Malta seeks to boost R&D and innovation

EUREKA Network news

Malta has launched a new incentive whereby income from royalties on eligible patents will be exempt from taxation, an initiative which is aimed at encouraging enterprises to invest in research and knowledge creation as well as encourage the exploitation of intellectual property.

Details of the incentive were given by the Government corporation responsible for attracting foreign investment and supporting the economic growth of the country, Malta Enterprise, during a seminar on funding and assistance available for industrial research and innovation held on January 18, 2011.

The seminar, which focused on the importance of R&D and innovation for businesses and industries in their efforts to ensure their competitiveness and consequently their long-term sustainability, also had the aim of generating more awareness about the Eurostars joint programme, which Malta recently joined.

Eurostars Call Coordinator Dr. Peter Chisnall explained the mechanism of the programme and highlighted the various benefits for the companies that get involved, noting that most participants in the Eurostars joint programme forecast growth in employment and turnover.

Original text from the EUREKA Network, here.
Press release on the Malta Enterprise Seminar, here.

DFRC's "Location Based Analysis" Project Receives Eureka Tourism Label

Zug, Switzerland – 17 January 2011 - The Eurostars project "LBA" (E!5533, coordinated by DFRC AG) has received the Eureka Tourism label, the European umbrella initiative for promoting R&D projects for the tourism sector.

LBA uses a low cost wireless sensor network, able to locate and track wireless devices such as mobile phones. The system locates and tracks mobile phones in defined premises and uses the data to provide business intelligence solutions at a fraction of current prices.

The system can be deployed in both indoor and outdoor environments, and does NOT retrieve any data with which the wireless device's owner may be identified.

Tourism in large cities involves many different types of tourists, and respective attractions and stakeholders. LBA generates information related to the behavior of tourists within the city (or a similar region), which can be used by policymaking officials or private players for profit enhancement.

By identifying subtle trends and changes in these trends, LBA correlates between different Hotels, attractions, schedules, services and more. Identifying abnormalities in collective behavior before trends become apparent gives an inherent advantage in the market for operators of LBA.

LBA's project partners are DFRC AG (coordinator, Switzerland), the university of Bern (Switzerland), the Central Remedial Clinic (Ireland) and Wellness Telecom (Spain).

LBA is co-financed by the Swiss Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) and by the European Union's Eurostars E!5533 programmes.

Funding Industrial Research and Innovation in Malta

Malta Enterprise, responsible also for hosting the EUREKA programme, is organising a half-day seminar on 18 January 2011 which will give an overview of the existing funding mechanisms and other support services to be utilised by companies to conduct research or innovative projects.

The pressure of the level of competition requires businesses and industry to look at research and innovation as a means to ensure their competitiveness and consequently their own long-term sustainability and livelihood.

Malta Enterprise runs a number of schemes aimed at encouraging R&D and innovation, including specific business advisory services. The latest addition to this assistance is provided through Malta’s recent participation in the Eurostars Joint Programme, a pan-European initiative through which companies from over 30 participating states are brought together to work on collaborative projects that comprise market-driven R&D. Dr Peter Chisnall, Eurostars call coordinator, will be one of the keynote speakers. Other speakers will present details of the various assistance available through their respective entities.
A full version of the press release is also available.

Original Information from www.eurekanetwork.org

Next Week: FITUR, the International Fair of Tourism in Madrid

19 - 21 January 2011.

EUREKATourism will be participating in FITUR 2010.

19 January 2011: Information Stand at Centro de Convenciones Norte IFEMA, Halls N105 & N 106
20 - 21 January 2011: to arrange a meeting with us, contact eureka.tourism@gmail.com or call +34.91.443.0707.

See you in FITUR next week!

Official Journal of the European Union: Call for applications under the work programme of the Eurostars Joint Programme

23/12/2010

Ref. (2010/C 352/13)

Notice is hereby given of the launch of a call for applications under the work programme of the Eurostars Joint Programme.
Applications are invited for the following call: Eurostars-2011-CO6
Call documentation, including deadline, is published on the following website:
http://www.eurostars-eureka.eu/


http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:352:0014:0014:EN:PDF