CORDIS offers new gateway to information and support for innovation policy and practice
All users with an interest in innovation policy and practice can now find a comprehensive range of information and services easily accessible via the new Innovation Portal on CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service. The new service will address the need identified by the latest Innobarometer survey results (see 'Related Stories' below), where only a third of business managers had any knowledge of EU support for innovation. This poor level of awareness was especially true of enterprises with fewer than 250 employees. The portal, available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, publishes weekly the latest news and events related to European innovation, including sections devoted to innovation policy, EU support services provided to enterprises, and innovation within the research framework programmes. In addition, it provides valuable research, background and best-practice resources via a searchable archive of articles on innovation, as well as a library of policy documents and official publications. The Innovation Portal brings together the latest information from a number of different sources, including the European institutions, national authorities, research organisations and enterprises. The section on 'Innovation Policy' includes developments at European, national and regional levels, such as policy documents, research studies, benchmarking reports and market indicators. Practical information on participation in EU innovation activities, along with related funding opportunities, is provided in the section on 'Innovation in the Framework Programmes'. Participating in and benefiting from European research and innovation activities is then facilitated by the organisations assembled in the 'Support Services to Enterprises' section. Users can then benefit from a valuable resource for putting these activities into context and learning from past experience by consulting the 'Articles on Innovation' section. This includes all content published in the European Commission's magazines, 'Innovation & Technology Transfer' and 'Euroabstracts', since January 2000. The articles can be browsed by theme as well as accessed via a full-text search facility. The launch of the CORDIS Innovation Portal will mean that enterprises of all sizes, as well as all other interested parties, can for the first time find all relevant information on European innovation policy and practice conveniently accessible in one location. Please visit the Innovation Portal at the following URL: