Procurement of innovations has been a topic of discussion in Europe for a while. And with good reason! It has the potential to be a very effective tool for promoting innovation in policy, which will help improve government performance, increase corporate competitiveness, and solve social issues.
An international conference on innovation procurement is being held by the Programme for Innovation Procurement (PIP) on March 19 and 20, 2024, at Tour & Taxis in Brussels. The European Innovation Council and the European Commission are closely collaborating on the organisation of this event. It is a component of the Week of Research & Innovation.
There is a rare chance to raise awareness of this underutilised innovation tool during the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union through an international conference. Public purchasers, decision-makers, and businesses from Belgium and elsewhere will be able to share experiences regarding the theory and application of innovative procurement during the conference.
The Flemish government’s strong commitment to innovation procurement is shown in the Programme for Innovation Procurement. Nearly seven years after its founding, PIP has created a methodology that has been verified and initiated over a hundred creative projects with a wide range of partners and industries. The best chance to introduce the rest of Europe to the program’s initial experiences and outcomes is during the EU Presidency in 2024.
This conference, which is being held during Research & Innovation Week, is a component of the Council of the European Union’s Belgian Presidency. The following events are scheduled for this week:
- 18 March: Joint opening of the Research & Innovation Week
- 19 March: European Innovation Council Summit 2024
- 19 – 20 March: Innovation Procurement Conference
- 20 – 21 March: European R&I Days 2024