Infosociety: In Focus

» ARC Fund published educational brochures about Information Society, ARC Fund launched a series of educational brochures about the information society. The first booklet, which was released in August, contains a detailed description of the European Union's Information Society and Technologies (IST)Program - a component of the Fifth Framework Program aimed at realising the benefits of the information society for Europe by accelerating its emergence and by ensuring that the needs of individuals and enterprises are met. The second brochure was published in December and provides an inventory of financial instruments in support of information society projects in Bulgaria.

» ARC Fund took part in PARTNER Network Technology Transfer Workshop, The PARTNER Network Technology transfer focus group meeting took place on the 3rd of September, 2002 in Balaton Furet. Several round tables were organized with the aim to discuss the ways for studying the availability of innovation infrastructure in the regions as well as the interaction between academia and business, networks, support services. Special attention was paid to the availability of funding innovation activities in regions. Best practices on technology transfer in both Western and Eastern Europe were also discussed.

» ARC Fund participated in a task force for promotion of Bulgaria's ICT industry , ARC Fund participated in a task force which, during the period July-August, prepared a marketing prospectus for Bulgaria's ICT industry and human potential. The task force was comprised of representatives form the Bulgarian Foreign Investment Agency, ICT Agency, Coordination Center for Information, Communication and Management Technologies.

» Participation of representatives of the district authorities of the South Central Region in the Innovation Week in Thessaly, In the period 14-17 November 2002 ARC Fund organised a trip for the district governors from the 6 districts in the SC regions with the aim to participate in the Innovation Week in Larissa and Volos, Greece (06-17 November 2002). The delegation was hosted by the Secretary General of the Region of Thessaly and the Regional Development Fund of Thessaly.

» ARC Fund organized a roundtable on Measuring the Information Society , ARC Fund organized a roundtable on Measuring the Information Society and problems confronting organizations in Bulgaria that took place at IPSO on 7 November. The event brought together experts from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, ICT Agency, National Statistics Institute, Coordination Centre for Information, Communication and Management Technologies, and social research agencies.

» ARC Fund is developing an online ICT Marketplace , A project on developing a National ICT Marketplace began in October 2002 in cooperation with the Innovation Relay Center (IRC)-Bulgaria and with financial support by the ICT Agency. The objective of this project is to promote and facilitate the innovation and technological development of Bulgarian companies and academic institutions operating in the field of information and communication technologies.

» International Conference discusses "Technology Foresight for EU Enlargement", ARC Fund organized an international conference on issues of technology and innovation foresight on October 3, 2002 in Sofia.

» Technology brokerage event during the "58th International Technical Fair in Plovdiv", Bulgaria., IRC-Bulgaria, IRC Help-Forward in Greece, IRC Lower Saxony/Saxony-Anhalt in Germany and IRC Romania co-organised a Technology Brokerage Event in the field of Industrial Processes and Automation (e.g. Mechanical engineering, Environmental technologies, Food processing technologies, Chemical engineering). The event took place during the 58th International Technical Fair in the ancient and beautiful city of Plovdiv on 1-2 October 2002.

» Innovation Policy in Denmark (in Bulgarian), During the last twenty years Denmark has been experimenting with many forms for transition to applied economic politics. At the end of the 1980s the country has embarked on a transition from politics of short-term stabilization to long-term structural politics.

» Scientific Research and Innovation in the Netherlands (in Bulgarian), The innovation system in Holland is in fact a research interest from different points of view. Considering the significant differences between Bulgaria and Holland, they are very similar in some characteristics.

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