Professor Van de Vrande’s research focuses on several aspects of corporate venturing and open innovation, including open innovation in SMEs and the interaction between large and small companies. In addition, her other research interest includes external technology sourcing through corporate venture capital investments, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions, corporate venturing, and spin-offs. Her research has been published in leading international journals.

Professor Bessant has been active in research, teaching and consultancy in technology and innovation management for over 25 years. He is an acclaimed author (“Managing innovation” and “High involvement innovation”) and he has acted as advisor to various national governments, international bodies including the UN, The World Bank and OECD and companies including Lego, Novo Nordisk, Mars, Toyota, UBS and Morgan Stanley.

 

Professor Kreinsen’s working field focuses on industrial innovation processes. In particular he is dealing with innovation processes in traditional respects. In this field he conducted a lot of internationally and nationally funded research projects and he published several books and numerous academic papers. He is member of several high-ranking national and international advisory councils in the field of innovation policy. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Finance University/Moscow and the Eurasian University, Astana/Kazakhstan

Mrs Stephens has over 20 years’ experience in economic development focusing on innovation policy and innovation business support programmes across Scotland, the UK and Europe, with a strong background and interest in the innovation potential of SMEs such as the B2B collaboration and open and demand-led innovation. An elected UK representative on the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Steering and Advisory Group Mrs Stephens played a key part in helping to formulate and drive the strategic direction of the EEN. Mrs Stephens has regularly participated in pan-European working groups, think tanks, steering and advisory groups, being recognized for her influence and the impact on the area of SMEs. She is currently working in delivering a number of open-innovation and demand-led pilots.

Mr. Gibbels is the Secretary General of the European Small Business Alliance (ESBA) - a Pan European, organisation for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises, representing the interest of 1.3 million European enterprises and lobbying on their behalf since 2009. Through its direct membership, associate membership and cooperation agreements, ESBA today represents more than one million small businesses and covers 36 European countries.

Dr. Leimüller is managing partner and founder of winnovation, a consultancy in Vienna specialised in open innovation that helps companies of all sizes and industries to systematically develop innovations. In addition, winnovation developed novel, highly effective tools of innovation and technology policy, including specific formats for the transfer of open innovation practices in SMEs (including Open Innovation Labs, -Trainings, peer-to-peer coaching, etc.). Dr. Gertraud Leimüller is a consultant in various national and international bodies, including the EC (member of the EU Expert Panel on Services Innovation and the European Policy Learning Platform on Creative Industries) and she is the author of numerous books and articles on innovation.

His main dossiers are SME finance and relations to Banks, R&D and Innovation; State aid policy, economic policy coordination, macroeconomic dialogue, innovation and R&D, monetary policy and tax policy. Furthermore he is responsible for the UEAPME Study Unit and the Press Office. UEAPME includes 37 SME Associations from 26 European countries. UEAPME develops sectoral policies for SMEs in a range of sectors such as Construction, Cosmetics, Food-processing, Medical technologies, Retail, Tourism and Transport. UEAPME has carried out a variety of projects about SMEs such as the Small Business Standards, the Total Operation Management for Safety Critical Activities, Clouding services for SMEs and RFID for SMEs. Between 1994-98, he was the Executive Secretary of the "Economic and Social Council" of the Austrian Social Partners while between 1987-98 he worked in the Economic Policy Department at the Austrian Economic Chamber. Gerhard holds a Diploma at the University of Linz, Economics.

Frank is Head of ESA's Technology Transfer Programme Office. Prior this post he was the Head of Commercial Development in European Astronaut Department of ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight Microgravity and Exploration. Before joining ESA, Frank held the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO and CFO) at an IT start-up headquartered in Munich, Germany, between 2000 and 2003. Frank also spent seven years with Apple Computer, 1993–2000, initially as an account manager and later as a sales manager covering central Europe. He holds a degree in Graduated Industrial Engineering, and is genuinely passionate about the importance of human space flight and the European space programme, saying ‘a society that stops exploring, stops progressing’. Frank is member of board of directors of European Business Network (EBN).