International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) chooses
Quebec City for its 3rd international symposium, with INO as host

QUEBEC CITY, June 25 /CNW Telbec/ - From December 12 to 15, 2010, INO (Institut national d'optique) (http://www.ino.ca/en-ca/) will welcome some 200 delegates to the Quebec City Convention Center for the third symposium held by the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) (http://www.ispim.org/index.php/about) under the theme Managing the Art of Innovation: Turning Concepts into Reality (http://symposium.ispim.org/).

Event organizers confirmed Quebec City as their choice at the end of the 21st ISPIM conference held last week in Bilbao, Spain, and attended by Christophe Deutsch, vice president of operations at INO. "The decision by the organizers comes on the heels of their visit to Quebec City in May," explained Mr. Deutsch. "The Quebec City Convention Center team did a great job demonstrating their ability to host an event of this scale. We can only conclude that our approach was convincing, since the event was initially slated to take place in China. Hosting the symposium in Quebec City will provide INO and local businesses an outstanding opportunity to showcase their expertise to European markets. Research and innovation are crucial to ensuring that businesses here can distinguish themselves and compete at the national and international level. This meeting of minds will undoubtedly pave the way for new collaborations."

A symposium that is gaining in popularity

The first ISPIM Innovation Symposium took place in Singapore in December 2008 and was followed by the second event in New York City in December 2009. The idea behind the symposium was to hold an event outside of Europe which is traditionally where the main ISPIM symposium takes place. The symposium is a smaller and more intimate event than the conference and has taken on its own identity. Delegate numbers have steadily increased, and 185 people attended the New York event. We confidently expect to have around 200 delegates in Quebec City, which will be our first event in Canada.

The symposium will bring together academics, business leaders, consultants, and other professionals involved in innovation management. The symposium format will include facilitated themed sessions for academic and practitioner presentations together with interactive workshops and discussion panels. Additionally, the symposium will provide excellent networking opportunities

INO opens its doors to delegates

The definitive event program has yet to be finalized, but INO has already confirmed that it will hold a special activity for all delegates and for members of the Quebec City business community at INO headquarters in the Quebec Metro High Tech Park

INO is currently seeking financial partners to help support the event. A call for papers has also been issued for those interested in submitting their proposals. Complete information is available on the INO website at www.ino.ca/en/ISPIM.

About ISPIM

The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) is a worldwide network of innovation management professionals from research, industry, and intermediary organisations. ISPIM's goals are to create a worldwide network of excellence in the field of innovation management, to enhance collaboration between its members, and to be at the forefront of research on innovation. ISPIM achieves this via its international symposiums and regional events, journal publications, collaborative research projects, and other member services.

Delegates expected at the event range from full professors and researchers to directors, managers, and innovation and management consultants. Major organizations represented at the two 2009 events included Airbus Deutschland, Atos Origin, Deutsche Telekom, European Space Agency, FUJIFILM Europe, Hyundai/Kia Motor Company, Microsoft, Nokia, Philips Applied Technologies, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, SAP, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Telecom, and Siemens.

About INO

INO is the largest center for industrial optics and photonics expertise in Canada. The leader in its field internationally, INO has so far completed over 4,000 R&D contracts for Quebec and Canadian companies working in a variety of fields.

INO has performed 43 technology transfers and created 26 new high tech startups. It boasts more than 220 employees, most of them researchers, scientists, and technicians who contribute to INO's international reputation. In 2007 along with six other organizations, INO was recognized as a center of excellence in research and marketing by the Canadian government. www.ino.ca

For further information: Christophe Deutsch, Vice-president - operations, INO, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]