“I very much welcome the nomination and participation of Dr Nora Khaldi in this initiative. I believe this event offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the pioneering ideas emanating from Ireland and being driven by innovative entrepreneurs like Dr Khaldi.”

Dr Khaldi is a mathematician with a PhD in molecular evolution and bioinformatics from Trinity College Dublin. She is also the founder and CSO of Nuritas, a biotechnology company which was recently awarded the 2015 SVG Thrive Accelerator Award at the ‘Forbes Reinventing America AgTech’ summit in Salinas, California.

Nora was inspired to commence work on identifying highly impactful molecules for human health having seen a presentation on the impact of food on the neuronal, muscle and gut development of wallabies. To better understand the impact of food on health, Nora established a brand new field of science, that of food bioinformatics at the molecular level.

Dr. Nora Khaldi stated, “It is an honour and a privilege to represent Ireland at the EU ‘Made in Europe’ event and to demonstrate how innovative Irish companies are meeting serious global needs. I have always believed that disruptive innovation, which is what Nuritas is all about, is the key to solving many of the 21st century health issues. It is truly inspiring to see that the EU is highlighting and supporting so many revolutionary concepts and life-changing ideas.”

Minister Nash added, “I am particularly struck by the disruptive nature of the research being undertaken by Dr Khaldi and the commitment to ensuring these ideas are commercialised and harnessed to ‘create the future of food’ and in doing so address some of the world’s most pressing health issues, which include obesity, infant development, immunity and heart health.”

The European entrepreneurs selected by their respective Member States will present solutions to a variety of societal challenges, ranging from job creation to healthcare solutions to climate action.

All national candidates will be invited to Luxembourg to the EU SME Assembly in November. The ten best European solutions for global challenges will then be invited to The Netherlands during the Dutch Presidency in 2016 on 31st March to present their ideas on the TEDx stage in The Hague.

EU SME Envoy Network
The network of SME Envoys was set up in 2011 as part of the review of the Small Business Act (SBA).  Each EU country has nominated a national SME Envoy to complement the role of the EU SME Envoy who chairs the network. The group of SME Envoys makes up an SBA advisory group that promotes SME friendly regulation and policy making in all EU countries.

They promote SMEs' interests and in particular:

・        Promote SMEs' interests throughout all government bodies, including those at regional and local levels
・        Act as the main interface between the European Commission and national policymakers for contributing towards the dialogue on SBA implementation.
・        Contribute towards evaluating and reporting on the uptake of the SBA in the Members States, stepping up efforts to disseminate widely information on SME policy actions and promoting the exchange of good practices.

TED C TEDxBinnenhof
TED is a non-profit organisation devoted to ideas worth spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California almost 30 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes on a diverse mix of topics.

TEDxBinnenhof is a public-private partnership in the Netherlands (including ministries, municipalities, universities, SME’s, media organisations, corporates, and so on). TEDxBinnenhof strives to boost entrepreneurs with innovative solutions for global challenges (a broad spectrum of societal, environmental and economic challenges such as pollution, health care costs, loss of biodiversity, climate change and scarcity of natural resources, food and energy).

Made in Europe
The Netherlands will hold the Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2016.  As part of the Dutch Presidency, the first European “TEDx Binnenhof Made in Europe” will take place.  

For the first time the 28 Member States of the European Union will join forces to seek and find the best and most inspiring ideas that have the potential to change the world for the better. Each country will be able to present their best and brightest.

At the 2015 SME in Luxembourg, an international jury and Assembly delegates will select the ‘top 9′ speakers. The 10th candidate will be chosen by public voting. These ‘top 10′ will be presenting their ideas at The Hall of Knights on March 31st, 2016 in The Hague.