Bowl Twitter account has just 37,871 followers. Some 50 employees and volunteers manned the Super Bowl Command Center for social media.
The NFL has about 2.8 million Twitter followers and 4.5 million Facebook NFL page likes. Verizon added 400 additional 3G and LTE antennae for 3G and LTE service. AT&T added 200 new cell sites in Indianapolis.
Source: Innovation America
2012-02-07 - 05:00
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Source: Europe's Information Society Thematic Portal
2012-02-06 - 16:12
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Source: Europe's Information Society Thematic Portal
2012-02-06 - 16:12
3. Safer Internet Day 2012, linking up generations for a safer digital world
On Safer Internet Day tomorrow, 7th February, more than 100 events in 30 European countries will encourage children, their families and teachers, to discover the digital world together. This is the ninth annual Safer Internet Day, celebrated in more than 70 countries worldwide as part of a global drive to promote safer Internet for children and young people.
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-06 - 11:17
4. Unleash your imagination in the European e-skills week project passion competition
Where will e-Skills take you? How do you see the Digital Revolution transforming Europe? Put your creativity to the test today and win a cash prize. And chance to launch your career. Tell us a story. Create a campaign. Demonstrate how e-Skills can help people get a job, fuel innovation or drive creativity. How? Thats up to you, but we will accept any medium from mobile devices, tablets, illustrations, digital design, story-telling, music, video, posters and social media you can post your entry on Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube or whichever digital platform suits you best. Get going! Build a community of followers. And when you are ready, tell us about it. You could win thousands of euros in cash and more prizes sponsored by e-Skills Week 2012 partners. And all entries will be promoted by the official e-Skills Week channels. You might very well be on the first step towards launching your career. Get your thinking caps on quickly though. The deadline for entries is midnight March 4 2012.
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-06 - 11:08
5. Video of the universAAL project
The universAAL project is producing an open platform that provides a standardized approach making it technically feasible and economically viable to develop AAL solutions. The video explains how this platform works. UniversAAL is a project partialy funded by the seventh research framework programme.
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-06 - 10:46
6. Workshop on IT for Disabilities
Assistive Technology (AT) and accessible ICT can help people with disabilities and older adults enable a more independent life, better participation, more inclusion and improved services and support. The workshop aims of exchange and disseminate achievements and research findings in that area. It also intends to stimulate the communication both between researchers working in various areas related to ICT solutions and its use leading to further progress in that field and between researchers and practitioners who might take inspiration to implement their achievements. The workshop intends to launch the regular platform for academic and industry based researchers and practitioners and aspire to become constant event. We invite contributions related both to theoretical and more practical aspects of AT and ICT for disabilities. Deadline for Paper submission is April 22, 2012.
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-06 - 10:34
7. Bridging Research in Ageing and ICT Development (BRAID): Final Trends Analysis Report Released
This market trends analysis looks at key barriers to entry for these technologies, including outlining trends in new technology incubation and development, and how technologies move effectively and efficiently from incubation to the marketplace, and how insurance and reimbursement structures may impact who can afford to adopt new technologies, and the size of the population these technologies may thus be likely to reach. BRAID is funded within the specific programme "Cooperation" and the research theme "ICT" of the 7th European Framework Programme.
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-06 - 10:31
8. 2nd International Doctors 2.0 & You Congress
The 2nd Congress, under the High Patronage of the French ministry of health, will gather together 450 international supporters of health 2.0 and social media services to share ideas and best practices, increase cooperation and optimize the learnings. One of the unique features of Doctors 2.0 & You is that its 400+ participants hail from the five continents and represent all walks of Health and Medicine, public and private, government and pharma. Topics include: connecting the ePatient and the 2.0 doctor, online patient communities, online physician communities, Social Media and Personal Health Records, Social Media Campaigns for Government, Hospitals, Pharma, Mobile Apps for chronic patients, Mobile MedEd, Quantified Self, Pharma Cases and Regulatory issues. To note: participation is 25%-50% less expensive, while still offering the highest quality of speakers and venue.
