CIT @ ICT 2015
Published on: Tuesday, 27 October 2015
www.cit.ie/vlinc
The ICT 2015 Innovate, Connect, Transform event which took place in Lisbon from the 20th - 22nd October 2015 provided a platform for networking opportunities to enhance quality partnerships, help participants find partners, connect Research and Innovation and trigger collaboration across Europe and Internationally.
The Be Wiser and UPSIDE session entitled ‘Internationalisation: The Supporting Role of Clusters’ invited firms, clusters and research institutes to collaborate with both projects and featured presentations from UPSIDE partner Åke Lindström, Kista Science City AB and Be Wiser partner Dr John Hobbs, Cork Institute of Technology. CyberForum a key partner in both Be Wiser and UPSIDE was represented by Dr Annalisa Zuccotti, from their Innovations & International Affairs team.
Dr Annalisa Zuccotti opened the session describing the consortia, goals and aims of the Be Wiser and UPSIDE projects. Dr John Hobbs shared ‘Be Wiser Connect’ http://bewiserconnect.cit.ie with the audience, inviting participants to utilise the online match making tool which showcases 70 ICT firms across Europe who participated in the V-LINC analysis undertaken to understand the seven cluster ecosystems participating in the BeWiser project. Dr Hobbs noted that “The purpose of Be Wiser connect is to facilitate introductions and connections between firms, in order to promote collaboration and create additional linkages across Europe and further afield – ICT 2015 was a great platform at which to share Be Wiser Connect.”
Dr Annalisa Zuccotti then explained the benefits of clusters signing up to the Business Roaming Agreement (BRA) – www.clusterize.org a soft landing platform where member SMEs’s of clusters signed up to the agreement can develop international connections through facilitated visits to clusters across the globe. Dr Zuccotti believed the agreement resonated with the audience “the discussions during the session suggested that cross cluster collaboration was of major interest, being atICT 2015 has opened such connections to Be Wiser and UPSIDE, increased collaboration through the BRA will be a positive for both consortia and their membership.”
Åke Lindström, Kista Science City AB showcase to the audience the cluster-to-cluster agreement between Kista (Stockholm) and Montreal: the bases of the relationship, the starting points and follow-up benefits. The agreement between the two cities was developed in the framework of the UPSIDE projects, and Kista and Montreal share their interest for the smart digital city concept.
The introduction and showcases triggered a very interested discussion among the participants, interest in the tools presented and exchange of contacts for future collaboration.
Åke Lindström, Kista Science City AB; Dr Annalisa Zuccotti, CyberForum and Dr John Hobbs, Cork Institute of Technology presenting at the ‘Internationalisation: The Supporting Role of Clusters’ Networking Event at ICT 2015 in Lisbon.
