Over the past five years the Science|Business Academic Enterprise Awards have thrown a spotlight on 70 of Europe’s hottest technology spin-outs. The ACES winners are individuals who created companies based on cutting-edge research.

Third generation cognitive computing is making sense of data mountains and starting to deliver remarkable improvements in healthcare. Now, sensitively calibrated data protection rules are needed – to reassure patients and protect privacy, whilst allowing progress to continue.

European researchers working to advance technology frontiers face a dilemma. To keep their academic careers on track they must publish the results of their work as quickly as possible and present scientific breakthroughs at scholarly conferences. But to reap the benefits of possible commercial applications for themselves and their universities, they must remain silent until a patent is filed.

Perceptions of ACES finalists about the process of science entrepreneurship

The Annual Report 2012-2013 is a summary of the activites of the Science|Business Innovation Board over the past year. The Science|Business Innovation Board seeks to improve the climate for innovation in Europe through:new ideas in innovation policy, strategic relations between top universities and companies, and top-level dialogue with EU policy leaders. The Board, which began meeting in 2007, was founded by international business school INSEAD, ESADE Business School, and Science Business Publishing Ltd., with the support of Microsoft Corp. and BP PLC. Its membership has broadened to include Imperial College London, SKF and some key individual innovators.

The ACES, now in their fifth year, are the only pan-European awards for enterprise in university and public research institutes. They give public recognition to those researchers, engineers, professors, students and government officials in Europe who have done the most to foster a culture of enterprise on campus.

Europe is currently a world leader in the fundamental science underpinning regenerative medicine and cell therapy, and in its therapeutic use and regulation. But how can Europe build on its leading position?

The 2012 EIT and ACES Awards Yearbook contains detailed profiles of this year's winning companies, EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou's vision on innovative entrepreneurship and an introduction by Chairman of the EIT's Governing Board Alexander von Gabain.

This study, built on a growing pool of academic research about the state of industry-university collaboration, offers concrete lessons and recommendations from experienced managers on both sides of the divide.

New laws on both sides of the Atlantic are changing the way patents will work. How can this historic convergence help inventors - and the economy? Special report of a Science|Business conference that took place in Washington on 7 May 2012.