Conference on Entrepreneurship & Innovation

"Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being practiced. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation, the changes and their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful innovation. And they need to know and to apply the principles of successful innovation."

Peter F. Drucker, "The Father of Modern Management"

Concept

Entrepreneurship and innovation are key factors for future European knowledge economies and a stepping-stone to emerge out of the current economic and financial recession. 

In today' and tomorrow's business environment, success is no longer only a matter of having the best product or service. It is the company's ability to respond to change, to recognize the needs of its customers and to understand the value of networks. (Source : Entrepreneurship Europe Network)

Regions have grasped the importance of harnessing the potential of entrepreneurship and innovation and have proven their know how through countless good practices recognised and rewarded by various institutions, including the AER Innovation Award and European Entreprise award, to name but a few.

This thematic conference started off by setting a baseline for the concepts at hand with keynote speakers from various experts. The debate was then broken up in thematic sessions to look at entrepreneurship and innovation in the context of broader concepts highly relevant to regions: energy and climate change ; regional development ; rural development; education.