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An innovation index published by China ranks the United States 1st and Switzerland 2nd in technological innovation and research capability.

A new smartgrid research facility is to be opened in Glasgow, Scotland. The centre, part of Strathclyde University, aims to accelerate the adoption of new electricity-related technologies.

Europe's Eureka research programme will invest €33 million to fund 25 new collaborative R&D projects. The agreement was announced at a meeting in Eilat, under Israel's chairmanship of Eureka.

While the world financial crisis put the focus on innovation for economic growth, an emerging field aims to use innovation to solve social problems, at the same time providing a much-needed way to put a value on public investment in science

Eurolight, a new venture capital firm set up to specialise in photonics start-ups in Europe, outlined its investment plans as members of the industry gathered to discuss the state of play in this critical technology. Photonics has been singled out by the Commission as one of five fields central to future growth prospects

For the second year in a row, Germany was this week declared world leader in solar photovoltaics. The country has also led Europe in nurturing start-ups in other areas of cleantech. But now funding for new companies may be drying up.

Entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders attending the third annual Science|Business Academic Enterprise Awards (ACES) conference earlier this month called on European politicians and universities to do more to support entrepreneurship on campus and help seed a new generation of world-class technology companies.

The governing board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has elected Alexander von Gabain, founder of the Austrian vaccines company Intercell as its next chairman.

Member states need to step up their efforts in support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship, according to a review of progress in implementing the Small Business Act (SBA), which came into force in 2008.

John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, told ScienceBusiness the large one-off increase in science funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has delivered in terms of new facilities and research outputs.

EU research funding is enabling scientists to work anywhere in the EU. Now, the Innovation Union strategy agreed earlier this month, will increase the level of scientific collaboration and joint funding with countries beyond Europe, Robert-Jan Smits tells the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Washington, DC.

The many obstacles in the way of campus start-ups range from mundane rivalry over laboratory space, to a lack of a top-level commitment to promoting technology transfer and entrepreneurialism. This year's ACES winners met with EIT to discuss experiences and share insight.