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SME
Participation in
FP7 Report - Spring
2009
Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) are important contributors to the successful implementation of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) of the European Commission. SMEs collaborate with universities, research institutes and large enterprises as part of their innovation strategy. This leaflet provides some key figures which illustrate the overall achievements of SMEs two and a half years into FP7. It shows that SMEs are rightfully claiming a share of the benefits offered by FP7 but that there is still potential for further engagement.
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Full report (1 Mb)
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SUCCESS STORIES FOR FP6 RESEARCH COOPERATIVE PROJECTS
Research can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop new products and services or improve existing ones, yet few SMEs have the funds or manpower to carry out research themselves. The European Union is encouraging SMEs to participate in the Framework Programme for Research to help them meet their research needs. Projects financed under this research outsourcing scheme provide the SMEs involved with an excellent opportunity to improve their competitiveness by developing innovative products and services that put them at the cutting edge of their respective sectors.
This folder features the results of 20 successful projects from the Co-operative Research scheme for SMEs that were funded by the EU under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), which ran from 2002 to 2006. They cover fields as diverse as energy, agriculture, communications, the environment, medicine and music.
In addition to new products and increased sales, the SMEs involved in these projects report that participating in an EU-funded research project enhanced their reputation, opened up new markets and provided them with strong links with both research institutes and companies across Europe. This programme has been continued under FP7 and is now called "Research for the benefit of SMEs".
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E.U. RESEARCH for SMEs -
SMEs CATALOGUE
Innovation in motion
Paris - Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th September 2008
In the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union,
the European Commission, OSEO and the French Ministry for the Economy,
Industry and Employment are jointly organising a two-day debate on how to
consolidate the role of SMEs in European research, development and innovation
programmes.
A catalogue was produced to highlight a selection of successful European
SMEs whose innovation projects have had a considerable economic
impact due to Europe-oriented corporate strategies and to the various European
support mechanisms these companies have benefited from.
It contains 30 company presentations of research and innovation
Projects, the European programmes in which they have participated, together with
the financial and technical support mechanisms that they have benefited from,
at regional, national or European level.
Available in English. (1.23 Mb)
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Practical guide to EU funding opportunities for research and innovation
• Are you a researcher with an idea for a research or innovation project?
• Do you need to upgrade the skills or the capacity of your research organisation?
• Are you an entrepreneur who would like to undertake research and innovation activities?
• Are you already engaged in commercial innovation activities whether or not arising from
research and development?
• Are you a cluster manager who seeks to internationalise a cluster and make it more
innovative?
• Are you a regional innovation policy-maker, information officer or research programme
manager and want to exchange good practices with your peers from other EU Member
States?
There may well be funding opportunities available at EU level that can help you implement
your plans. The objective of this guide is to explain how to get to relevant information on
funding opportunities ("getting through the maze") and make the best use of the possibilities
offered by individual instruments or their combination.
Available in English. (364 Kb)
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The Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) which ran from
2002 to 2006
offered innovative small to medium sized
enterprises (SMEs) with good research ideas
but no research facilities the possibility to outsource
their research to research performers via two specific
schemes devoted exclusively to the needs of SMEs:
Co-operative Research and Collective Research.
This catalogue contains all 473 projects funded
under both schemes.
Available in
English. (3Mb)
FOR UPDATES ON CONTACT DETAILS, PARTNERS ETC. ON THE PROJECTS CONTAINED IN THIS BROCHURE PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING LINK ON CORDIS . |
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SMEs keep local -go international. Opportunities for transnational research
The first source of funding for transnational research projects is offered through the Community Seventh Framework Programme for research (FP7). New additional opportunities are now being developed through the coordination of national and regional funding programmes, with the support of FP7 funding. This will mutually reinforce these Programmes and help SMEs to access transnational research via their established national and regional partner agencies. Some of the most important initiatives are presented in this publication.
Available in English. (772 Kb) Other language versions will be available soon.
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SMEs
in Marie Curie
Transferring
cutting-edge
Science and Technology
from creative
Academic groups
to SMEs is a
key element for
successful business.
Well trained,
entrepreneurial-minded
and mobile researchers
are key to this
successful collaboration.
This is why the
two Marie Curie
actions (IAPP
and ITN) are
promoting SME-Academic
collaborations
focusing on giving
researchers the
adequate skills
and opportunities
to contribute
to SME growth.
This brochure
explains how
SMEs can exploit
this research
potential.
