Innovation is involving increasing amounts of collaboration between firms, including between firms that are otherwise competitors.

The current implementation of EU competition policy fails to do justice to this development, but could be modified to do so.

The ESRI is hosting a seminar in Dublin tomorrow, to suggest ways in which competition policy can be changed.

The seminar will also raise the issue of the policy consequences of innovation for the operation of competition policy in the EU.

Elsewhere in Dublin tomorrow, Sage Ireland is hosting a seminar to help prepare SMEs for the National Payments Plan (NPP).

By increasing the use of electronic forms of payment, the NPP aims to make savings of €1 billion annually to the Irish economy.

The plan will bring fundamental change in the Irish payments landscape, with Ireland currently lagging significantly behind its European peers in the use of more efficient electronic payment instruments.

SMEs will be impacted the most by the plan, as it represents a shift in business process around payments, credit control, cash flow management and banking.

"SMEs that are currently making payments to government agencies by cheque will no longer have this option and the associated credit timelines it provides," Sage Ireland commercial manager Simon Bell said.

The seminar will give SMEs a full background to the NPP, the key initiatives and timelines.

Isme chief executive Mark Fielding and Central Bank of Ireland NPP manager Dr Ronnie O'Toole will be among the speakers.