Final Report Summary - INDUSTRYTECH2014 (SMART GROWTH THROUGH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION; TOWARDS EUROPE 2020)
Executive Summary:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Industrial Technologies 2014, the third in the series of Industrial Technologies bi-annual conferences, was held in Athens, Greece on April 9-11, 2014. Over 1300 delegates participated in the event, among which 150 high-level speakers presenting nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and new production technologies.
Presentations, workshops, exhibitions, poster displays and competitions over three days demonstrated convincingly the importance of NMP technologies in ensuring that Europe retains a foothold at the very forefront of global manufacturing. Indeed, the importance of European re-industrialization through research and innovation in industrial technologies was the fundamental topic which repeatedly emerged during the course of the three days. Furthermore, the importance of innovation in SME’s through the commercialization of NMP research results, including the support of smart specialization by pushing innovation policy further in the new member states, especially in the Balkan and Mediterranean countries was repeatedly emphasized and highlighted by all key players and was reflected in the committed participation of so many delegates from beyond those borders. The enthusiastic participation of so many delegates in the brokerage sessions demonstrated a very real willingness on the part of those delegates to establish new collaborations.
The event programme featured updates on the latest developments in NMP technologies from many leading research centres and universities and provided practical information on industrial applications from European industrial companies. Inevitably, due to its timing with the Greek EU presidency, the relevance and importance of Horizon 2020 (Europe’s new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation) was repeatedly addressed. Hopes were expressed that the projected growth of this Programme and the strategic positioning of NMP technologies within that Programme, would remain as a characteristic of the Industrial Technologies element of the Programme.
Throughout the conference, the need to focus on bringing nanotechnology advances and how NMP-enabled products change worlds and daily life has been emphasised. The conference has also addressed other areas where nanotechnology can be applied and emphasised how businesses need to move with the times and need to redirect their attention towards transformation into new areas. Furthermore, issues regarding safety of advanced materials and process in terms of nanotechnology were also mentioned. Finally, the impact of nanotechnology in sustainable healthcare, biotechnology and water supply were fields that driven the interest of many delegates.
The conference gave a multi-perspective view on innovation processes, highlighting the critical role of cooperative research and regional development. It discussed the major challenges related to efficient, high quality and agile manufacturing; it contributed a vision about the resource-efficient factories of the future and a comprehensive view on market needs and technology trends for the smart manufacturing systems of the future. It also gave an insight on new approaches to skills development and competence building, in view of the critical role of talent-driven innovation for future manufacturing and the foreseen change of employment pattern in industry towards more knowledge- and skills-intensive jobs.
Finally, through the Greek Showcase and the matchmaking activities bridges of communications between academia and industry were built, supporting the effort to commercialize the new key enabling technologies (KETs). Integration between academia, SMEs and industry will allow innovations to be commercialised and then produced on a large industrial scale (developing demo and pilot lines through clustering activities) for economic growth and job creation. This will bring more cutting-edge technology related jobs and patents back to Europe to complement the knowledge-creation
Project Context and Objectives:
SUMMARY OF PROJECT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES
Industrial Technologies 2014 took place for 3 days from April 09-11 in Athens, Greece. Aim of the conference was to meet high profile speakers from industry, research, and policy, to discuss visions for European industry and research in 2020 and to benefit from growth opportunities from cooperation and funding. The Industrial Technologies 2014 was organized by two CSA projects, IndustryTech and InnoPro, under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Research & Technology (GSRT) and the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union (first semester of 2014). This co-operation of the two actions allowed realising economies of scale and increasing the impact in the target audience by organizing a more attractive event.
The conference, organized by FORTH/ICEHT, Spinverse and SEV for IndustryTech project and LMS, ITIA, ACHAIA, ATHENA, FRIGOGLASS, NEORION for InnoPro project and funded by the EC’s DG research and Innovation, was held at Athens International Conference Centre Megaron (MAICC) (www.maicc.gr) and was one of the most important events of the Greek EU Presidency.
The goal of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference has been to facilitate a multi-perspective view of European stakeholders on innovation for production in Europe, focusing on a regional perspective of innovation drivers for SMEs and the role that new NMP technology deployment is expected to play.
A total of 4 plenary and 17 general conference sessions on Days 1 and 2 were complemented with 20 open workshop sessions during Day1 and 3.
The themes of the sessions stemmed from the discussions with the:
a. Steering Group of the Event,
b. EAG (Expert Advisory Group): This group involved mainly European distinguished experts representing policy, industry and research organisations. Its role was to define the overall aims and architecture of the event and to ensure in depth expertise and wide coverage of the NMP fields, various industrial sectors, strategy, PPP mentality and international aspects
c. NAC (National Advisory Committee): It was consisted of distinguished representatives from academia, governmental agencies and policy, and industry. Its role was to engage with the general public, and the NMP community in Greece
At Annexes 1-2 of the attached file, the members of EAG and NAC are presented.
The speakers and the sessions’ chairmen were chosen also in the same process. Based on the advice of the Steering Group, European Commission representatives, event beneficiaries and the individual experts identified in each theme, the session topics were chosen and speakers to topic invited.
The four (4) plenaries were more general and had to do with: Re-industrialization and smart growth through research and innovation, new technologies impacting everyday life, Improving Europe's competitiveness through regional development and Horizon 2020, NMP and Regional Funds Research Strategies.
The seventeen (17) parallel sessions were composed into five thematic tracks: Advances in nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Materials, energy and transportation: sustainability and efficiency, Progress in manufacturing and production technologies and Innovation and commercialisation with smart specialisation, technology transfer and education. Below the individual sessions with their storyline and agenda are listed. Sessions usually had the form of individual talks followed by questions and answers from the audience. Audiovisual material was incorporated in the majority of the presentations.
It was determined that speakers are invited to cover the above thematic tracks. The topics and speakers chosen, based on the recommendation of the expert groups are listed in the next section of this report. There were in total 110 speakers in the parallel and plenary sessions, i.e. 18 female (16%) and 92 male (84%), including session chairs.
The workshop areas were also determined by the Steering Committee of the Event and the European Commission representatives. All the workshop proposals were evaluated according to their relevance to the conference. Afterwards, proposals with similar objectives were grouped creating a joint workshop. Hence one of the candidates of the group was identified by the Steering Committee of the Event as the joint workshop coordinator/organiser, he/she came in contact with the other candidates in order to select and organize the joint workshop. Workshops are described in the next section of this report.
Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference featured a number of accompanying programmes to enhance the overall conference and exhibition. These are described in the next section of the report and included:
1. Greek showcase
2. Industry Tech 2014 exhibition
3. FutureFlash! Demo competition
4. IndTech for schools
5. Matchmaking
6. Welcome Reception, Poster Viewing, Organiser’s Dinner
7. Conference Dinner and Awards Schedule
The IndustryTech exhibition gave a unique opportunity to European and global actors to showcase their activities, demonstrators and projects to leading research institutes, key industrial actors, high-tech SMEs, policy makers and funding organizations, throughout the three days of the Conference. It was an activity, organized by Spinverse, in which more than 70 exhibitors participated with more than 50 stands.
Also, Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) was in charge of organizing the Greek Showcase event that was associated with the Conference. The aim of the showcase was to address a representative range of technologies related to the overall NMP Programme. In this context, SEV acted as interface for recruiting representative cases from multiple industrial sectors in Greece. The Greek Showcase was integrated into the exhibition of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference. Specific showcase sessions drew the attention of delegates to Greek innovative companies and projects.
Another parallel event that also took place in the exhibition area was the Future Flash! Demo, which was also organized by Spinverse. Core of the “Future Flash! Demo” was innovative science, creativity and design, related to nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology and/or high-tech manufacturing, influencing future and everyday life. It was an opportunity to explore concepts of future products and new technologies, soon coming into everyday life. The delegates had the chance to see, touch and explore the latest and boldest inventions from new materials and 3-D printed objects to robots and sensors and other emerging technologies covering the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials and high-tech manufacturing.
The Best Project Award competition was organized to highlight the excellent research carried out in the context of the collaborative R&D projects launched under the FP7 and earlier EU Framework Programmes in the field of Industrial Technologies. The projects awarded in two categories: completed and ongoing projects. Six (3+3) finalists were selected based on the submissions to the open call, the main criteria being the results the projects have achieved; recognizing the difference between completed projects and their commercial results, and ongoing projects with the main emphasis on their research results. The Best Project Award handed out during the Gala Dinner on Thursday April 10th.
In addition, over 130 posters, related to nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and production technologies, were displayed at Industrial Technologies 2014. The poster session took place for all the days of the conference, while on the second day (10 April 2014) in an area around 300m2, the participants had the chance to discuss with the exhibitors and poster presenters. During this session, the Evaluation Committee decided for the 3 Poster Awards of Industrial Technologies to be given during the conference. The Best Poster Awards handed out also during the Conference Dinner.
Additional, PRAXI/HELP-FORWARD Network, member of Enterprise Europe Network – Hellas, organized the international matchmaking event during Industrial Technologies 2014. The matchmaking event supported its participants in finding technology partners, e.g. for the upcoming EU Horizon 2020 calls. The matchmaking took place on the 11th of April 2014 (Day 3 of Industrial Technologies 2014) with 250 registered participants.
In the context of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference, LMS organized the Industrial Technologies for Schools, which was a national outreach activity targeting high-school students. This activity had the following objectives:
• Acquaint students with modern industrial technologies, including nanotechnologies, advanced materials and new production technologies
• Engage them in a debate about the relevance of industrial technologies with the grand societal challenges of Europe (e.g. resources efficiency, ageing society, innovative societies etc.)
• Promote creative thinking through a project-based competition
• Enable students to actively participate in the Conference, present their ideas and interact with the European Industrial Technologies community
More than 160 students from 11 schools have been actively engaged in the activity.
Over 1300 delegates were received for Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference with visitors travelling from 62 countries in addition to many delegates from Greece. The percentage per country participation is presented on the attached file.
An evening reception sponsored by the Mayor of Athens was held on 8th of April 2014 at an official conference hotel. A Welcome Reception for all delegates was held in the Megaron Athens International Conference Center, while a dinner for Plenary and Session Speakers at the Acropolis Museum Restaurant, combined with a prior visit to the museum, took place on Day 1. On Day 2, a Conference Dinner was attended by about 1000 delegates at the Piraeus port warehouses. During the evening, the guests had the chance to enjoy some of the best sides of Greece having been collected to the programme and the dinner of the evening. The attendees of this Greek Night dinner were the first to hear about the winners of the Best Project and Best Poster competitions, as well as the Most Innovative Exhibitor award.
The Best Project Awards winners were:
• Project REFREEPERMAG, Prof. Dimitrios Niarchos, GREECE
• Project AUTOSUPERCAP, Dr. Constantina Lekakou, UK
• Project PLAST4FUTURE, Prof. Anders Kristensen, Denmark
• Project AQUAVIR, Prof. Noemi Rozlosnik, Denmark
The Best completed Project Awards winners were:
• Project PROMINE, Lead by: Dr. Juha Kaija, FINLAND
• Project NAD, Lead by: Prof. Massimo Masserini, Italy
• Project LIGHT-ROLLS,Lead by Dr. David Gonzalez, Spain
• Project SONORUS – Lead by Mr. Joan Guasch, Spain
For the Best Poster Competition the winners were:
• Dr Nikos Pantelelis, R&D Director, Synthesites Innovative Technologies, with a poster entitled : “Automatic process control for composites manufacturing”
• Prof. Ioanna Zergioti: LaserMicroFab, Physics Department, National Technical University of Athens, with a poster entitled : “Laser Digital Micro‐Nano fabrication for Organic Electronics and Sensor applications”
• Ms. Isella Vicini, Warrant Group S.r.l with a poster entitled: “EFEVE: Development of a new high performance material to make super strong and lightweight components”
A post-conference survey was conducted addressing the conference attendees. 123 responses were received and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Some of the key responses are graphically outlined in Annex 26 of the attached file.
