The ICT Proposers’ Day Experience
ICT Proposers' Day 2017 took place on 9 and 10 November in Budapest, centring on European ICT Research & Innovation with a special focus on the Horizon 2020 Work Programme for 2018-20. Big Policy Canvas didn’t miss the chance to actively participate in both days, attending various sessions of interest, as well as getting involved in discussions with researchers, European Commission representatives, stakeholders from the ICT industry etc.
The atmosphere
The feeling that the HUNGEXPO Budapest Fair Center gave out was very positive. Hundreds of policy makers, researchers and industry representatives endured the registrations’ queues during the first day (author note: the one and only bottleneck of a well-organised event) to fill up the program with ideas for proposals, mood for brainstorming and exchange of experience, as well as promotional material related to the organisations and/or projects they represented. It was indicative that the most vivid discussions took place in the open room and halls, rather than the actual sessions of the program.
What Big Policy Canvas Gained
The Big Policy Canvas representatives participated in a wide spectrum of sessions, indicatively (yet not exhaustively) including:
- Societal Challenge 2 & Societal Challenge 4
- Societal Challenge 3 & Societal Challenge 5
- Migration, Transformations & Governance
- E-health, Well-being and Ageing
- H2020: How to write a Proposal?
Interesting insights on what is expected in the years to come in the context of H2020 proposals were delivered by the EC representatives, providing already a first-level validation of the Big Policy Canvas concept, as terms like Open Innovation and Big Data (which play a core role in the context of the project) will be considered the “baseline” for public sector innovation in the following years.
Big Policy Canvas both contacted and was contacted by researchers and policy making experts, trying to investigate future collaboration in terms of an expanded experts’ database. In addition, individual stakeholders, technology-related organisations and other H2020 projects were approached, in an effort to start building (even from this early project phase) the necessary community.
Overall, the ICT Proposers’ Day 2017 was a very positive and fruitful experience for Big Policy Canvas, proving that participation in such events can result to multiple benefits!
