The next important step for the initiative is the upcoming Mind & Market Forum, which will take place on 30 June 2015 at La Maison du Savoir in Esch/Belval.

Supported by Deloitte Luxembourg, Fonds National de la Recherche, Luxinnovation, University of Luxembourg and Mind & Market ASBL, Mind & Market in Luxembourg aims at facilitating and accelerating the transformation of innovative projects into business applications, for the mutual benefit of individual project holders and enterprises in Luxembourg and the Greater Region, by providing expert recommendation and guidance to innovative project holders.

Via an annual forum, regular meetings and the online platform www.mindandmarket.lu, Mind & Market in Luxembourg will promote the bringing together of creators of innovative projects and potential partners, as well as encourage market contact. Mind & Market in Luxembourg connects people from the world of academia and research centres with individual entrepreneurs, while also providing a link to local and international companies of all sizes and across all business sectors (healthcare, ICT, engineering, chemicals, food processing, marketing, management, sustainable development, etc.)

This event constitutes a first step toward the ambitious project of further developing Luxembourg and its surroundings as a centre for research and innovation, bringing together innovative minds and potential partners in Luxembourg and in the Greater Region.

During the conference, the speakers described the ecosystem and culture of innovation in Luxembourg. A panel composed of Raoul Mulheims (Co-founder and CEO of Digicash Payments S.A.), Nataly Katan (Innovation Consultant, Deloitte Netherlands), Carlo Duprel (Head of Unit - Programme Development & Head of International Relations, Fonds National de la Recherche), Ludwig Neyses (Vice-President for Research, University of Luxembourg), Joël Duhr (Active Safety Start Center Leader at Delphi) shared their views and experiences. The panel was moderated by Luc Brucher, Partner and Healthcare and Life Sciences Leader, Deloitte Luxembourg.

Highlight of the year: the Forum on 30 June

The first Mind & Market Forum in Luxembourg will be held at the Maison du Savoir in Belval on 30 June 2015 and is now open for registrations. During this event, there will be several speakers and round-table discussions dedicated to innovation and project creators. Furthermore, creators of innovative projects will have the opportunity to pitch their business model in front of an audience comprised of, among others, specialists and experts in the fields of marketing, finance, human resources, communication, services and product design.

Through contact points and meetings during and following the event, project creators will be able to draw on the skills, experience and market knowledge of entrepreneurs, experts, coaches, companies and support organisations, which could act as catalysts for realising their ideas, speeding up the development of projects and supporting the early stages of a start-up.

All project creators, companies and those passionate about innovation are invited to join the Mind & Market in Luxembourg community and to post their projects on the website: www.mindandmarket.lu

Presentation of the first Deloitte Luxembourg Innovation Survey

On the occasion of this conference, Benjamin Collette, Partner and Talent & Innovation Leader at Deloitte Luxembourg, revealed the results of the first Deloitte Luxembourg Innovation Survey.

The survey was conducted in 2014 and addressed CEOs and CIOs of local companies, ranging from start-ups to large companies, from various industries such as financial services, technology, media & telecommunications, life sciences, and healthcare, as well as from the industrial and commercial sector.

The Deloitte Innovation Survey focuses on how companies in Luxembourg define and implement innovation, involve customers in the innovation process and collaborate with start-up companies. The survey also provides a view of how Luxembourg promotes, drives and incentivises innovation.

The results of the survey confirm that companies consider innovation as a key priority and clearly underlines rooms for improvement.

Key findings of the survey are:

• 96% of respondents consider that innovation is part of the top five strategic priorities. Over one fifth of companies in Luxembourg classify innovation as a top priority
• The main reasons for innovation are company growth and differentiation from the competition
• Less than half of the companies have a well-defined action plan to execute and implement their innovation strategy, however half of the companies have a process in place for collecting innovative ideas
• Only one third of companies cooperate or consider to collaborate with start-ups or spin-offs for innovation or growth
• One third of the companies involve customers at the conception phase of the innovation process. Organisations also consult customers at the testing or prototyping phase and at the pre-commercial launch
• One out of three companies do create interactions between staff and senior management for generating innovative ideas
• Half of the Luxembourg-based companies perceive innovation policy in Luxembourg as more conducive to better business in comparison to the policies of surrounding countries

To download the Deloitte Luxembourg Innovation Survey, visit the Deloitte Luxembourg website: http://www2.deloitte.com/lu/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/innovation-survey-2015.html