Maria da Graça Carvalho launches today the group "Innovation" of the European Ideas Network of the European People's Party

Invited by the President of the Think Tank of the European People's Party European Ideias Network- EIN, the Spanish Member of the European Parliament Jaime Mayor Oreja, Maria da Graça Carvalho is launching today the working group on Innovation in the European Parliament.

Maria da Graça Carvalho will chair the group, which aims at "exploring the potentiality of the European competitiveness through innovation".  

"Our aim is to gather politicians, members of the European foundations and other study groups to reflect on how innovation can contribute to develop solutions to tackle the European crisis", said the Portuguese MEP of the PSD Party.

This first meeting aims at "discussing the future of the European science and research in a globalised world and improving the interconnection between science and job increase". 

Three external speakers, Peter DROLL (Head of Innovation Policy in DG Research and Innovation), Staffan JERNECK (Director of Centre for European Policy Studies) andRamon A WYSS (Vice President International Affairs, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology - Estocolmo, Suécia) will respectively present the concept of innovation, innovation in a globalised world and a case study on the Swedish system of Innovation.

The debate will be introduced by MEPs Pilar DEL CASTILLO, Christian EHLER e MalcolmHARBOUR, who will speak about Innovation and ICT, Innovation in the Horizon 2020 framework, contributions of science for growth and the role of the internal market.

The rapporteur of the Innovation Group is the CEO and editor of the magazine Science&Business, Richard HUDSON.

For further information:

Maria da Graça Carvalho MEP, tel. +32 228 45776

Sandra Carreira, EPP Group Press and Communications Service, telm. +32 470 830 567