Available in
6 languages (600
Kb)
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Research
for SMEs and Research for SME
Associations at a glance
These are two
dedicated initiatives
to strengthen
the innovation
capacities of
SMEs by providing
the support they
need to outsource
research critical
to their core
business. This
brochure conveniently
spells out how
these initiatives
are designed
and explains
in plain terms
how the funding
model works in
practice. If
you are an SME,
this publication
will aid you
in your proposal
preparation as
you submit your
application for
funding. In addition
to this guide, the
European Commission’s
SME TechWeb hosts
a user friendly
spreadsheet that
instantly calculates
the EC’s
estimated contribution
to your project.
Available in
6 languages (900
Kb)
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SMEs
in FP7: A Hands-on Guide
FP7 provides
financial support
for transnational
research for
and by SMEs wishing
to innovate and
improve their
competitiveness,
by enhancing
their investment
in research activities
to acquire new
knowledge for
growth in Europe’s
knowledge-based
economy. Four
specific Programmes
comprise the
major building
blocks of FP7,
three of which
have direct relevance
for SMEs. These
are: the Cooperation
Programme which
will promote
collaborative
research; the
People Programme
which will develop
human potential;
and the Capacities
Programme which
will strengthen
research capacity.
This publication
is designed as
a step-by-step
guide showing
SMEs exactly
where and how
they can obtain
funding to help
their businesses
grow.
Available in
6 languages (1.5
Mb)
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Supporting
SME - Participation in Research
Framework Programmes
While the architects
of the EU´s
Sixth Framework
Programme (FP6)
were firmly committed
to large-scale
research collaboration
as the means
to achieve breakthrough
results, they
also retained
a strong awareness
of the need to
support the involvement
of SMEs. As well
as allocating
substantial funds
for SME-specific
measures, the
European Commission
made a considerable
effort to encourage
across-the-board
participation
of the smaller
enterprises that
are seen as dynamic
drivers of competitiveness
and job creation
in Europe. Despite
this, some problems
still remained
unresolved. These
were addressed
by special actions
introduced during
the lifetime
of FP6, resulting
in an increase
in SME requests
for funding.
The experience
gained offered
some useful lessons,
which have been
applied to good
effect in making
FP7 even more
SME friendly.
Available in
6 languages (1.5
Mb)
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Special
FP7 edition
including: European
Union - USA -
China - Japan
- Russia - Enterprise
-Research Centre.
Special feature
under Enterprise
on SMEs in European
funded projects
see "Right
on track" and "Oceans:
the final frontier"
Link |
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The SineQuaNet project,
through
the
combined
efforts
of
ESA
(European
Space
Agency)
and
the
European
Commission,
specifically
addresses
often
prohibitive
factors
that
discourage
SMEs'
full
participation
in
the
space
sector.
It
connects
engineering
firms
with
the
necessary
experts
who
can
help
them
succeed
in
tapping
the
potential
of
the
space
sector.
Available in English only (1.1
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"FP6
Horizontal
Activities
involving
SMEs.
Final
summary".
This
booklet
is
designed
to
provide
a
statistical
overview
of
FP6
Co-operative
and
Collective
Research
Projects
Available in English only (2.5
Mb) |
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The
European
Commission
places
great
importance
on
the
continued
success
and
vitality
of
SMEs.
Under
FP6,
three
funding
schemes
were
tailored
to
fit
their
needs:
Co-operative
Research
(CRAFT),
Collective
Research
and
Economic
and
Technological
Intelligence
(ETI).
To
gain
insight
into
the
effects
these
schemes
have
upon
SMEs
and
research
institutions,
the
Research
DG
commissioned
an
impact
assessment
spanning
several
Framework
Programmes.
This
is
the
first
time
such
an
appraisal
of
SME
specific
schemes
has
been
conducted,
giving
us
the
opportunity
to
examine
in
detail
the
benefits
SMEs
derive
from
the
funding
models,
as
well
as
those
areas
requiring
improvement,
ensuring
that
SMEs
needs
are
being
duly
met
at
European
level.
Available in English only (1.5
Mb) |
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FP7
provides
financial
support
to
innovative
SMEs
investing
in
the
acquisition
of
new
knowledge
from
RTD
providers
to
improve
their
competitiveness. This leaflet
gives
a
short
overview
of
the Research
for
SMEs scheme
Available in
6 languages (200Kb)
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FP7
provides
financial
support
to
innovative
SMEs,
via
Associations
or
groups
of
SMEs
acting
on
their
behalf,
investing
in
the
acquisition
of
new
knowledge
from
RTD
providers
to
improve
their
competitiveness.
This
leaflet
gives
a
short
overview
of
the Research
for
SME
Association scheme
Available in
6 languages (200Kb)
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