Nokia to share unused innovations

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, along with Technopolis and Tekes, has announced the Nokia Technopolis Innovation Mill, an initiative to release NokiaÔÇÖs unused ideas and innovations to selected Finnish ICT companies for further development and exploitation.     NokiaÔÇÖs research and development efforts produce massive amounts of new mobile innovations, but only a fraction of the ideas and concepts finally make it into the marketplace. Consequently, over the years, thousands of potentially successful innovations have been shelved.   The three-year initiative is a joint effort by Nokia, Technopolis, Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) and several Finnish cities.   Technopolis, one of EuropeÔÇÖs largest science and technology park chains, will coordinate the initiative and provide business development services to support and enhance the funding effort.   The Nokia Technopolis Innovation Mill is expected to generate up to Ôé¼8 million in investment, including Ôé¼4.5 million of public funding to boost the ICT sector in participating cities.   ÔÇØWe feel itÔÇÖs important to support the birth and growth of Finnish companies that base their offering on technology and service innovations and aim to build internationally competitive businesses,ÔÇØ said Esko Aho, NokiaÔÇÖs executive vice president, Corporate Relations and Responsibility.   ÔÇ£As we will not take all of the innovations generated by our R&D into production, we are happy to give other competent companies the opportunity to turn these innovations into success stories.   ÔÇ£Speeding up the economy calls for a new degree of openness. We hope that the Nokia Technopolis Innovation Mill sets an example that companies across other sectors will follow. The current economic climate is just right for a critical evaluation of intellectual property portfolios and the release of the innovations that are more suitable for others to exploit,ÔÇØ he continued.   The innovations released by Nokia are in areas such as environmental and energy-related solutions, location based services and advertising, near field communication, mobile security, health care applications and future internet services.   The objective is to evaluate the thousands of available innovations and select around one hundred to be matched with a company which demonstrates the best ability to exploit them, and which is then granted funding for further development and commercialization.   A selection committee formed by Nokia, Technopolis and Tekes representatives has already started screening and evaluating the available innovations and candidate companies interested in one or more of the ideas. Potential companies are being screened primarily from the databases of Technopolis, Tekes and the participating cities.   For further information, please contact:   Nokia Communications Tel. +358 7180 34900 (Nokia Press Services), email press.services@nokia.com   Keith Silverang, CEO, Technopolis Tel. +358 40 566 7785, email keith.silverang@technopolis.fi     *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *