Speaker:

Mr Manuel Maenhout

Date:

25th October 2018 at 13:00pm

Location:

Mithras House, Univeristy of Brighton

Abstract:

The European Union invests in many hundreds of research and innovation projects per year, in order to meet strategic policy objectives defined under its Framework Programme Horizon 2020 (2014-2020). Researchers and innovators across Europe try to tap into the over 70 billion Pound pot that Horizon 2020 provides, in order to advance their research, develop and scale new products, services, business processes or models, or contribute to a better functioning research & innovation eco-system. Many of those researchers and innovators however have difficulties in responding appropriately to the calls for proposals or tenders the EU issues.

In his presentation, Samuel will approach EU programmes and projects from a former policy-maker standpoint, and as such provide some clues on what the EU understands under a good project (proposal). He will do so basing himself on various sources, including on the EU’s established project management methodology, and by making reference to some anonymous real-life examples he encountered during his time as EU project officer. He will share what he considers good practices that deserve attention when building proposals fit for EU funding, resulting in better preparation for researchers and/or innovators considering the submission of a project proposal. Lastly, he will point to some upcoming EU calls whose main objectives fit well with those of CENTRIM.

Bio:

Samuel Maenhout is an EU innovation policy specialist and former European Commission policy and project officer with a transversal view on EU innovation support measures. Samuel has been the penholder of various sections of the Horizon 2020 work programme, including of the ones on the “European Innovation Council pilot” and “Innovation in SMEs”. He has also overseen a series of projects supporting and monitoring the performance of Europe’s innovation eco-system, including of the University of Brighton-led “INSPIRE”-project, which is a coordination and support action helping the professionalisation of open innovation in SMEs in Europe. Prior to his experience at the Commission, Samuel worked for nine years for the U.S. Department of State as information specialist and in business management consulting for both Andersen and Deloitte. Samuel holds degrees in European studies, knowledge and information management and languages.