The  high-level substantive segment of the eighth session of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration will discuss the emerging landscape for innovation and PPP financing on 12-13 February 2014.

The draft conclusions and recommendations from the Innovation Performance of Armenia will be discussed in the afternoon of 13 February 2014.

The eight session of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration will be held back-to-back with the sixth session of the Committee on Trade on 10 - 12 February 2014. Both Committees will have a specific discussion on what synergies could be found in the work of the two Committees.

 Substantive segment Part 2: Innovation performance review of Armenia

Thursday 13 February 15:00-18:00, Salle VII, Palais des Nations

The second part of the substantive segment, on the afternoon of Thursday 13 February, will be dedicated to the Innovation Performance Review of Armenia.

The Innovation Performance Review of Armenia, undertaken this year and organized as a participatory policy advisory service, examines possible policy actions aimed at stimulating innovation activity in the country, enhancing its innovation capacity and improving the efficiency of the national innovation system. The Innovation Performance Reviews of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have already been successfully carried out and published, and this Review follows a similar approach. 

The content of the Review follows an Outline agreed upon with the Government of Armenia, with international experts mobilized jointly by the UNECE and the Government of Armenia to carry out the substantive work. The final text of the Innovation Performance Review of Armenia is due to be published as an official UNECE publication.

15:00 - 15:15: Opening statements

1. Opening statements on the joint project “Innovation Performance Review of Armenia”.

15.15 - 16:10: Chapters 2 and 3

2. Substantive policy discussion on Chapter 2 “National innovation system and innovation governance” and Chapter 3 “Framework conditions, innovation policies and instruments” of the Innovation Performance Review of Armenia.

Moderator - Mr. Ivan Bortnik, Chair of TOS-ICP, Executive Director, Association of Innovative Regions of Russia, and Chair, Supervisory Board, Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology.

• Presentation of main findings (conclusions and recommendations) by the members of the international team of experts:
Mr. Rumen Dobrinsky, Director for Strategy, European Alliance for Innovation, Belgium, and Mr. Thomas Stahlecker, Senior Researcher and Head of Business Unit “Regions and Clusters”, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Karlsruhe, Germany.

• Presentation by an independent international reviewer: Ms. Julia Djarova, Chair, ECORYS International, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

• Statement by a representative of the delegation of Armenia: Mr. Ashot Khandanyan, Adviser to Chairman, State Committee of Science of the Republic of Armenia.

• Plenary discussion

16:10 - 17:05: Chapters 4 and 5

3. Substantive policy discussion on Chapter 4 “Knowledge generation and innovation support institutions ", and Chapter 5 “Industry-science linkages and collaboration in the innovation process” of the Innovation Performance Review of Armenia.

• Presentation of main findings (conclusions and recommendations) by the members of the international team of experts:
Mr. Slavo Radosevic, Professor of Industry and Innovation Studies, Director of UCL Centre for Comparative Economics, Deputy Director of School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, United Kingdom, and Ms. Annamaria Inzelt, Director, IKU, Innovation Research Centre, Financial Research Corp, Budapest, Hungary.

• Presentation by an independent international reviewer: Mr. José Molero, Director, Programme on Innovation and Technological Development, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.

• Statement by a representative of the delegation of Armenia: Mr. Mikayel Melkumyan, Armenian State University of Economics.

• Plenary discussion

17:05 - 18:00: Chapters 6 and 7

4. Substantive policy discussion on Chapter 6 “Financing innovative entrepreneurs” and Chapter 7 “Innovation and international economic integration” of the Innovation Performance Review of Armenia

• Presentation of main findings (conclusions and recommendations) by the members of the international team of experts:
Ms. Anna Kaderabkova, Research Director, Center for Economic Studies, Prague, Czech Republic, and Mr. Manfred Spiesberger, Project Manager and Researcher, Centre for Social Innovation, Vienna, Austria.

• Presentation by an independent international reviewer: Mr. Zhumatay Salimov, Deputy Chairman, National Agency for Technology Development, Astana, Kazakhstan.

• Statement by a representative of the delegation of Armenia: Mr. Gagik Makaryan, Chairman, Republican Union of Employers of Armenia. 

• Plenary discussion

In order to register for this event, please fill out a registration form and return to: [email protected],
OR by fax to no. +41 22 917 0178. 

Bring a printout of the filled out form with you to Geneva.

Delegates enter the Palais through the Pregny Gate (Portail Pregny - see map) entrance, which faces the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) headquarters on the Route de Pregny.The nearest bus stop is called "Appia" (for bus and tram schedules see www.tpg.ch)

In order to obtain your identity badge from the Security Services, you will be asked to present a valid passport or a national identity card and a copy of your registration form completed.

Your badge is strictly for your own personal use. Please note that delays here are common and lengthy and delegates are unfortunately required to wait in the open air.

The Pregny Gate is open from 08.00hrs to 17.00hrs from Monday to Friday, non-stop.

For further information, please see at:  http://www.unece.org/meetings/practical.htm.

The meeting will take place at the Palais des Nations, Avenue de la Paix, Geneva, Switzerland.

VISA ASSISTANCE / INFORMATION

Delegates and participants, who need Visa assistance from UNECE Secretariat, are requested to send your passport copy along with your registration form, as early as possible to [email protected].

Participants to the meeting who need a visa, are strongly advised to apply as early as possible.

Delegates and participants, who need to apply for a Schengen visa are requested to contact the Swiss Embassy in their home country. Please refer to updated information about Swiss Embassies abroad.

Direct links are provided here to two documents containing visa information provided by the Swiss Federal Office for Migration website.

• List 1: Overview of ID and visa provisions according to nationality (version of 10 February 2012)

• List 2: ID and visa provisions – particularities regardless of nationality (version of 10 February 2012)

• Swiss Federal Office for Migration

Further information can be found on this site at http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/themen/einreise/merkblatt_einreise.html

ACCOMMODATION & RELATED INFORMATION

Participants to the Conference are advised to book their accommodation early. Some of the hotels listed may apply United Nations preferential rates.

• Geneva Tourism website

• List of Hotels in Geneva and neighbouring France as downloadable .pdf file

• Centre of Mandat International