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US-EU Match: The United States–European Union Network to Enhance Transatlantic Innovation and Business Print E-mail
bridges vol. 19, October 2008 / Institutions & Orgnaizations

us_eu_match_logo_small.jpg On September 10, the US-EU Match Network was launched at the headquarters of the European Commission Delegation to the United States in Washington, DC. Its goal is to support US companies and research institutions that seek to establish strong links with their European counterparts, thereby enhancing transatlantic trade and fostering the exchange of innovative ideas and technology.

The US-EU Match Network links up with the existing Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). Launched earlier this year by the European Commission, the Enterprise Europe Network combines and builds on the former Innovation Relay Centers and Euro Info Centers (established in 1995 and 1987 respectively). Enterprise Europe Network now offers a one-stop shop to meet all the information needs of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and companies in Europe.

Services provided by the Enterprise Europe Network include business partner searches within technology and business cooperation databases and fast access to information on funding opportunities. Representatives of the network also help businesses understand EU law, how it applies to their business, and how to make the most the internal market and EU programs.

"By creating a network in the United States that is linked to the Enterprise Europe Network, we will significantly enhance transatlantic innovation and trade initiatives," Angelos Pangratis, deputy head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States, is convinced.

The US-EU Match Network is led by a consortium consisting of:

    * Intrasoft International S.A. (Luxemburg), a leading information technology company;
    * NineSigma (Cleveland, OH), an innovation broker and leading provider of open innovation services connecting companies seeking technology with global innovators;
    * RTI International (Research Triangle Park, NC), a leading research institute with a strong history of supplying innovative research and technical solutions to governments and businesses;
    * The European-American Business Organization, Inc. (New York, NY), a consulting firm specializing in transatlantic business development and international tax services.

bridges spoke with Raimund Broechler, Intrasoft International, the coordinator of US-EU Match on the goals and projects of the network:


broechler_raimund_small.jpg
Raimund Broechler
bridges:    The US-EU Match network has been established just this past summer. What was the lead-time of the project, and who championed it?

Broechler:    The US-EU-Match project was created with the aim of establishing a technology transfer link between two large industrialized areas in the world: the US and Europe. Intrasoft Int. was the company that hosted the Innovation Relay Centers-Secretariat which used to coordinate the activities of the former Innovation Relay Centers network which, until January 2008, was the technology transfer network in Europe. The IRC Network was taken over by the Enterprise Europe Network in January 2008 and is now managed by an Executive Agency of the European Commission.

Intrasoft Int., with its year-long experience of management of a large technology transfer network, realized that it would be an advantage for European companies if they could link up with other technology transfer networks around the world. In this context, the first step appeared to consist of linking up with networks existing in the US, which is one of the most industrialized areas in the world. Such collaboration could also benefit American companies by opening up the European market to them so that they could exchange technologies across the Atlantic. That's how the idea originated of setting up a consortium between Intrasoft in Europe and several well-known American groups (EABO, NineSigma, and Research Triangle Institute (RTI)) involved in the technology transfer business. Now the project has been launched for a six year duration, extending until 2013.

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