Project Results:
MAIN PROJECT RESULTS
The successful preparation and launch of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference has been the main result of the INDUSTRY TECH 2014 and INNO-PRO 2014 CSA projects.
In the following paragraphs a deeper insight in this outcome is provided, including the S&T Conference Programme and the accompanying events.
1. Conference Programme structure and content
The Conference Agenda, the 4 plenary sessions, 17 parallel sessions and 20 workshops are presented in Annex 3 of the attaced file. Speaker details for the sessions are also provided.
2. Content of Accompanying Programmes
2.1 Greek Showcase
SEV contacted 72 Greek industries to confirm their willingness to participate in such an activity. It has been considered evident that the enterprises consent should be asked, in order for them to participate in the event; moreover they should provide with the exhibition material. SEV finally concluded in 27 industries that were presented in the Showcase. The list of the participants is presented on Table 2 of the attached file. The option that was selected and finally implemented provided for a single exhibition booth of 42m2 that presented technological achievements of the industries selected. Presentation was based on visual material that was projected on eight (8) screens around the room. Visual material was provided by the enterprises themselves and referred to innovative or high-tech applications or processes they may present. The focus was on the presentation of innovative products, or applied research achievements, pilot application or pilot lines, however the overall technological and production capability of the industries was presented as well. The key message that SEV wished to convey is that there exists a significant technological and industrial base in Greece that can produce innovation and high technological value. SEV occupied a prominent “space” in the Showcase, projecting a presentation that highlighted the importance of the technology-enabled transformation of the economy and indicating Technology and Innovation priorities as well as opportunities for growth in the Greek economy through the 2020s.
2.2 Industry Tech 2014 exhibition
The Industrial Technologies 2014 conference, in combination with the IndustryTech 2014 exhibition organised by Spinverse, brought over 85 co-exhibitors (see Annex) an opportunity to showcase their activities, demonstrators and projects to leading research institutes, key industrial actors, high-tech SMEs, policy makers, funding organisations and media – the exhibition being a unique chance to raise visibility, not forgetting about networking with current and new partners and customers, and dissemination of research results.
The most innovative exhibitor award was given during the Greek Night Dinner, to the PLAST4FUTURE project for their sustainable approach to new forms of manufacturing and their enthusiastic presentation of that. In the previous years, the exhibitors have mentioned the following as the main benefits of having an exhibition stand:
• Visibility and awareness for your activities, products and ideas
• Networking across a range of industries, organisation types and countries
• Contacts to future project partners and potential EU project consortia
• Contacts to current and potential customers and interested users of the technologies you develop
• Contacts to the European Commission representatives: a way to gain new information and show your achievements
• Staying up-to-date with current trends in industrial technologies
2.3 FutureFlash! Shedding different light on science and innovation
The demo competition working title was renamed into FutureFlash! demo area, which was co-located with the IndustryTech 2014 exhibition. At the core of this showcase are innovative science, creativity and design, related to nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology and high-tech manufacturing, influencing our future and everyday life. Its visitors have the opportunity to see, touch and explore the latest and boldest inventions covering the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials and high-tech manufacturing. The creators of the exhibits are also present demonstrating their ideas at the FutureFlash! exhibition in Athens. At first, the FutureFlash! Competition was launched on 30.10.2013 with the original deadline 31.12.2013. However, due to the winter break the deadline was extended to 31.01.2014. The competition received 13 submissions, out of which the following 10 were selected.
These 10 projects were invited to the Industrial Technologies 2014 conference and not only received a complimentary ticket, but also got their exhibition costs in relation to FutureFlash! covered.
Nanopinion
Special presence at the FutureFlash! was given to NanOpinion - an EC-funded project bringing together 17 partners from 11 countries with the aim of monitoring public opinion on what we expect from innovation with nanotechnologies.
The project promotes informed social debate over the Internet through:
• Website of NanOpinion with surveys, questionnaires and blogs. It also offers an extensive online repository with more than 150 educational and informational resources on the subject.
• 4 media channels that publish news and opinion on nanotechnologies to help citizens to make up their minds on a variety of topics of debate: The Guardian (UK), El Mundo (Spain), Le Courrier International (France), and TiConUno.
• Intensive communication campaigns with actions in social media channels such as Twitter & Facebook
NanOpinion was present at the FutureFlash!, with surveys and materials presented on (touch) screens. It also had materials for visiting pupils prepared for the NMP in schools activity on day 3.
FutureFlash! stand layout
Being selected as one of the 10 participants to the FutureFlash! area included also free dissemination space at the conference. Spinverse asked the exhibition building company to design a space that offers a best way to present the exhibits and organisations:
2.4 IndTech for Schools
Industrial Technologies for Schools was a national outreach activity of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference, organized by LMS – University of Patras.
Student teams from the following schools participated in this activity:
• Arsakeio Lyceum of Patras
• Arsakeio Lyceum of Psyhico
• Arsakeio – Tositsio Lyceum of Ekali
• Evangeliki Model School of Smyrna
• German School of Athens
• Ionidios Model Experimental Lyceum of Piraeus
• Model Experimental Lyceum of Patras
• Pierce – The American College of Greece
• Prototype Experimental Lyceum of the University of Patras
• Varvakeion Model Experimental Lyceum
• Zanneio Model Experimental Lyceum
The activity was organised with the following objectives:
• Acquaint students with modern industrial technologies, including nanotechnologies, advanced materials and new production technologies
• Engage them in a debate about the relevance of industrial technologies with the grand societal challenges of Europe (e.g. resources efficiency, ageing society, innovative societies etc.)
• Promote creative thinking through a project-based competition
• Enable students to actively participate in the Conference, present their ideas and interact with the European Industrial Technologies community
The activity was structured in two parts:
Part 1
• Presentations in schools on the state of play and future perspectives of modern NMP technologies
• Visits of school teams to academic / research facilities including demonstrations of relevant technologies
Part 2
The school teams addressed the question “What can NMP technologies do for addressing the grand societal challenges with a view to year 2020?” and conceptualized a product / service based on advanced NMP technologies addressing in a novel way an everyday life problem associated with Europe’s Grand Societal Challenges
Each school team delivered a short report describing the product / service idea, as well as a poster to be exhibited at the posters area, with the key concepts of their proposal.
The reported product / service ideas were reviewed and evaluated by three (3) members of the Conference Expert Advisory Group (EAG) with respect to the relevance with societal challenges and NMP technologies, the clarity, the innovation level, the potential impact / application range etc.
On Friday, 11th of April 2014 (Conference Day 3), a workshop dedicated to the Industrial Technologies for Schools activity took place in the Conference venue. All school teams participating in the activity presented their ideas on stage. The competition results were announced at the end of the Workshop and an award was given to the winning teams:
• 1st Prize: Zanneio Model Experimental Lyceum
• 2nd Prize: Arsakeio Lyceum of Patras
• 3rd Prize: Evangeliki Model School of Smyrna & Varvakeio Model Experimental Lyceum
More than 160 students from 11 schools have been actively engaged in the activity.
IndTech for Schools has been organized for the first time in the context of an Industrial Technologies Conference. It delivered a “student-eye” view on the future potential of industrial technologies and a “flavor” of out-of-the-box thinking on applications of NMP technologies.
Based on all stakeholders’ feedback, it has been considered a very successful pilot activity
2.5 Matchmaking
The matchmaking event was part of the official activities of the Industrial Technologies 2014 conference and took place on the 11th of April, the final day of the conference. It's purpose was to provide the opportunities to conference participants and Greek SMEs and researchers outside the conference to have one-to-one meetings and seek future collaborations at technical and research level. The matchmaking event was organised by PRAXI Network. PRAXI Network (www.help-forward.gr) is a specific administrative unit of FORTH created from a strategic alliance of the Research and the Industrial world in Greece.
It was established in 1991 by FORTH (main stakeholder) and the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), with the support of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT). PRAXI Network operates in the fields of technology transfer and international cooperation addressing small and medium sized enterprises and research institutions all over Greece. Its services range from information to mediation and advisory support, covering the whole spectrum of activities related to research collaboration, technology transfer, commercial exploitation of research results and international collaboration for the promotion of the EU framework programmes in 3rd countries. It is one of the main NCP organisations in Greece; it coordinates the Greek Enterprise Europe Network consortium and runs the liaison office for FORTH.
PRAXI Network organised the matchmaking event with the assistance of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and NMP TeAm both funded by the EU. The Enterprise Europe Network (een.ec.europa.eu) is a key instrument in the EU's strategy to boost growth and jobs. It brings together close to 600 business support organisations from more than 50 countries, providing services to SMEs related to internationalisation, technology transfer, access to finance, advice on EU law and standards, advice on IPR etc. Among its activities is the organisation of matchmaking / brokerage events where participants have the opportunity to meet potential partners for research or business collaboration. In three years, the Enterprise Europe Network has held more than 19,000 local events, with more than 742,000 participants. PRAXI Network is coordinator of the Greek consortium. NMP TeAm (www.nmpteam.com) is the EU funded initiative to assist and animate the network of National Contact Points (NCPs) for the priority LEIT/NMP of H2020 providing, among others, tools to assist SMEs and researchers participate in H2020. NMP TeAm runs a very successful Partner Search Facility and organizes Brokerage Events in collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network for the benefit of NCPs' clients.
The event was actively supported by the following Enterprise Europe Network nodes from other countries:
o NETHERLANDS – Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend 77Nederland
o RUSSIAN FEDERATION – Russian Technology Transfer Network
o SPAIN
a. NanoBasque Agency-SPRI
b. Red de Institutos Tecnológicos de la Comunitat Valenciana (REDIT)
o TURKEY – Sabanci University
Prior to the event and for the more efficient handling of the event, a specialised electronic tool (B2Match www.b2match.eu) was used for the management of the participants, their cooperation profiles and the selection of meetings. The tool gives the opportunity to participants to register profiles on their organisations and what collaboration opportunity they are looking for. It also allows them to see all cooperation profiles and request meetings with other participants. Once accepted, the system automatically creates meeting schedules for each participant. The tool is easy to use, minimizes event management and mistakes and is very reliable.
The event took place on the 11th of April 2013 on the third day of the conference. 8 staff members from PRAXI Network and another 3 Enterprise Europe Network colleagues from abroad assisted clients on the spot to implement their meetings and also with managing issues that came up. 2 of them were dedicated secretariat, while 2 persons were responsible for assisting clients booking meetings on the spot.
There were 243 participants from 35 countries with 764 scheduled meetings
2.6 Welcome Reception, Poster Viewing, Speakers Dinner, Conference Dinner
Speakers’ pre-welcome dinner
The pre welcome reception for the speakers that arrived on the 8th of April in Athens, took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with the kind contribution of the Mayor’s Office and the City of Athens. This event was not included in the original planning, due to limited budget. However, FORTH in cooperation with the PCO (SKINIKA SA), managed to obtain this in kind contribution from the Athens Mayor’s Office. The reception begun at 20:30 and it included unlimited Greek wine and finger food. Mr. George Broulias, Director of the Tourism and economic development company, represented the Mayor.
