As part of TAFTIE's activities, an ANI led a Task Force of 17 innovation agencies in Europe, which was also supported by NESTA - the UK-based Global Foundation for Innovation Policy.

The SoftPower Task Force - Social Competencies and Skills in Innovation Agencies by breaking with a new EU innovation support model was launched in September 2017 to map and evaluate non-financial support services (eg , mentoring, innovation management support, training, etc.) provided by innovation agencies in Europe to companies and other entities for the development of R&D and innovation, completed in June 2019. It should be noted that these services have already been used, over the years, a poorly individualized or formalized form and often associated with financial support programs. Nonetheless, in recent years, non-financial support for R&I activities has increased significantly to boost technology-based entrepreneurship, to close loopholes in the innovation cycle, to skip the "death values" of technology transfer, and to make or invest through financial financing, with increasingly centralized innovation agencies as their service promotion activities, the result of a greater perception of the concrete needs of companies and other entities.

This Task Force also intends to determine as key competitive requirements and competencies as the necessary innovation agencies and incorporate in the future to improve the use of their countries' innovation systems, complementing economic support in applied R&D and development. technology-based, crucial analysis in the preparation of the Horizon Europe Framework Program.

SoftPower Task Force Events:

• The innovators' views - Lisbon, 25 January 2018
  • Event Completion Report
• The funders' perspective - Luxembourg, May 30, 2018
  • Event Completion Report
• Designing the Innovation agencies of the future: IGL Global Conference 2018 - Boston, June 14, 2018
• The Innovation Agency of the Future: Science Meeting 2018 - Lisbon, 4th July 2018
• The advisory services providers' perspective - Bled, November 29, 2018
  • Event Completion Report
• Task Force Final Dissemination Event - Luxembourg, April 25, 2019

Here you will find the final conclusions of this Task Force, which further illustrate the characterization of the European non-financial support services landscape.

For more information: anisoftpower@ani.pt

Every year, a TAFTIE agency member takes on the Presidency of the Association. In 2020, ANI will be responsible for conducting TAFTIE's activities and events, continuing the collaboration among its members.

Click here to check the Presidency's official brochure to learn more about the objectives and priorities that ANI proposes for the TAFTIE Association in 2020, as well as the ANI team that will ensure this international commitment.

For more information: taftie2020@ani.pt.