Industrial Technologies 2016 – Creating a Smart Europe is the international conference focusing on the crucial role new production technologies, advanced materials, nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology and digitalisation have in creating a competitive European industry fostering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
On June 23, António Vicente, Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Carlos Moedas, was handed the Amsterdam Declaration ‘Creating a Smart Europe’ by Rob Karsmakers on behalf of the Advisory Board of the conference, including policy recommendations to speed up the arrival of a fourth European industrial revolution.
The conference was held in Amsterdam from June 22 to June 24 2016, as an associated event of the Netherlands Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2016. It was organized by key representatives from the Dutch industrial innovation ecosystem, including Netherlands Enterprise Agency (coordinator), Ministry of Economic Affairs, Manufacturing Industries – FME, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research - TNO , Institute for Sustainable Process Technology – ISPT, NanoNextNL, Materials Innovation Institute – M2i, and the Dutch Smart Industry Programme Bureau.
Main objectives of the conference were to co-develop an European agenda supporting the transformation towards a competitive digitalised industrial landscape; to identify priorities crucial to further strengthening European industry; to create awareness and to inspire stakeholders to engage in new forms of cooperation and partnerships to strengthen the European industrial innovation ecosystem; and to support the uptake of new industrial technologies by bringing together and aligning industry needs, research results, finance opportunities, skills requirements, and societal needs.
Main tracks:
• New collaborations – Building a European innovation ecosystem:
• Revolution by technology and innovation:
• Creating conditions for impact.
• Fostering smart and sustainable growth
1135 registered participants from 42 countries. Six plenary sessions, 16 parallel lecture sessions, and 22 workshops. In addition, a dedicated policy track (with 3 sessions ) in parallel and the I4MS annual event inserted in the programme as well (23 and 24 June). 240 chairs and speakers. 9 company visits. 78 poster presentations. 6 industrial challenges for students.Exhibition with 16 demonstrators, 10 H2020 SME Programme Champions and 28 exhibition stands. Matchmaking event with 125 participants and 400 interviews.
Amsterdam Declaration (in short)
1. Broad public participation in new and advanced industrial technologies is essential to ensure economic and social welfare.
2. Europe’s innovation divide needs to be bridged and we need to improve scaling up innovative start-ups.
3. The societal challenges of today are the markets of tomorrow.
4. Bringing industrial technologies timely to the market requires research and -innovation friendly framework conditions, including better access to finance.
5. Empowerment and ownership by the entire society is needed to create a new and open innovation culture.
6. New technologies and innovations lead to regulatory issues and involve risk taking.
7. SMART targets are required in policies, and innovation needs to become an integral part of these policies.
8. The connection of EU and regional innovation related policies should be strengthened.
9. There is currently a lack of incentives for overcoming barriers to innovation, in specific incentives for scaling up.
10. EU and MS innovation programmes need to be able to deal with the challenges posed by the increasingly rapid rate of technological and digital change.