Welcome reception
The welcome reception was arranged to take place in Athens Megaron Conference center, right after the conclusion of the first day’s work. The reception took place at the Megaron foyer and it included unlimited Greek wine and Greek finger food. Welcome speech was given by Director Ms. Clara de la Torre.
Poster viewing
Over 130 posters, related to nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and production technologies, were displayed at Industrial Technologies 2014. The poster session lasted for the three days (9-11 April 201), while on the second day of the conference (10 April 2014), in an area around 300 m2 the conference participants had the chance to discuss with the exhibitors and poster presenters. During this session, the Evaluation Committee decided for the 3 Poster Awards of Industrial Technologies to be given during the conference.
Speakers dinner
On the 8th of April, at 20:00 the speakers official dinner had been arranged at the Acropolis museum restaurant. Buses transferred the speakers from the Athens Megaron Conference Center to the restaurant and then back to the Conference official hotels. Upon the speakers arrival to the museum, a special tour by assigned tour guides took place prior to the dinner. Prof. Costas Galiotis gave a small welcome speech.
Conference Dinner and Awards Schedule
A special Greek night, for all 1200 delegates, took place on the 10th of April, at the Piraeus port warehouse. The aim of the event was to depict the Greek hospitality, offer fine Greek gastronomy and accommodate in the best possible way the requirements of the evening. The Piraeus port warehouses were the ideal location, as it could accommodate sitting for 1200 people and at the same time it represented the evolution of Industry in modern Greece.
Arrangements for the transfer of the total of the participants had been made, under the PCO guidance that was responsible for the whole project management.
The duration of the entertainment program was more than one hour and 30’ in total (from arrival to departure). The entertainment plan included the following three parts, arrival, main event, closing. During the arrival a string quartet welcomed the guests, playing music from classical composers (both Greek & other European countries). The quartet’s program covered the guests’ arrival time period.
The group Opera Chaotique, an acknowledged band for their artistic program, which combines classic with modern music, presented the second part of the entertainment program. The band prepared a special show only for the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference, a camvas of famous opera songs. Their program was more than just plain opera performance, a mix of theatre playing and sketch performances with a comic twist. The third part included performance of famous Greek songs by the group “Gordios Desmos”, who entertained the guests with famous Greek songs performed by renowned Greek performers. In Annex 4, the detailed schedule for the dinner is presented
Potential Impact:
DISSEMINATION AND IMPACT
A. Marketing Plan covering pre-event, event and post-event activities
The international marketing plan and a related timeline for Industrial Technologies 2014 were made in early July 2013 by Spinverse. This marketing plan included the following parts:
1. Giving an overview of the event (date, location, themes, contents)
2. Details on the type of attendees to target and their interests
3. Details of the marketing tools to be used. For these, the categories of Online, Offline and Networks were used:
a. Online tools: Social media, Scientific portals, Online Newspaper, Communities, Personal Email, Partner Newsletter, Press Releases, Event Link on partner site
b. Offline tools: Academic Journals and other Publications, Articles and advertisements in relevant magazines, Events, Press Releases
c. Networks: Newsletter, Partner news, Private messages, Steering group and Expert Advisory Group contacts
4. Marketing activities to be used, listed and scheduled on a timeline
5. Schedule and planned content for the bi-weekly Industrial Technologies 2014 newsletter
6. Direct partner channels and influencers listed
7. Relevant events listed
8. List of proposed advertising, including online ads (Google, LinkedIn), printed advertising and other paid advertising
9. A list of media partner candidates and descriptions of the different media partner packages
The marketing plan was updated by Spinverse until the event in April 2014. It functioned as a basis for scheduling and implementing all the marketing activities in relation to the Industrial Technologies 2014.
In addition, a Greek national marketing plan was made by the Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) - SKINIKA S.A.. In particular, SKINIKA S.Α is among the leading independent production houses in Greece, holding absolute business and creative autonomy. Their work is to form, produce and manage big scale events and conferences, to execute the production of TV spots and feature films and to design and construct unforgettable sceneries.
The national marketing plan and a related timeline for Industrial Technologies 2014 was made in early October 2013, based on and following the international strategy. The national marketing goals set, were to establish the Conference as the largest in the field of NMP under the Greek Presidency and raise both the quality and quantity of the registrations.
The plan was initiated middle of October 2013 and run through April 2014. The activities included local media partnerships establishment, use of the organizers communication means (newsletters, websites, press relations), web publicity and Conference event & stage design look and feel.
B. Graphic Design activities
The graphic design to be used as the visual identity of Industrial Technologies 2014 was designed in July – August 2013 and finalised in early September 2013. It was created by Spinverse in collaboration with their sub-contracted designer Redland and approved by the project Steering Group. Additional and updated materials were created until the event in April 2014. The materials include the conference logo, newsletter template, website template, document templates, roll-up, flyer and different versions and sizes of banners (both static and animated) and print advertisements. All the materials were based on the same design in order to maintain the brand identity. See annexes 5-7 for examples of the materials.
The design was based on the designs used for the previous Industrial Technologies conferences, and the colours (blue and warm yellow) were chosen to represent Greece as the host country: Yellow resembles the warm, welcoming sun and blue comes from the Greek flag.
From February to March 2014, the conference brochure materials were created in cooperation with the designer. These included the delegate badges and the conference book of 16 pages to be given out to all the delegates. At the same time, other materials to be used at the event location were designed, such as the walls of the registration desks, the USB sticks, pens and notebooks to be given to the delegates, and the slides to be shown on LED Boards around the venue.
C. Marketing materials
The majority of the marketing materials were created by Spinverse and their sub-contracted designer Redland and approved by the project Steering Group
Marketing materials included the following:
1. Banners and Roll-ups
2. Flyers
3. Media Kit and Press Kit
4. Media partnership presentation, newsletters, marketing emails
5. Stakeholder/conference presentations
A number of specific materials to be used in national marketing were produced by Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) – SKINIKA S.A. Particularly, the event and stage design was inspired by the Conference logo and its theme. Circular special constructions of 1 m in diameter were used to decorate the main halls of the Conference. The spheres were colored through lighting, creating a firm yet welcoming decoration that enhanced the Conference brand. The design included
1. Banners and Roll-ups
2. Signage
3. Stage design
4. Publicity banners
5. Projectors theme
See Annexes 8-15 of the attached file for examples of the materials.
D. Marketing Activities and Results
Website statistics:
In eight months (243 days), from the website launch until the 5th of May 2014, over 62.000 visits originated from 39.874 unique visitors. Almost half (42%) of all the visitors came to the website by typing the URL. However the marketing efforts paid off as 51% of the website visitors found the site from a search engine, referring website, social media, directory or an e-mail advertisement
Promoting the event at other conferences:
The Industrial Technologies 2014 was also presented and marketed at other conferences and events related to the field.
Christiane Hepp of Spinverse attended the ICT 2013 conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 06-08, 2013, and promoted IndTech 2014 to the event attendees.
On behalf of FORTH, Prof. Costas Galiotis, attended the GRAPHESP 2014 (A European Conference/Workshop on the Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Graphene) in Lanzarote, Spain, in February 18-21 and promoted IndTech 2014 to the event attendees. Also, he has informed the GSRT (General Secretariat of Research and Technology) that Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference will be held under its auspices as an event of Greek EU Presidency 2014.
A marketing partnership between IndTech2014 and Nanotech Japan was initiated in September 2013. Industrial Technologies 2014 was advertised on the Nanotech Japan website since September 2013, and in the Nanotech Japan newsletter in December 2013. In addition, IndTech 2014 flyers were given out at a specific table at the Nanotech Japan event in January 2014.
Printed ads were published in the Physics World and CERN Courier journals. Both these journals were available at the 2013 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in December 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In addition, Spinverse promoted the event in a variety of national events and trainings in Finland related to the event topics, giving out flyers to the event participants.
Newsletters:
The Industrial Technologies 2014 newsletter was created and sent bi-weekly by Spinverse. It was approved by the project Steering group each time before sending. The newsletters included topics related to the event proceedings, such as speakers and programme, hot topics, event registration, networking, exhibition, and the calls for workshops, best project, best poster, and the FutureFlash! innovation showcase.
The first newsletter was published on 09.10.2013 and the last one before the event on 03.04.2014.
In addition to the newsletters prior the event, one newsletter was published after the ENF, on 12.05.2014. This very last one included information about the conference materials availability online, including presentations and photographs, as well as the results of the best project, best poster and most innovative exhibitor awards.
IndTech 2014 Newsletters:
1. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Calls for Workshops, Posters, and Projects, 9.10.2013
2. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Make your innovations visible!, 30.10.2013
3. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Register to the conference now!, 13.11.2013
4. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Last chance to apply for a workshop!, 26.11.2013
5. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Open calls and Early Bird fees, 10.12.2013
6. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Calls closing, new speakers confirmed!, 20.12.2013
7. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Calls closing in 4 days, new speakers announced!, 08.01.2014
8. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Early Bird registrations only until tomorrow!, 14.01.2014
9. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Register to the matchmaking now and meet your future partners!, 28.01.2014
10. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Explore the opportunities!, 11.02.2014
11. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Workshop schedule published - register now!, 25.02.2014
12. Industrial Technologies 2014 – A month to go: Innovative ideas for your benefit, 11.03.2014
13. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Two weeks to go: Download the conference app and have the event schedule on your mobile phone!, 27.03.2014
14. Industrial Technologies 2014 starts in a week: Useful information, 03.04.2014
The newsletters were sent to over 8000 recipients and also published on the event website and Twitter. In total, the newsletter was opened over 12.073 times before the event and received over 2.200 clicks with a click through rate of 0,183 %, meaning that every fifth person that opened the newsletter also visited the event website.
The average opening rate is around 20 % and an average click rate around 2 %. The opening rate is higher than the industry average (15,72%) which reflects the quality of the content and importance of the event.
In addition, Spinverse provided the DG RTD NMP with newsletters, marketing and communications materials to raise awareness among their EU projects and NCPs. Spinverse also contacted NCPs directly to invite them to the event. Furthermore, newsletters were provided to the media partners for further distribution as well as to European Technology Platforms and other related associations and clusters.
Media Partnership:
One important part of the marketing activities for the Industrial Technologies 2014 was the development of media partnerships. Five different media partnership packages were created by Spinverse, with the option to adjust them to the desired level of the possible partners. Most of the media partnerships were based on adjusted packages. New partnerships were created from August 2013 until March 2014 by Spinverse.
Media Partnership packages aimed at increased visibility for both parties. They included standard activities such as logo and link exchange on websites, in the conference guide, tickets to the event and a possibility for space on the Media Table at the event for the partner. In turn, IndTech 2014 received publicity in the forms of logo and link exchange on websites; event description and other information published on websites and newsletters; mentions in event listings and social media; as well as printed and online published advertisements. The targeted media were strategic players located in various EU member states, and active especially in the fields of technology, science, business & finance in relation to nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and / or production technologies. Possible partners included both online and offline magazines, newspapers and other media. In addition to Media Partners, a couple of organizations were listed as partners and sponsors, sharing information about the Industrial Technologies 2014 on their website or in their newsletters.
Media partners of Industrial Technologies 2014:
1. Asian News Channel
2. AZoNetwork
3. Bentham Science Publishers
4. Insight Publishers / Projects magazine
5. LifeSciencesUpdate
6. Materials Today
7. Nafigate
8. Nanocarriers
9. Nanotech 2014 Expo Japan
10. Nanopaprika.eu
11. NanoPRO
12. Nanotechnology.org.il
13. Nanotechweb.org
14.NIA - Nanotechnology Industries Association
15. Research Media
16. PubliTec
17. Physics World
Partners and Sponsors:
1. Amires
2. Artion
3. EFFRA
4. Enterprise Europe Network
5. ETPIS
6. gr2014.eu
7. Hellenic Republic Secretariat General of Mass Media and Secretariat General of Information and Communication
8. IndustryTech 2014
9. KMM-VIN
10. microTEC
11. Nanofutures
12. Kainotomia Innovation
13. Photonics21
14. Skinika
15. University of Lund
Social media:
Twitter
The Industrial Technologies 2014 Twitter account (IndTech2014) was opened in September 2013 and used for marketing purposes. All the newsletters were posted on Twitter as links, as well as information about approaching deadlines, other event information, and pieces of news. Retweets were used for other users’ post related to the Industrial Technologies 2014. In addition, the keyword #indtech2014 was used to mark posts about the event, by the event account and by other users mentioning it in their tweets. The event account has 444 followers and is following 1215 users, relevant to the industrial technologies community. The development of the amount of followers can be seen from the picture below: In the beginning of the year 2014, the account had about 200 followers, but right after the conference the number was already over 400. This growing number reflects the interest in the tweets posted, and the benefits from Twitter as a channel for receiving the latest news about the event.
In total, 349 tweets were posted from the IndTech2014 account. In addition, the account was mentioned in 200 tweets, especially during the conference in April. Posts by the IndTech2014 account were retweeted 86 times.
Facebook
The Industrial Technologies 2014 Facebook account (Industrial Technologies 2014) was opened in December 2013. The purpose and contents of the Facebook page were very similar to the Twitter account in their amount and contents: All the newsletters were posted on Facebook as links, as well as information about approaching deadlines, other event information, and pieces of news.
The event Facebook page was liked and followed by 117 people. These people were divided in genders and age groups as presented in the attached file.
Flickr
On flickr, impressions from the 3-day event were published. At the time of writing, 185 pictures were added to the photo album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/123565410@N05/?deleted=13988645838) .
Paid Advertising
LinkedIn
The Industrial Technologies 2014 LinkedIn page was created as a company in November 2013. In addition to the paid advertisements described below, the page was used to share news and updates about the event, in a manner similar to the Twitter and Facebook pages. The LinkedIn page of the event has 179 followers.
The advertisements and sponsored updates on LinkedIn were targeted to an audience consisting of people representing relevant countries, industries, functions and job titles, also depending on the contents of each ad or post.
Sponsored updates
Sponsored updates on LinkedIn appear as updates in the news feed of the users in the targeted audience. However, they are visible for a longer period than non-sponsored updates of LinkedIn users. The sponsored updates were used to gain audience to the important messages related to the Industrial Technologies 2014 event, such as the open calls and the registration deadlines.
The Sponsored updates in LinkedIn were started in November 2013 and the last campaign ended in January 2014. In total, the six campaigns had 686,537 impressions and 987 clicks, with a CTR of 0.144 % and cost per click of 3.42 EUR.
Advertisements:
Advertisements on LinkedIn appear on the side of the front page after logging in, with an image (the conference logo) and a brief text. These advertisements were used to give brief information about the event in general, and about the deadlines related to the open calls and registrations.
The advertisements on LinkedIn were started in November 2013 and the last campaign ended in February 2014. In total, the seven campaigns had 7,095,805 impressions and 943 clicks, with a CTR of 0.013 % and cost per click of 3.58 EUR.
GoogleAds
Two different types of GoogleAds campaigns were used to raise awareness about the Industrial Technologies 2014 conference online: Search campaigns were used first from November to December 2013 and then from December 2013 to January 2014, and a display campaign was utilised from November to December 2013.
The campaigns in November – December 2013 were about the open calls and registrations, whereas the campaign from December to January encouraged its audience to register to the conference. There were several different advertisements published under each search campaign, targeted at different audiences (e.g. nano, materials, etc.), and with different wordings of each one of them. On the other hand, the display campaign had a more general audience.
In search campaigns, ad extensions were exploited, allowing the use of “sub-ads” below the actual ad text and thus making it possible to advertise e.g. all the open calls at the same time.
The results of the campaigns are presented in the attached file
Physics World
A printed ad was included in the December 2013 issue of the Physics World journal. The publication was made available at the 2013 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in December 2013
CERN Courier
A printed ad was included in the December 2013 issue of the Physics World journal. The publication was made available at the 2013 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in December 2013
Conference Application
The conference app was deployed in order to enable the event participants to have an up-to-date event agenda and venue maps on their mobile phones, in addition to information about speakers, exhibitors, and the event in general. Also the brokerage day meeting schedules were integrated to this application. All this information was updated regularly before the event, and twice a day during the conference.
This conference application, provided by Conference4me, was available for download on Android, Windows Phone, and iOS phones. In total, 221 persons downloaded the app to their mobile phone.
Press and Media :
Media Webpage, Media Kit and Hot Topics
The Media Page under the Industrial Technologies 2014 event website was updated regularly by Spinverse to include general information about the conference and various downloads: all the IndTech newsletters, the conference banners and the flyer, press releases, media kit, conference information packages, information about media partnerships (see “media partnership” paragraph above) and contact information of the organisers responsible for the media contacts.
The Media Kit was created by Spinverse in September 2013 and updated regularly until the event in April 2014. The Media Kit was available on the event website. It was provided to media representatives when communicating with them and giving them information about the event.
Five articles about hot topics, covering the highlights at Industrial Technologies 2014, were prepared by Spinverse and two of them by FORTH. These hot topics were available on the event website and used to promote the event in the newsletter and other communications means:
Press Relations
International press
Industrial Technologies 2014 event, as well as individual speakers have enjoyed widespread coverage in a variety of international media outlets. Over 1000 press invitations were sent to the members of the international press and media, gaining about a 7% response rate. However, due to the unavailability of the press travel budget within the Industrial Technologies 2014 project, the participation rate of journalists was modest.
Conversely, the organisation in charge of registration was unable to provide a visa support letter on time, Asian News Channel had to cancel the participation of the entire media crew.
Throughout the press invitation process, various channels of communication were utilized, such as communication offices of the European Commission (DG Research & Innovation) and Research & Innovation Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council).
A tailored Press kit was sent to the members of the international press and media together with the invitation letter. The Press kit was created by Spinverse in September 2013 and updated regularly until the event in April 2014. While registered press received a Press programme indicated in the attached file.
Press Releases
The Spinverse international press team distributed 3 press releases on the event, highlighting a range of topics, including new technologies in every day's life, re-industrialisation, smart growth and regional development in Europe, comprising sustainability and competitiveness issues. A broad range of press coverage was achieved from the international broadcast media, newspapers, specialist publications and online titles. The press releases are available at the Industrial Technologies 2014 webpage. See also annexes 16-18
Distribution
Due to the limited resources for the PR activities within the Industrial Technologies 21014 project budget most of the press-release distribution had been done through the invited members of the international press and media as well as free press-release distribution services, namely:
1. pressbox.co.uk
2. 24-7 pressrelease
3. 1888 Pressrelease
4. PR Splash
5. eNewswire
6. PR Log
7. pr-inside
8. NewsWireToday
9. Delovoy Peterburg
10. prleap
Press coverage
The headlines were available on popular news search engines like Google News, Yahoo News, Silobreaker, Topix.com Congoo News, Technology Headlines, Crayton Communications, Science and Technology News Today, News Wire Today, World News Report EIN News, VentureVolga, pr-bg.com Anthony Hunters blog, James Timothy White blog, Page2RSS, Noticiaspress and alike.
During the event itself, all sectors of the press and media were involved, from print and digital to the audio-visual media, highlighting the interest by the public for the issues discussed during the event.
Press coverage was reported to be in English, Greek, Bulgarian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. Press releases and articles together with interviews, conducted with the key speakers were widely published internationally, appeared in several newspapers and magazines as well as made headline news on radio and television.
Extensive coverage of the Industrial Technologies 2014 should be provided by the IOP Publishing and the Research Media, who attended the conference and recorded interviews with several speakers. Those interviews will be released within their publishing schedule following the conference.
All the international distributed press releases are attached at the Annexes 16-18 of the attached file.
Press conferences
Press conference 1: had been initially planned by Spinverse for 9.4.2014 however one week prior to the event the coordination was moved to FORTH.
Initial programme is indicated at Annex 19
One week prior to the event Press conference 2 planning was initiated. The press conference took place on 10.04.2014 in form of Press Q&A session. The event suffered an unforeseen poor press attendance due to a bomb explosion outside the Bank of Greece at the same time.
The Press Q&A programme is defined at Annex 20 of the attached file
National Press Activities
National press / Press Relations
Industrial Technologies 2014 event as well as the individual speakers, enjoyed widespread coverage in a variety of national media outlets such as radio stations, national television and major Greek websites & blogs. A tailored Press kit, which included invitation to the official press conference, Press programme (Spinverse), press release and short bio of the plenary speakers was sent to accredited journalists, covering all media outlets. Throughout the press invitation process, various channels of communication were utilized, such as FORTH’s and SEV press offices.
Media Partnerships
Following the conference overall marketing plan, the assigned from FORTH partner, company Big Secret developed media partnerships with the National television (NERIT) and the major newspaper Kathimerini, especially active in the fields of technology, science, business & finance. Both partners promoted the event with activities such as printed and online published advertisements, promotion of relevant press releases, after event publicity in exchange to tickets to the event and a possibility for space on the Media Table and interviews with selected speakers.
Advertisements
Through the media partnerships achieved, print insertions were published in Kathimerini newspaper on the dates: 04-04 & 08-04. The Conference web banners (designed by Spinverse), linked to the official website, were displayed on their website from late February till the 10th of April.
NERIT, promoted the conference by displaying the conference web banners from early March until the 10th of April. Furthermore, an extensive web campaign ran during March promoting the Conference and registrations.
Press coverage
Press releases and articles together with interviews, conducted with key speakers were widely published nationally and appeared in several newspapers and magazines as well as made headline news on radio and television. The national television, NERIT supported the Conference, offering extensive coverage through their media.
Live Streaming
The opening plenary was streamed through the Conference official website as well as through the National television official website.
Press releases
The assigned to national PR and marketing activities partner, distributed 3 press releases on the event, and a series of small articles which highlighted new technologies, re-industrialisation, and regional development. A broad range of press coverage was achieved from the national media, newspapers, specialist publications and online titles.
All the national press releases are presented in the annexes 21-24 of the attached file.
List of Websites:
Project website address: www.industrialtechnologies2014.eu
For further Information, contact:
Prof. Costas Galiotis, Chair of Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference
FORTH/ ICE-HT and University of Patras
Stadiou Street, Platani,
P.O.Box 1414, GR-265 04
Patras, Greece
Tel nos: +302610-965 255 (personal), +302610-965 266 (journals)
Fax nos: +302610-965 275 (personal), +302610-990 987 (institute)
e-mail: c.galiotis@iceht.forth.gr
web address: http://www.iceht.forth.gr
Prof. George Chryssolouris, Co-Chair of Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference
Director
Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS)
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics
University of Patras
Patras 26500, Greece
Tel.: +30-2610-997262
Fax: +30-2610-997744
e-mail: xrisol@lms.mech.upatras.gr
e-mail: gchrys@hol.gr
http://www.lms.mech.upatras.gr/
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Industrial Technologies 2014, the third in the series of Industrial Technologies bi-annual conferences, was held in Athens, Greece on April 9-11, 2014. Over 1300 delegates participated in the event, among which 150 high-level speakers presenting nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and new production technologies.
Presentations, workshops, exhibitions, poster displays and competitions over three days demonstrated convincingly the importance of NMP technologies in ensuring that Europe retains a foothold at the very forefront of global manufacturing. Indeed, the importance of European re-industrialization through research and innovation in industrial technologies was the fundamental topic which repeatedly emerged during the course of the three days. Furthermore, the importance of innovation in SME’s through the commercialization of NMP research results, including the support of smart specialization by pushing innovation policy further in the new member states, especially in the Balkan and Mediterranean countries was repeatedly emphasized and highlighted by all key players and was reflected in the committed participation of so many delegates from beyond those borders. The enthusiastic participation of so many delegates in the brokerage sessions demonstrated a very real willingness on the part of those delegates to establish new collaborations.
The event programme featured updates on the latest developments in NMP technologies from many leading research centres and universities and provided practical information on industrial applications from European industrial companies. Inevitably, due to its timing with the Greek EU presidency, the relevance and importance of Horizon 2020 (Europe’s new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation) was repeatedly addressed. Hopes were expressed that the projected growth of this Programme and the strategic positioning of NMP technologies within that Programme, would remain as a characteristic of the Industrial Technologies element of the Programme.
Throughout the conference, the need to focus on bringing nanotechnology advances and how NMP-enabled products change worlds and daily life has been emphasised. The conference has also addressed other areas where nanotechnology can be applied and emphasised how businesses need to move with the times and need to redirect their attention towards transformation into new areas. Furthermore, issues regarding safety of advanced materials and process in terms of nanotechnology were also mentioned. Finally, the impact of nanotechnology in sustainable healthcare, biotechnology and water supply were fields that driven the interest of many delegates.
The conference gave a multi-perspective view on innovation processes, highlighting the critical role of cooperative research and regional development. It discussed the major challenges related to efficient, high quality and agile manufacturing; it contributed a vision about the resource-efficient factories of the future and a comprehensive view on market needs and technology trends for the smart manufacturing systems of the future. It also gave an insight on new approaches to skills development and competence building, in view of the critical role of talent-driven innovation for future manufacturing and the foreseen change of employment pattern in industry towards more knowledge- and skills-intensive jobs.
Finally, through the Greek Showcase and the matchmaking activities bridges of communications between academia and industry were built, supporting the effort to commercialize the new key enabling technologies (KETs). Integration between academia, SMEs and industry will allow innovations to be commercialised and then produced on a large industrial scale (developing demo and pilot lines through clustering activities) for economic growth and job creation. This will bring more cutting-edge technology related jobs and patents back to Europe to complement the knowledge-creation
Project Context and Objectives:
SUMMARY OF PROJECT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES
Industrial Technologies 2014 took place for 3 days from April 09-11 in Athens, Greece. Aim of the conference was to meet high profile speakers from industry, research, and policy, to discuss visions for European industry and research in 2020 and to benefit from growth opportunities from cooperation and funding. The Industrial Technologies 2014 was organized by two CSA projects, IndustryTech and InnoPro, under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Research & Technology (GSRT) and the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union (first semester of 2014). This co-operation of the two actions allowed realising economies of scale and increasing the impact in the target audience by organizing a more attractive event.
The conference, organized by FORTH/ICEHT, Spinverse and SEV for IndustryTech project and LMS, ITIA, ACHAIA, ATHENA, FRIGOGLASS, NEORION for InnoPro project and funded by the EC’s DG research and Innovation, was held at Athens International Conference Centre Megaron (MAICC) (www.maicc.gr) and was one of the most important events of the Greek EU Presidency.
The goal of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference has been to facilitate a multi-perspective view of European stakeholders on innovation for production in Europe, focusing on a regional perspective of innovation drivers for SMEs and the role that new NMP technology deployment is expected to play.
A total of 4 plenary and 17 general conference sessions on Days 1 and 2 were complemented with 20 open workshop sessions during Day1 and 3.
The themes of the sessions stemmed from the discussions with the:
a. Steering Group of the Event,
b. EAG (Expert Advisory Group): This group involved mainly European distinguished experts representing policy, industry and research organisations. Its role was to define the overall aims and architecture of the event and to ensure in depth expertise and wide coverage of the NMP fields, various industrial sectors, strategy, PPP mentality and international aspects
c. NAC (National Advisory Committee): It was consisted of distinguished representatives from academia, governmental agencies and policy, and industry. Its role was to engage with the general public, and the NMP community in Greece
At Annexes 1-2 of the attached file, the members of EAG and NAC are presented.
The speakers and the sessions’ chairmen were chosen also in the same process. Based on the advice of the Steering Group, European Commission representatives, event beneficiaries and the individual experts identified in each theme, the session topics were chosen and speakers to topic invited.
The four (4) plenaries were more general and had to do with: Re-industrialization and smart growth through research and innovation, new technologies impacting everyday life, Improving Europe's competitiveness through regional development and Horizon 2020, NMP and Regional Funds Research Strategies.
The seventeen (17) parallel sessions were composed into five thematic tracks: Advances in nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Materials, energy and transportation: sustainability and efficiency, Progress in manufacturing and production technologies and Innovation and commercialisation with smart specialisation, technology transfer and education. Below the individual sessions with their storyline and agenda are listed. Sessions usually had the form of individual talks followed by questions and answers from the audience. Audiovisual material was incorporated in the majority of the presentations.
It was determined that speakers are invited to cover the above thematic tracks. The topics and speakers chosen, based on the recommendation of the expert groups are listed in the next section of this report. There were in total 110 speakers in the parallel and plenary sessions, i.e. 18 female (16%) and 92 male (84%), including session chairs.
The workshop areas were also determined by the Steering Committee of the Event and the European Commission representatives. All the workshop proposals were evaluated according to their relevance to the conference. Afterwards, proposals with similar objectives were grouped creating a joint workshop. Hence one of the candidates of the group was identified by the Steering Committee of the Event as the joint workshop coordinator/organiser, he/she came in contact with the other candidates in order to select and organize the joint workshop. Workshops are described in the next section of this report.
Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference featured a number of accompanying programmes to enhance the overall conference and exhibition. These are described in the next section of the report and included:
1. Greek showcase
2. Industry Tech 2014 exhibition
3. FutureFlash! Demo competition
4. IndTech for schools
5. Matchmaking
6. Welcome Reception, Poster Viewing, Organiser’s Dinner
7. Conference Dinner and Awards Schedule
The IndustryTech exhibition gave a unique opportunity to European and global actors to showcase their activities, demonstrators and projects to leading research institutes, key industrial actors, high-tech SMEs, policy makers and funding organizations, throughout the three days of the Conference. It was an activity, organized by Spinverse, in which more than 70 exhibitors participated with more than 50 stands.
Also, Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) was in charge of organizing the Greek Showcase event that was associated with the Conference. The aim of the showcase was to address a representative range of technologies related to the overall NMP Programme. In this context, SEV acted as interface for recruiting representative cases from multiple industrial sectors in Greece. The Greek Showcase was integrated into the exhibition of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference. Specific showcase sessions drew the attention of delegates to Greek innovative companies and projects.
Another parallel event that also took place in the exhibition area was the Future Flash! Demo, which was also organized by Spinverse. Core of the “Future Flash! Demo” was innovative science, creativity and design, related to nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology and/or high-tech manufacturing, influencing future and everyday life. It was an opportunity to explore concepts of future products and new technologies, soon coming into everyday life. The delegates had the chance to see, touch and explore the latest and boldest inventions from new materials and 3-D printed objects to robots and sensors and other emerging technologies covering the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials and high-tech manufacturing.
The Best Project Award competition was organized to highlight the excellent research carried out in the context of the collaborative R&D projects launched under the FP7 and earlier EU Framework Programmes in the field of Industrial Technologies. The projects awarded in two categories: completed and ongoing projects. Six (3+3) finalists were selected based on the submissions to the open call, the main criteria being the results the projects have achieved; recognizing the difference between completed projects and their commercial results, and ongoing projects with the main emphasis on their research results. The Best Project Award handed out during the Gala Dinner on Thursday April 10th.
In addition, over 130 posters, related to nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and production technologies, were displayed at Industrial Technologies 2014. The poster session took place for all the days of the conference, while on the second day (10 April 2014) in an area around 300m2, the participants had the chance to discuss with the exhibitors and poster presenters. During this session, the Evaluation Committee decided for the 3 Poster Awards of Industrial Technologies to be given during the conference. The Best Poster Awards handed out also during the Conference Dinner.
Additional, PRAXI/HELP-FORWARD Network, member of Enterprise Europe Network – Hellas, organized the international matchmaking event during Industrial Technologies 2014. The matchmaking event supported its participants in finding technology partners, e.g. for the upcoming EU Horizon 2020 calls. The matchmaking took place on the 11th of April 2014 (Day 3 of Industrial Technologies 2014) with 250 registered participants.
In the context of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference, LMS organized the Industrial Technologies for Schools, which was a national outreach activity targeting high-school students. This activity had the following objectives:
• Acquaint students with modern industrial technologies, including nanotechnologies, advanced materials and new production technologies
• Engage them in a debate about the relevance of industrial technologies with the grand societal challenges of Europe (e.g. resources efficiency, ageing society, innovative societies etc.)
• Promote creative thinking through a project-based competition
• Enable students to actively participate in the Conference, present their ideas and interact with the European Industrial Technologies community
More than 160 students from 11 schools have been actively engaged in the activity.
Over 1300 delegates were received for Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference with visitors travelling from 62 countries in addition to many delegates from Greece. The percentage per country participation is presented on the attached file.
An evening reception sponsored by the Mayor of Athens was held on 8th of April 2014 at an official conference hotel. A Welcome Reception for all delegates was held in the Megaron Athens International Conference Center, while a dinner for Plenary and Session Speakers at the Acropolis Museum Restaurant, combined with a prior visit to the museum, took place on Day 1. On Day 2, a Conference Dinner was attended by about 1000 delegates at the Piraeus port warehouses. During the evening, the guests had the chance to enjoy some of the best sides of Greece having been collected to the programme and the dinner of the evening. The attendees of this Greek Night dinner were the first to hear about the winners of the Best Project and Best Poster competitions, as well as the Most Innovative Exhibitor award.
The Best Project Awards winners were:
• Project REFREEPERMAG, Prof. Dimitrios Niarchos, GREECE
• Project AUTOSUPERCAP, Dr. Constantina Lekakou, UK
• Project PLAST4FUTURE, Prof. Anders Kristensen, Denmark
• Project AQUAVIR, Prof. Noemi Rozlosnik, Denmark
The Best completed Project Awards winners were:
• Project PROMINE, Lead by: Dr. Juha Kaija, FINLAND
• Project NAD, Lead by: Prof. Massimo Masserini, Italy
• Project LIGHT-ROLLS,Lead by Dr. David Gonzalez, Spain
• Project SONORUS – Lead by Mr. Joan Guasch, Spain
For the Best Poster Competition the winners were:
• Dr Nikos Pantelelis, R&D Director, Synthesites Innovative Technologies, with a poster entitled : “Automatic process control for composites manufacturing”
• Prof. Ioanna Zergioti: LaserMicroFab, Physics Department, National Technical University of Athens, with a poster entitled : “Laser Digital Micro‐Nano fabrication for Organic Electronics and Sensor applications”
• Ms. Isella Vicini, Warrant Group S.r.l with a poster entitled: “EFEVE: Development of a new high performance material to make super strong and lightweight components”
A post-conference survey was conducted addressing the conference attendees. 123 responses were received and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Some of the key responses are graphically outlined in Annex 26 of the attached file.
Project Results:
MAIN PROJECT RESULTS
The successful preparation and launch of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference has been the main result of the INDUSTRY TECH 2014 and INNO-PRO 2014 CSA projects.
In the following paragraphs a deeper insight in this outcome is provided, including the S&T Conference Programme and the accompanying events.
1. Conference Programme structure and content
The Conference Agenda, the 4 plenary sessions, 17 parallel sessions and 20 workshops are presented in Annex 3 of the attaced file. Speaker details for the sessions are also provided.
2. Content of Accompanying Programmes
2.1 Greek Showcase
SEV contacted 72 Greek industries to confirm their willingness to participate in such an activity. It has been considered evident that the enterprises consent should be asked, in order for them to participate in the event; moreover they should provide with the exhibition material. SEV finally concluded in 27 industries that were presented in the Showcase. The list of the participants is presented on Table 2 of the attached file. The option that was selected and finally implemented provided for a single exhibition booth of 42m2 that presented technological achievements of the industries selected. Presentation was based on visual material that was projected on eight (8) screens around the room. Visual material was provided by the enterprises themselves and referred to innovative or high-tech applications or processes they may present. The focus was on the presentation of innovative products, or applied research achievements, pilot application or pilot lines, however the overall technological and production capability of the industries was presented as well. The key message that SEV wished to convey is that there exists a significant technological and industrial base in Greece that can produce innovation and high technological value. SEV occupied a prominent “space” in the Showcase, projecting a presentation that highlighted the importance of the technology-enabled transformation of the economy and indicating Technology and Innovation priorities as well as opportunities for growth in the Greek economy through the 2020s.
2.2 Industry Tech 2014 exhibition
The Industrial Technologies 2014 conference, in combination with the IndustryTech 2014 exhibition organised by Spinverse, brought over 85 co-exhibitors (see Annex) an opportunity to showcase their activities, demonstrators and projects to leading research institutes, key industrial actors, high-tech SMEs, policy makers, funding organisations and media – the exhibition being a unique chance to raise visibility, not forgetting about networking with current and new partners and customers, and dissemination of research results.
The most innovative exhibitor award was given during the Greek Night Dinner, to the PLAST4FUTURE project for their sustainable approach to new forms of manufacturing and their enthusiastic presentation of that. In the previous years, the exhibitors have mentioned the following as the main benefits of having an exhibition stand:
• Visibility and awareness for your activities, products and ideas
• Networking across a range of industries, organisation types and countries
• Contacts to future project partners and potential EU project consortia
• Contacts to current and potential customers and interested users of the technologies you develop
• Contacts to the European Commission representatives: a way to gain new information and show your achievements
• Staying up-to-date with current trends in industrial technologies
2.3 FutureFlash! Shedding different light on science and innovation
The demo competition working title was renamed into FutureFlash! demo area, which was co-located with the IndustryTech 2014 exhibition. At the core of this showcase are innovative science, creativity and design, related to nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology and high-tech manufacturing, influencing our future and everyday life. Its visitors have the opportunity to see, touch and explore the latest and boldest inventions covering the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials and high-tech manufacturing. The creators of the exhibits are also present demonstrating their ideas at the FutureFlash! exhibition in Athens. At first, the FutureFlash! Competition was launched on 30.10.2013 with the original deadline 31.12.2013. However, due to the winter break the deadline was extended to 31.01.2014. The competition received 13 submissions, out of which the following 10 were selected.
These 10 projects were invited to the Industrial Technologies 2014 conference and not only received a complimentary ticket, but also got their exhibition costs in relation to FutureFlash! covered.
Nanopinion
Special presence at the FutureFlash! was given to NanOpinion - an EC-funded project bringing together 17 partners from 11 countries with the aim of monitoring public opinion on what we expect from innovation with nanotechnologies.
The project promotes informed social debate over the Internet through:
• Website of NanOpinion with surveys, questionnaires and blogs. It also offers an extensive online repository with more than 150 educational and informational resources on the subject.
• 4 media channels that publish news and opinion on nanotechnologies to help citizens to make up their minds on a variety of topics of debate: The Guardian (UK), El Mundo (Spain), Le Courrier International (France), and TiConUno.
• Intensive communication campaigns with actions in social media channels such as Twitter & Facebook
NanOpinion was present at the FutureFlash!, with surveys and materials presented on (touch) screens. It also had materials for visiting pupils prepared for the NMP in schools activity on day 3.
FutureFlash! stand layout
Being selected as one of the 10 participants to the FutureFlash! area included also free dissemination space at the conference. Spinverse asked the exhibition building company to design a space that offers a best way to present the exhibits and organisations:
2.4 IndTech for Schools
Industrial Technologies for Schools was a national outreach activity of the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference, organized by LMS – University of Patras.
Student teams from the following schools participated in this activity:
• Arsakeio Lyceum of Patras
• Arsakeio Lyceum of Psyhico
• Arsakeio – Tositsio Lyceum of Ekali
• Evangeliki Model School of Smyrna
• German School of Athens
• Ionidios Model Experimental Lyceum of Piraeus
• Model Experimental Lyceum of Patras
• Pierce – The American College of Greece
• Prototype Experimental Lyceum of the University of Patras
• Varvakeion Model Experimental Lyceum
• Zanneio Model Experimental Lyceum
The activity was organised with the following objectives:
• Acquaint students with modern industrial technologies, including nanotechnologies, advanced materials and new production technologies
• Engage them in a debate about the relevance of industrial technologies with the grand societal challenges of Europe (e.g. resources efficiency, ageing society, innovative societies etc.)
• Promote creative thinking through a project-based competition
• Enable students to actively participate in the Conference, present their ideas and interact with the European Industrial Technologies community
The activity was structured in two parts:
Part 1
• Presentations in schools on the state of play and future perspectives of modern NMP technologies
• Visits of school teams to academic / research facilities including demonstrations of relevant technologies
Part 2
The school teams addressed the question “What can NMP technologies do for addressing the grand societal challenges with a view to year 2020?” and conceptualized a product / service based on advanced NMP technologies addressing in a novel way an everyday life problem associated with Europe’s Grand Societal Challenges
Each school team delivered a short report describing the product / service idea, as well as a poster to be exhibited at the posters area, with the key concepts of their proposal.
The reported product / service ideas were reviewed and evaluated by three (3) members of the Conference Expert Advisory Group (EAG) with respect to the relevance with societal challenges and NMP technologies, the clarity, the innovation level, the potential impact / application range etc.
On Friday, 11th of April 2014 (Conference Day 3), a workshop dedicated to the Industrial Technologies for Schools activity took place in the Conference venue. All school teams participating in the activity presented their ideas on stage. The competition results were announced at the end of the Workshop and an award was given to the winning teams:
• 1st Prize: Zanneio Model Experimental Lyceum
• 2nd Prize: Arsakeio Lyceum of Patras
• 3rd Prize: Evangeliki Model School of Smyrna & Varvakeio Model Experimental Lyceum
More than 160 students from 11 schools have been actively engaged in the activity.
IndTech for Schools has been organized for the first time in the context of an Industrial Technologies Conference. It delivered a “student-eye” view on the future potential of industrial technologies and a “flavor” of out-of-the-box thinking on applications of NMP technologies.
Based on all stakeholders’ feedback, it has been considered a very successful pilot activity
2.5 Matchmaking
The matchmaking event was part of the official activities of the Industrial Technologies 2014 conference and took place on the 11th of April, the final day of the conference. It's purpose was to provide the opportunities to conference participants and Greek SMEs and researchers outside the conference to have one-to-one meetings and seek future collaborations at technical and research level. The matchmaking event was organised by PRAXI Network. PRAXI Network (www.help-forward.gr) is a specific administrative unit of FORTH created from a strategic alliance of the Research and the Industrial world in Greece.
It was established in 1991 by FORTH (main stakeholder) and the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), with the support of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT). PRAXI Network operates in the fields of technology transfer and international cooperation addressing small and medium sized enterprises and research institutions all over Greece. Its services range from information to mediation and advisory support, covering the whole spectrum of activities related to research collaboration, technology transfer, commercial exploitation of research results and international collaboration for the promotion of the EU framework programmes in 3rd countries. It is one of the main NCP organisations in Greece; it coordinates the Greek Enterprise Europe Network consortium and runs the liaison office for FORTH.
PRAXI Network organised the matchmaking event with the assistance of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and NMP TeAm both funded by the EU. The Enterprise Europe Network (een.ec.europa.eu) is a key instrument in the EU's strategy to boost growth and jobs. It brings together close to 600 business support organisations from more than 50 countries, providing services to SMEs related to internationalisation, technology transfer, access to finance, advice on EU law and standards, advice on IPR etc. Among its activities is the organisation of matchmaking / brokerage events where participants have the opportunity to meet potential partners for research or business collaboration. In three years, the Enterprise Europe Network has held more than 19,000 local events, with more than 742,000 participants. PRAXI Network is coordinator of the Greek consortium. NMP TeAm (www.nmpteam.com) is the EU funded initiative to assist and animate the network of National Contact Points (NCPs) for the priority LEIT/NMP of H2020 providing, among others, tools to assist SMEs and researchers participate in H2020. NMP TeAm runs a very successful Partner Search Facility and organizes Brokerage Events in collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network for the benefit of NCPs' clients.
The event was actively supported by the following Enterprise Europe Network nodes from other countries:
o NETHERLANDS – Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend 77Nederland
o RUSSIAN FEDERATION – Russian Technology Transfer Network
o SPAIN
a. NanoBasque Agency-SPRI
b. Red de Institutos Tecnológicos de la Comunitat Valenciana (REDIT)
o TURKEY – Sabanci University
Prior to the event and for the more efficient handling of the event, a specialised electronic tool (B2Match www.b2match.eu) was used for the management of the participants, their cooperation profiles and the selection of meetings. The tool gives the opportunity to participants to register profiles on their organisations and what collaboration opportunity they are looking for. It also allows them to see all cooperation profiles and request meetings with other participants. Once accepted, the system automatically creates meeting schedules for each participant. The tool is easy to use, minimizes event management and mistakes and is very reliable.
The event took place on the 11th of April 2013 on the third day of the conference. 8 staff members from PRAXI Network and another 3 Enterprise Europe Network colleagues from abroad assisted clients on the spot to implement their meetings and also with managing issues that came up. 2 of them were dedicated secretariat, while 2 persons were responsible for assisting clients booking meetings on the spot.
There were 243 participants from 35 countries with 764 scheduled meetings
2.6 Welcome Reception, Poster Viewing, Speakers Dinner, Conference Dinner
Speakers’ pre-welcome dinner
The pre welcome reception for the speakers that arrived on the 8th of April in Athens, took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with the kind contribution of the Mayor’s Office and the City of Athens. This event was not included in the original planning, due to limited budget. However, FORTH in cooperation with the PCO (SKINIKA SA), managed to obtain this in kind contribution from the Athens Mayor’s Office. The reception begun at 20:30 and it included unlimited Greek wine and finger food. Mr. George Broulias, Director of the Tourism and economic development company, represented the Mayor.
Welcome reception
The welcome reception was arranged to take place in Athens Megaron Conference center, right after the conclusion of the first day’s work. The reception took place at the Megaron foyer and it included unlimited Greek wine and Greek finger food. Welcome speech was given by Director Ms. Clara de la Torre.
Poster viewing
Over 130 posters, related to nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and production technologies, were displayed at Industrial Technologies 2014. The poster session lasted for the three days (9-11 April 201), while on the second day of the conference (10 April 2014), in an area around 300 m2 the conference participants had the chance to discuss with the exhibitors and poster presenters. During this session, the Evaluation Committee decided for the 3 Poster Awards of Industrial Technologies to be given during the conference.
Speakers dinner
On the 8th of April, at 20:00 the speakers official dinner had been arranged at the Acropolis museum restaurant. Buses transferred the speakers from the Athens Megaron Conference Center to the restaurant and then back to the Conference official hotels. Upon the speakers arrival to the museum, a special tour by assigned tour guides took place prior to the dinner. Prof. Costas Galiotis gave a small welcome speech.
Conference Dinner and Awards Schedule
A special Greek night, for all 1200 delegates, took place on the 10th of April, at the Piraeus port warehouse. The aim of the event was to depict the Greek hospitality, offer fine Greek gastronomy and accommodate in the best possible way the requirements of the evening. The Piraeus port warehouses were the ideal location, as it could accommodate sitting for 1200 people and at the same time it represented the evolution of Industry in modern Greece.
Arrangements for the transfer of the total of the participants had been made, under the PCO guidance that was responsible for the whole project management.
The duration of the entertainment program was more than one hour and 30’ in total (from arrival to departure). The entertainment plan included the following three parts, arrival, main event, closing. During the arrival a string quartet welcomed the guests, playing music from classical composers (both Greek & other European countries). The quartet’s program covered the guests’ arrival time period.
The group Opera Chaotique, an acknowledged band for their artistic program, which combines classic with modern music, presented the second part of the entertainment program. The band prepared a special show only for the Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference, a camvas of famous opera songs. Their program was more than just plain opera performance, a mix of theatre playing and sketch performances with a comic twist. The third part included performance of famous Greek songs by the group “Gordios Desmos”, who entertained the guests with famous Greek songs performed by renowned Greek performers. In Annex 4, the detailed schedule for the dinner is presented
Potential Impact:
DISSEMINATION AND IMPACT
A. Marketing Plan covering pre-event, event and post-event activities
The international marketing plan and a related timeline for Industrial Technologies 2014 were made in early July 2013 by Spinverse. This marketing plan included the following parts:
1. Giving an overview of the event (date, location, themes, contents)
2. Details on the type of attendees to target and their interests
3. Details of the marketing tools to be used. For these, the categories of Online, Offline and Networks were used:
a. Online tools: Social media, Scientific portals, Online Newspaper, Communities, Personal Email, Partner Newsletter, Press Releases, Event Link on partner site
b. Offline tools: Academic Journals and other Publications, Articles and advertisements in relevant magazines, Events, Press Releases
c. Networks: Newsletter, Partner news, Private messages, Steering group and Expert Advisory Group contacts
4. Marketing activities to be used, listed and scheduled on a timeline
5. Schedule and planned content for the bi-weekly Industrial Technologies 2014 newsletter
6. Direct partner channels and influencers listed
7. Relevant events listed
8. List of proposed advertising, including online ads (Google, LinkedIn), printed advertising and other paid advertising
9. A list of media partner candidates and descriptions of the different media partner packages
The marketing plan was updated by Spinverse until the event in April 2014. It functioned as a basis for scheduling and implementing all the marketing activities in relation to the Industrial Technologies 2014.
In addition, a Greek national marketing plan was made by the Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) - SKINIKA S.A.. In particular, SKINIKA S.Α is among the leading independent production houses in Greece, holding absolute business and creative autonomy. Their work is to form, produce and manage big scale events and conferences, to execute the production of TV spots and feature films and to design and construct unforgettable sceneries.
The national marketing plan and a related timeline for Industrial Technologies 2014 was made in early October 2013, based on and following the international strategy. The national marketing goals set, were to establish the Conference as the largest in the field of NMP under the Greek Presidency and raise both the quality and quantity of the registrations.
The plan was initiated middle of October 2013 and run through April 2014. The activities included local media partnerships establishment, use of the organizers communication means (newsletters, websites, press relations), web publicity and Conference event & stage design look and feel.
B. Graphic Design activities
The graphic design to be used as the visual identity of Industrial Technologies 2014 was designed in July – August 2013 and finalised in early September 2013. It was created by Spinverse in collaboration with their sub-contracted designer Redland and approved by the project Steering Group. Additional and updated materials were created until the event in April 2014. The materials include the conference logo, newsletter template, website template, document templates, roll-up, flyer and different versions and sizes of banners (both static and animated) and print advertisements. All the materials were based on the same design in order to maintain the brand identity. See annexes 5-7 for examples of the materials.
The design was based on the designs used for the previous Industrial Technologies conferences, and the colours (blue and warm yellow) were chosen to represent Greece as the host country: Yellow resembles the warm, welcoming sun and blue comes from the Greek flag.
From February to March 2014, the conference brochure materials were created in cooperation with the designer. These included the delegate badges and the conference book of 16 pages to be given out to all the delegates. At the same time, other materials to be used at the event location were designed, such as the walls of the registration desks, the USB sticks, pens and notebooks to be given to the delegates, and the slides to be shown on LED Boards around the venue.
C. Marketing materials
The majority of the marketing materials were created by Spinverse and their sub-contracted designer Redland and approved by the project Steering Group
Marketing materials included the following:
1. Banners and Roll-ups
2. Flyers
3. Media Kit and Press Kit
4. Media partnership presentation, newsletters, marketing emails
5. Stakeholder/conference presentations
A number of specific materials to be used in national marketing were produced by Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) – SKINIKA S.A. Particularly, the event and stage design was inspired by the Conference logo and its theme. Circular special constructions of 1 m in diameter were used to decorate the main halls of the Conference. The spheres were colored through lighting, creating a firm yet welcoming decoration that enhanced the Conference brand. The design included
1. Banners and Roll-ups
2. Signage
3. Stage design
4. Publicity banners
5. Projectors theme
See Annexes 8-15 of the attached file for examples of the materials.
D. Marketing Activities and Results
Website statistics:
In eight months (243 days), from the website launch until the 5th of May 2014, over 62.000 visits originated from 39.874 unique visitors. Almost half (42%) of all the visitors came to the website by typing the URL. However the marketing efforts paid off as 51% of the website visitors found the site from a search engine, referring website, social media, directory or an e-mail advertisement
Promoting the event at other conferences:
The Industrial Technologies 2014 was also presented and marketed at other conferences and events related to the field.
Christiane Hepp of Spinverse attended the ICT 2013 conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 06-08, 2013, and promoted IndTech 2014 to the event attendees.
On behalf of FORTH, Prof. Costas Galiotis, attended the GRAPHESP 2014 (A European Conference/Workshop on the Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Graphene) in Lanzarote, Spain, in February 18-21 and promoted IndTech 2014 to the event attendees. Also, he has informed the GSRT (General Secretariat of Research and Technology) that Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference will be held under its auspices as an event of Greek EU Presidency 2014.
A marketing partnership between IndTech2014 and Nanotech Japan was initiated in September 2013. Industrial Technologies 2014 was advertised on the Nanotech Japan website since September 2013, and in the Nanotech Japan newsletter in December 2013. In addition, IndTech 2014 flyers were given out at a specific table at the Nanotech Japan event in January 2014.
Printed ads were published in the Physics World and CERN Courier journals. Both these journals were available at the 2013 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in December 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In addition, Spinverse promoted the event in a variety of national events and trainings in Finland related to the event topics, giving out flyers to the event participants.
Newsletters:
The Industrial Technologies 2014 newsletter was created and sent bi-weekly by Spinverse. It was approved by the project Steering group each time before sending. The newsletters included topics related to the event proceedings, such as speakers and programme, hot topics, event registration, networking, exhibition, and the calls for workshops, best project, best poster, and the FutureFlash! innovation showcase.
The first newsletter was published on 09.10.2013 and the last one before the event on 03.04.2014.
In addition to the newsletters prior the event, one newsletter was published after the ENF, on 12.05.2014. This very last one included information about the conference materials availability online, including presentations and photographs, as well as the results of the best project, best poster and most innovative exhibitor awards.
IndTech 2014 Newsletters:
1. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Calls for Workshops, Posters, and Projects, 9.10.2013
2. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Make your innovations visible!, 30.10.2013
3. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Register to the conference now!, 13.11.2013
4. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Last chance to apply for a workshop!, 26.11.2013
5. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Open calls and Early Bird fees, 10.12.2013
6. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Calls closing, new speakers confirmed!, 20.12.2013
7. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Calls closing in 4 days, new speakers announced!, 08.01.2014
8. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Early Bird registrations only until tomorrow!, 14.01.2014
9. Industrial Technologies 2014 Newsletter – Register to the matchmaking now and meet your future partners!, 28.01.2014
10. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Explore the opportunities!, 11.02.2014
11. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Workshop schedule published - register now!, 25.02.2014
12. Industrial Technologies 2014 – A month to go: Innovative ideas for your benefit, 11.03.2014
13. Industrial Technologies 2014 – Two weeks to go: Download the conference app and have the event schedule on your mobile phone!, 27.03.2014
14. Industrial Technologies 2014 starts in a week: Useful information, 03.04.2014
The newsletters were sent to over 8000 recipients and also published on the event website and Twitter. In total, the newsletter was opened over 12.073 times before the event and received over 2.200 clicks with a click through rate of 0,183 %, meaning that every fifth person that opened the newsletter also visited the event website.
The average opening rate is around 20 % and an average click rate around 2 %. The opening rate is higher than the industry average (15,72%) which reflects the quality of the content and importance of the event.
In addition, Spinverse provided the DG RTD NMP with newsletters, marketing and communications materials to raise awareness among their EU projects and NCPs. Spinverse also contacted NCPs directly to invite them to the event. Furthermore, newsletters were provided to the media partners for further distribution as well as to European Technology Platforms and other related associations and clusters.
Media Partnership:
One important part of the marketing activities for the Industrial Technologies 2014 was the development of media partnerships. Five different media partnership packages were created by Spinverse, with the option to adjust them to the desired level of the possible partners. Most of the media partnerships were based on adjusted packages. New partnerships were created from August 2013 until March 2014 by Spinverse.
Media Partnership packages aimed at increased visibility for both parties. They included standard activities such as logo and link exchange on websites, in the conference guide, tickets to the event and a possibility for space on the Media Table at the event for the partner. In turn, IndTech 2014 received publicity in the forms of logo and link exchange on websites; event description and other information published on websites and newsletters; mentions in event listings and social media; as well as printed and online published advertisements. The targeted media were strategic players located in various EU member states, and active especially in the fields of technology, science, business & finance in relation to nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials and / or production technologies. Possible partners included both online and offline magazines, newspapers and other media. In addition to Media Partners, a couple of organizations were listed as partners and sponsors, sharing information about the Industrial Technologies 2014 on their website or in their newsletters.
Media partners of Industrial Technologies 2014:
1. Asian News Channel
2. AZoNetwork
3. Bentham Science Publishers
4. Insight Publishers / Projects magazine
5. LifeSciencesUpdate
6. Materials Today
7. Nafigate
8. Nanocarriers
9. Nanotech 2014 Expo Japan
10. Nanopaprika.eu
11. NanoPRO
12. Nanotechnology.org.il
13. Nanotechweb.org
14.NIA - Nanotechnology Industries Association
15. Research Media
16. PubliTec
17. Physics World
Partners and Sponsors:
1. Amires
2. Artion
3. EFFRA
4. Enterprise Europe Network
5. ETPIS
6. gr2014.eu
7. Hellenic Republic Secretariat General of Mass Media and Secretariat General of Information and Communication
8. IndustryTech 2014
9. KMM-VIN
10. microTEC
11. Nanofutures
12. Kainotomia Innovation
13. Photonics21
14. Skinika
15. University of Lund
Social media:
The Industrial Technologies 2014 Twitter account (IndTech2014) was opened in September 2013 and used for marketing purposes. All the newsletters were posted on Twitter as links, as well as information about approaching deadlines, other event information, and pieces of news. Retweets were used for other users’ post related to the Industrial Technologies 2014. In addition, the keyword #indtech2014 was used to mark posts about the event, by the event account and by other users mentioning it in their tweets. The event account has 444 followers and is following 1215 users, relevant to the industrial technologies community. The development of the amount of followers can be seen from the picture below: In the beginning of the year 2014, the account had about 200 followers, but right after the conference the number was already over 400. This growing number reflects the interest in the tweets posted, and the benefits from Twitter as a channel for receiving the latest news about the event.
In total, 349 tweets were posted from the IndTech2014 account. In addition, the account was mentioned in 200 tweets, especially during the conference in April. Posts by the IndTech2014 account were retweeted 86 times.
The Industrial Technologies 2014 Facebook account (Industrial Technologies 2014) was opened in December 2013. The purpose and contents of the Facebook page were very similar to the Twitter account in their amount and contents: All the newsletters were posted on Facebook as links, as well as information about approaching deadlines, other event information, and pieces of news.
The event Facebook page was liked and followed by 117 people. These people were divided in genders and age groups as presented in the attached file.
Flickr
On flickr, impressions from the 3-day event were published. At the time of writing, 185 pictures were added to the photo album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/123565410@N05/?deleted=13988645838) .
Paid Advertising
The Industrial Technologies 2014 LinkedIn page was created as a company in November 2013. In addition to the paid advertisements described below, the page was used to share news and updates about the event, in a manner similar to the Twitter and Facebook pages. The LinkedIn page of the event has 179 followers.
The advertisements and sponsored updates on LinkedIn were targeted to an audience consisting of people representing relevant countries, industries, functions and job titles, also depending on the contents of each ad or post.
Sponsored updates
Sponsored updates on LinkedIn appear as updates in the news feed of the users in the targeted audience. However, they are visible for a longer period than non-sponsored updates of LinkedIn users. The sponsored updates were used to gain audience to the important messages related to the Industrial Technologies 2014 event, such as the open calls and the registration deadlines.
The Sponsored updates in LinkedIn were started in November 2013 and the last campaign ended in January 2014. In total, the six campaigns had 686,537 impressions and 987 clicks, with a CTR of 0.144 % and cost per click of 3.42 EUR.
Advertisements:
Advertisements on LinkedIn appear on the side of the front page after logging in, with an image (the conference logo) and a brief text. These advertisements were used to give brief information about the event in general, and about the deadlines related to the open calls and registrations.
The advertisements on LinkedIn were started in November 2013 and the last campaign ended in February 2014. In total, the seven campaigns had 7,095,805 impressions and 943 clicks, with a CTR of 0.013 % and cost per click of 3.58 EUR.
GoogleAds
Two different types of GoogleAds campaigns were used to raise awareness about the Industrial Technologies 2014 conference online: Search campaigns were used first from November to December 2013 and then from December 2013 to January 2014, and a display campaign was utilised from November to December 2013.
The campaigns in November – December 2013 were about the open calls and registrations, whereas the campaign from December to January encouraged its audience to register to the conference. There were several different advertisements published under each search campaign, targeted at different audiences (e.g. nano, materials, etc.), and with different wordings of each one of them. On the other hand, the display campaign had a more general audience.
In search campaigns, ad extensions were exploited, allowing the use of “sub-ads” below the actual ad text and thus making it possible to advertise e.g. all the open calls at the same time.
The results of the campaigns are presented in the attached file
Physics World
A printed ad was included in the December 2013 issue of the Physics World journal. The publication was made available at the 2013 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in December 2013
CERN Courier
A printed ad was included in the December 2013 issue of the Physics World journal. The publication was made available at the 2013 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in December 2013
Conference Application
The conference app was deployed in order to enable the event participants to have an up-to-date event agenda and venue maps on their mobile phones, in addition to information about speakers, exhibitors, and the event in general. Also the brokerage day meeting schedules were integrated to this application. All this information was updated regularly before the event, and twice a day during the conference.
This conference application, provided by Conference4me, was available for download on Android, Windows Phone, and iOS phones. In total, 221 persons downloaded the app to their mobile phone.
Press and Media :
Media Webpage, Media Kit and Hot Topics
The Media Page under the Industrial Technologies 2014 event website was updated regularly by Spinverse to include general information about the conference and various downloads: all the IndTech newsletters, the conference banners and the flyer, press releases, media kit, conference information packages, information about media partnerships (see “media partnership” paragraph above) and contact information of the organisers responsible for the media contacts.
The Media Kit was created by Spinverse in September 2013 and updated regularly until the event in April 2014. The Media Kit was available on the event website. It was provided to media representatives when communicating with them and giving them information about the event.
Five articles about hot topics, covering the highlights at Industrial Technologies 2014, were prepared by Spinverse and two of them by FORTH. These hot topics were available on the event website and used to promote the event in the newsletter and other communications means:
Press Relations
International press
Industrial Technologies 2014 event, as well as individual speakers have enjoyed widespread coverage in a variety of international media outlets. Over 1000 press invitations were sent to the members of the international press and media, gaining about a 7% response rate. However, due to the unavailability of the press travel budget within the Industrial Technologies 2014 project, the participation rate of journalists was modest.
Conversely, the organisation in charge of registration was unable to provide a visa support letter on time, Asian News Channel had to cancel the participation of the entire media crew.
Throughout the press invitation process, various channels of communication were utilized, such as communication offices of the European Commission (DG Research & Innovation) and Research & Innovation Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council).
A tailored Press kit was sent to the members of the international press and media together with the invitation letter. The Press kit was created by Spinverse in September 2013 and updated regularly until the event in April 2014. While registered press received a Press programme indicated in the attached file.
Press Releases
The Spinverse international press team distributed 3 press releases on the event, highlighting a range of topics, including new technologies in every day's life, re-industrialisation, smart growth and regional development in Europe, comprising sustainability and competitiveness issues. A broad range of press coverage was achieved from the international broadcast media, newspapers, specialist publications and online titles. The press releases are available at the Industrial Technologies 2014 webpage. See also annexes 16-18
Distribution
Due to the limited resources for the PR activities within the Industrial Technologies 21014 project budget most of the press-release distribution had been done through the invited members of the international press and media as well as free press-release distribution services, namely:
1. pressbox.co.uk
2. 24-7 pressrelease
3. 1888 Pressrelease
4. PR Splash
5. eNewswire
6. PR Log
7. pr-inside
8. NewsWireToday
9. Delovoy Peterburg
10. prleap
Press coverage
The headlines were available on popular news search engines like Google News, Yahoo News, Silobreaker, Topix.com Congoo News, Technology Headlines, Crayton Communications, Science and Technology News Today, News Wire Today, World News Report EIN News, VentureVolga, pr-bg.com Anthony Hunters blog, James Timothy White blog, Page2RSS, Noticiaspress and alike.
During the event itself, all sectors of the press and media were involved, from print and digital to the audio-visual media, highlighting the interest by the public for the issues discussed during the event.
Press coverage was reported to be in English, Greek, Bulgarian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. Press releases and articles together with interviews, conducted with the key speakers were widely published internationally, appeared in several newspapers and magazines as well as made headline news on radio and television.
Extensive coverage of the Industrial Technologies 2014 should be provided by the IOP Publishing and the Research Media, who attended the conference and recorded interviews with several speakers. Those interviews will be released within their publishing schedule following the conference.
All the international distributed press releases are attached at the Annexes 16-18 of the attached file.
Press conferences
Press conference 1: had been initially planned by Spinverse for 9.4.2014 however one week prior to the event the coordination was moved to FORTH.
Initial programme is indicated at Annex 19
One week prior to the event Press conference 2 planning was initiated. The press conference took place on 10.04.2014 in form of Press Q&A session. The event suffered an unforeseen poor press attendance due to a bomb explosion outside the Bank of Greece at the same time.
The Press Q&A programme is defined at Annex 20 of the attached file
National Press Activities
National press / Press Relations
Industrial Technologies 2014 event as well as the individual speakers, enjoyed widespread coverage in a variety of national media outlets such as radio stations, national television and major Greek websites & blogs. A tailored Press kit, which included invitation to the official press conference, Press programme (Spinverse), press release and short bio of the plenary speakers was sent to accredited journalists, covering all media outlets. Throughout the press invitation process, various channels of communication were utilized, such as FORTH’s and SEV press offices.
Media Partnerships
Following the conference overall marketing plan, the assigned from FORTH partner, company Big Secret developed media partnerships with the National television (NERIT) and the major newspaper Kathimerini, especially active in the fields of technology, science, business & finance. Both partners promoted the event with activities such as printed and online published advertisements, promotion of relevant press releases, after event publicity in exchange to tickets to the event and a possibility for space on the Media Table and interviews with selected speakers.
Advertisements
Through the media partnerships achieved, print insertions were published in Kathimerini newspaper on the dates: 04-04 & 08-04. The Conference web banners (designed by Spinverse), linked to the official website, were displayed on their website from late February till the 10th of April.
NERIT, promoted the conference by displaying the conference web banners from early March until the 10th of April. Furthermore, an extensive web campaign ran during March promoting the Conference and registrations.
Press coverage
Press releases and articles together with interviews, conducted with key speakers were widely published nationally and appeared in several newspapers and magazines as well as made headline news on radio and television. The national television, NERIT supported the Conference, offering extensive coverage through their media.
Live Streaming
The opening plenary was streamed through the Conference official website as well as through the National television official website.
Press releases
The assigned to national PR and marketing activities partner, distributed 3 press releases on the event, and a series of small articles which highlighted new technologies, re-industrialisation, and regional development. A broad range of press coverage was achieved from the national media, newspapers, specialist publications and online titles.
All the national press releases are presented in the annexes 21-24 of the attached file.
List of Websites:
Project website address: www.industrialtechnologies2014.eu
For further Information, contact:
Prof. Costas Galiotis, Chair of Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference
FORTH/ ICE-HT and University of Patras
Stadiou Street, Platani,
P.O.Box 1414, GR-265 04
Patras, Greece
Tel nos: +302610-965 255 (personal), +302610-965 266 (journals)
Fax nos: +302610-965 275 (personal), +302610-990 987 (institute)
e-mail: c.galiotis@iceht.forth.gr
web address: http://www.iceht.forth.gr
Prof. George Chryssolouris, Co-Chair of Industrial Technologies 2014 Conference
Director
Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS)
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics
University of Patras
Patras 26500, Greece
Tel.: +30-2610-997262
Fax: +30-2610-997744
e-mail: xrisol@lms.mech.upatras.gr
e-mail: gchrys@hol.gr
http://www.lms.mech.upatras.gr/