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-06 - 10:26
9. GOLDENWORKERS (bridging Roadmap on ICT for Ageing Well)project's first Dissemination workshop
GOLDENWORKERS wants to identify emerging technologies and socio-economic trends, new models of extending professional active life and novel application scenarios in the area of ICT for active ageing at work, leading to the definition of a beyond the state-of-the-art research agenda, fully embraced by research and practice communities. It aims to build a roadmap for ICT adoption in the field of active ageing at work. GOLDENWORKERS has three main objectives: -Towards the research community: To define research directions in the field of ICT for active ageing at work. -Towards companies and public services organizations: To define an action plan going forward to adapt companies and society to the new demographic, economic and social reality. -Towards policy makers: To provide recommendations on policy and public service design to integrate ageing workers into society through the innovative use of ICT. The objectives of this first Dissemination Workshop are: -To present the results of the its first key output: Needs and trends of ICT for ageing at work, whose purpose is to provide a state of play on the fundamental trends affecting ICT for ageing at work; -To discuss with a panel of key experts from different fields future scenarios of ICT for Ageing at work; -To foster networking opportunities for stakeholders. The Goldenworkers project is funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme (Objective ICT-2009.7.1 ICT and Ageing).
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-06 - 09:29
10. ICT Finance MarketPlace Venture Academy and Investment Forum for #SMEs
ICT Finance MarketPlace is an initiative to improve access to finance for innovative Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. SMEs, coaches and investors are invited to attend the events which will be run in conjunction with Tech Media Europe 2012 at the same venue. The Venture Academy consists of a one-day, coaching event where experienced coaches from relevant industry areas will help SMEs pragmatically to develop their pitching skills towards potential investors. The Investment Forum offers SMEs the opportunity to showcase their business in front of an international network of venture capital and corporate investors, strategic partners and expert advisors.
Source: Europe's Information Society Newsroom
2012-02-03 - 15:26
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Source: DG Research - Sustainable Development
2012-02-06 - 16:12
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Source: DG Research - Sustainable Development
2012-02-06 - 16:12
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Source: DG Environment
2012-02-06 - 16:12
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Source: DG Environment
2012-02-06 - 16:12
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Source: DG Energy
2012-02-06 - 16:12
7. Commissioner Potočnik praises LIFE wetlands' projects
Two successful LIFE wetlands-related projects, one in Ireland and the other in Germany, highlight the importance of the LIFE programme for wetland conservation said Janez Potonik, European Commissioner for the Environment, in a statement to mark World Wetlands Day 2012 (2 February). Wetlands are among the worlds most threatened ecosystems, with some 50% of all wetlands having disappeared in the last century, said the Commissioner, noting that: In Europe, the situation is even grimmer, with two thirds of out wetlands having disappeared over the past 100 years. The EU is a major provider of funds for wetland conservation projects both within and outside Europe, he commented, adding that since 1992, LIFE has co-funded some 120 wetlands-related projects. Almost all of these have been oriented towards nature conservation, reflecting the biodiversity value of the wetland habitats (lakes and rivers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands and peatlands, estuaries, deltas, tidal flats etc).
Source: The LIFE Programme
2012-02-06 - 12:00
8. Events - 6th World Water Forum - 12-17 March 2012, Marseille, France
Every three years since 1997, the World Water Forum mobilises creativity, innovation, competence and know-how in favour of water. It gathers all stakeholders around today’s local, regional and global issues that cannot be undertaken without all stakeholders into a common framework of goals and concrete targets to reach. The goal of the 6th World Water Forum is to tackle the challenges our world is facing and to bring water high on all political agendas. There will be no sustainable development while the water issues remain unsolved. Everywhere on the planet, for all and everyone, the Right to Water (recognised by 189 states at the UN one year ago) must be guaranteed and implemented.
