We are pleased to invite you to attend the EPSI Annual Conference, that will take place on November 21^st at ACCIÓ premises: Rue de la Loi, 227, 3^rd floor, B- 1040 Brussels (Belgium) and to the EU4Sports Clusters Alliance Final Conference, that will be held on November 22^nd at the same premises.

Register for these events via:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/epsi-annual-conference-tickets-39517440729

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu4sports-clusters-alliance-final-conference-tickets-39518839914

NOVEMBER 21ST  “SPORT AS A DRIVER FOR INDUSTRIAL MODERNISATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH”

EPSI CONFERENCE  21 November 2017 – 6th European Platform for Sport Innovation Conference

09:00 – 09:15 Registration and coffee
09:15 – 9:30 Opening words Mr. Alberto Bichi Co Executive Director EPSI / Moderator
Keynote speakers
• Mr. Slawomir Tokarski Director of Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing, Directorate General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG
GROW), European Commission (TBC)
• Mr. Peter Berkowitz Head of Unit for Smart and Sustainable Growth, Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy in the European Commission (DG REGIO), European Commission (TBC)
9:30 – 09:50 Importance of Health Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) – Relevance of children
Mr. Renald Lafarge Managing Director of Nova Child
09:50 – 10:10 Economic Relevance of Sport
Ms. Anna Kleissner Vice Executive Director and Senior Researcher of SportsEconAustria

10:10 – 10:30 Coffee Break

10:30 – 12:00 How can sport be a driver for industrial modernisation and economic growth?
Speakers
• Mr. Marc Van der Zande – Sport and Technology; EU4Sports- ClusterAlliance project

• Mrs. Montse Centellas – INDESCAT: Concrete Business cases/ Reverse Mission
• Mr. Kristof de Mey
Victoris/UGent: Business from
knowledge
• Mr. Michael Van Lieshout,  Flanders Bike valley
• Startups in the spot light
(IPOS, FBV, Victoris, …) (TBC)
Moderator Mr. Rene Wijlens
Co Executive Director of EPSI; Cluster
Manager of Sport and Technology

12:00 – 13:00 Lunch Break
13:00 – 13:15 Funding Opportunities for the Sport Sector
[results from scan for calls 2017/2018] Mr. Jordi Escribà B-Link
13:15 – 13:45 Session innovations in practice
Brief introduction on projects; challenges and chances for the industry

13:45 – 14:30 Match making and brokerage events Coordinated by René Wijlens
Co Executive Director of EPSI; Cluster Manager of Sport and Technology
14:30 – 15:00 Regional Development and cross border synergies

Why “ClusSport Partnership” is of importance for the Smart Specialisation for  Industrial Modernisation Platform; Political introduction : more regional and private investments for the European sport industry
• Mr. Marku Markkula Vice president Committee of Regions (TBC)
Regional Governors
• Mr. Mika Riipi Lappland Regional Governor
• Ms. Emma Vendrell Head of International Projects, Clusters Unit
• Mr. Pentti Malinen Regional Mayor, Regional Council of Kainuu (TBC)

15:00 – 15:15 Coffee Break
15:15 – 17:45 Technical panel ClusSport Consortium, workshop and closing remarks • a presentation of the overall concept of interregional cooperation for industrial
modernisation;

• the work performed so far (scoping note);
• connection with other EU initiatives such as ongoing INTERREG and Macro Regions projects in the area of sports, and EPSI;
• examples of investment projects taken from the EAC study on structural funds on sports.
Speakers
• Ms. Kristiina Jokelainen Lapland Region
• Mr. Nikos Pantalos DG Grow (TBC)
• Ms. Alessandra Lepore DG Regio (TBC)
• Mr. Julien Balsen Auvergne Rhône Alpes (Participating Region) (TBC)
• Mr. Mike Coyne partner at CSES (TBC)
• Mr. Marc Pattinson European Cluster Collaboration Platform Project Director and inno TSD

• Mr. Pierre Padilla Senior Consultant at IDEA Consult (TBC)

EU4SportsClusters Alliance Final Conference 22nd of NOVEMBER

09:30 – 10:00  Arrival and registration of participants
10:00 – 10:15  Keynote speech
• Ms Hélène Dage  – Deputy Head of SMEs: Clusters and Emerging Industries, European Commission
• Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska – Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission (TBC)
Moderator: Mr Alberto Bichi

10:15 – 10:30  Mr José Freitas Policy Officer, DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Unit GROW F2 – Clusters, Social
Economy and Entrepreneurship

10:30 – 11:15 Overview of the project
Speakers:
• Ms Stefania Pantazi, Project adviser of EASME and project
officer of EU4SportsClusters Alliance
• Mr Alex Rivera, Cluster Manager of INDESCAT and project coordinator
• Mr Rene Wijlens, Cluster manager of Sports and Technology
• Mr Alberto Bichi, Co-Executive Director of EPSI
• Ms Nathalie Saint-Marcel, Deputy director of Cluster Montagne
• Mr Bert Celis, CEO of Flanders Bike Valley

11:15 – 11:45  Coffee Break
11:45 – 12:15 Lessons learnt within EU4SportCluster Alliance
Moderator: Ms Montse Centellas, Export Manager of INDESCAT
Speakers
• Participant companies in the trade
mission to Cina and/or USA
• Kaptiva Sport (INDESCAT)
• Snooc (Cluster Montagne)
• Inuteq (S&T)
• Bioracer (Flanders Bike Valley)

12:15 – 12:45 Panel discussion, Clusters and Internationalisation.
The future collaboration, Moderator: Mr Marc Pattinson, European Cluster Collaboration Platform, Project Director and inno TSD
Panellists
• Mr Alberto Bichi
Co-Executive Director of EPSI;
• EU Clusters Partnerships from
different EU funding programs

12:45 – 13:00 Closing Remarks and Next Steps
Speakers
• Mr Alex Rivera Cluster Manager of INDESCAT SD
• Mr. Pierre Padilla Senior Consultant at IDEA Consult (TBC)
Moderator: Mr. Alberto Bichi,  Co Executive Director of EPSI

Venue: ACCIÓ premises Rue de la Loi, 227, 3rd floor, B- 1040 Brussels