Why?

• Europe’s competitiveness is declining – we are witnessing high unemployment rates and a drop in living standards R&I investments. The 5th EIS will be the culmination of the Wake up Europe initiative(link is external), which aims to put forward proposals to reverse this negative trend.
• As the new instruments for the 2014-2020 period will be in their final negotiation phase, the 5th EIS will serve as the perfect opportunity to discuss and address issues which remain unresolved and put forward suggestions in order to optimize the crucial decisions which remain to be taken.
• By the time the 5th EIS takes place, attention will have shifted towards the implementation of Horizon 2020 and the Structural Funds. The summit is a great opportunity for innovation stakeholders to debate and discover how they can participate and take advantage of the opportunities, these instruments will provide.