Source: DG Environment
2012-02-06 - 00:00
9. Events - 6th World Water Forum - 12-17 March 2012, Marseille, France
Every three years since 1997, the World Water Forum mobilises creativity, innovation, competence and know-how in favour of water. It gathers all stakeholders around today’s local, regional and global issues that cannot be undertaken without all stakeholders into a common framework of goals and concrete targets to reach. The goal of the 6th World Water Forum is to tackle the challenges our world is facing and to bring water high on all political agendas. There will be no sustainable development while the water issues remain unsolved. Everywhere on the planet, for all and everyone, the Right to Water (recognised by 189 states at the UN one year ago) must be guaranteed and implemented.
Source: DG Research - Sustainable Development
2012-02-06 - 00:00
10. Commission embarks on IAS consultation
The European Commission has begun a period of consultation on a dedicated legislative instrument on invasive alien species (IAS) (27 January to 12 April). It welcomes contributions from all citizens and stakeholder organisations to the new instrument which it aims to develop by 2012. The Commission adopted a Communication "Towards an EU Strategy on Invasive Species (2008)" to address the gap in legislation on IAS. Last year, the Commission outlined its aim to ensure that "by 2020, Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and their pathways are identified and prioritised, priority species are controlled or eradicated, and pathways are managed to prevent the introduction and establishment of new IAS". The focus of the latest consultation is on the policy measures that are now being considered based on the input and feedback from all relevant stakeholders since the start of the process in 2008.
Source: The LIFE Programme
2012-02-02 - 13:00
No results!
1. Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Calpe, Spain: ECDC assesses risk
ECDC_Abstract:
ECDC issues a rapid risk assessment on the cluster of travel-associated Legionnaires disease occurred over a two months period in a hotel in Calpe, Spain.
ECDC_ArticleDate/Deadline: 06/02/2012 00:00
Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
2012-02-06 - 16:37
2. Euro area government debt down to 87.4% of GDP
At the end of the third quarter of 2011, the government debt to GDP ratio in the euro area(EA17) stood at 87.4%, down compared with 87.7% at the end of the second quarter of 2011. In the EU27 the ratio increased from 81.7% to 82.2%. Compared with the third quarter of 2010, the government debt to GDP ratio rose in both the euro area (from 83.2% to 87.4%) and the EU27 (from 78.5% to 82.2%).
Source: Eurostat
2012-02-06 - 10:00
3. Weekly surveillance overview report: increasing geographic spread of influenza in Europe
ECDC_Abstract:
Influenza activity was widespread in four countries in week 4 and present or increasing in the rest of Europe. The subtype A(H3N2) is dominating the season to date but A(H1) and B viruses are also present. This is reported in the latest edition of the ECDC Weekly influenza surveillance report (WISO).
ECDC_ArticleDate/Deadline: 03/02/2012 16:30
Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
2012-02-03 - 15:36
ECDC_Abstract: In January 2012, the ECDC conducted a rapid assessment on the status of surveillance for M. pneumoniae infection in EU and EEA countries. Available data seem to indicate that southern Europe is not yet facing an increase as important as that reported in the north.
ECDC_ArticleDate/Deadline: 03/02/2012 00:00
Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
2012-02-03 - 13:56
5. Volume of retail trade down by 0.4% in euro area
In December 2011, compared with November 2011, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.4% in the euro area (EA17), while it rose by 0.3% in the EU27. In November retail trade decreased by 0.4% and 0.2% respectively.
Source: Eurostat
2012-02-03 - 10:00
6. EPIET MS-Track: Call of expression of interest now open
ECDC_Abstract: The Call for expression of interest for the cohort 2012 of EPIET Member state track (EPIET MS-Track) is now open and has been sent to the coordinating competent body. EU Member states with acknowledged EPIET training site can express their interest in having a fellow trained, deadline is 26 February 2012.
ECDC_ArticleDate/Deadline: 02/02/2012 00:00
Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
2012-02-02 - 12:49
7. Industrial producer prices down by 0.2% in both euro area and EU27
In December 2011, compared with November 2011, the industrial producer price index fell by 0.2% in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27. In November prices increased by 0.2% and 0.4% respectively.
Source: Eurostat
2012-02-02 - 10:00
8. Euro area inflation estimated at 2.7%
Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 2.7% in January 2012 according to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. It was also 2.7% in December 2011.
Source: Eurostat
2012-02-01 - 10:00


