MANUFUTURE 2008 conference, Saint Etienne, France The MANUFUTURE 2008 conference will be held at Saint Etienne, France, on 8 and 9 December.Organised under the aegis of the French Presidency of the European Union, MANUFUTURE 2008 will focus on 'European regions and SMEs for implementing manufacturing strategic priorities'.... 8 December 2008 - 8 December 2008 France The MANUFUTURE 2008 conference will be held at Saint Etienne, France, on 8 and 9 December.Organised under the aegis of the French Presidency of the European Union, MANUFUTURE 2008 will focus on 'European regions and SMEs for implementing manufacturing strategic priorities'.The conference will address the following issues:- the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing competitiveness and innovation in European industry;- the role of regions and clusters in European manufacturing research and development (R&D);- best governance organisation for successful implementation of R&D priorities in the European manufacturing industry.The two-day conference will be complemented by a brokerage event on 10 December. This event will feature opportunities to meet potential partners and draw up consortia for European projects.For further information, please visit:http://www.manufuture2008.eu/