"Europe’s problem is not so much the lack of investment in research and development. What is much more important is the fact that, as opposed to the US, China or India, Europe has to cope with a very fragmented research and innovation system. As a consequence, we are faced with duplication of initiatives with mediocre results, instead of complementarity and focus on selected areas of excellence.Various ambitious initiatives have been launched at EU-level in order to increase Europe’s research and innovation performance. The majority of these initiatives has a strong, if not a primary focus on achieving greater coherence within the European research and innovation system.Despite all these initiatives, achieving a coherent European research and innovation system and agreeing on joint strategies is a difficult task. it is clear that there is no one-size-fits-all design, but that successful strategies must be adapted to national and regional contexts. The key task is therefore to define and develop European research and innovation strategies which, on the one hand, bring member states’ efforts in line with each other and, on the other hand, leave sufficient scope for national (and regional) flexibility and competition.The objective of the conference “Towards a European Innovation Ecosystem: Research and Innovation Strategies adapted to national and regional contexts” is to make an important contribution to achieving goal of greater coherence of the European research and innovation system while allowing the necessary freedom for the member states and regions. The organisers of the conference want to bring together all concerned stakeholders, incl. policy-makers and politicians from EU, national and regional levels, representatives of the academic sector, delegates from both small and multinational companies and, last but not least, civil society. The main topics shall be precisely those areas where the cooperation of member states and regions is crucial."