Welcome to the last 2016 issue of the SME Instrument newsletter (06/12/2016)
Since the launch of the Horizon 2020's SME Instrument in 2014, the European Union has invested more than €870 million in almost 2200 innovative projects. You can find all of them in our new interactive tool – the SME Instrument data hub introduced in November. Find out more in the articles below, read about the EU's new initiative to boost start-ups in Europe and meet two companies selected for the SME Instrument. With this last SME Instrument newsletter of the year, we wish you a very successful new year and don't forget, the next cut-off is already on 18 January!
Commission gives boost to start-ups in Europe (05/12/2016)
The Commissions' new Start-up and Scale-up Initiative aims to give the most innovative European entrepreneurs the opportunity to take their start-ups from the ideas stage into world leading companies.
Commission to invest €80 million in 58 innovative companies under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument (06/12/2016)
58 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from 16 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. In this phase of the instrument, each project will receive up to €2.5 million (€5 million for health projects) to finance innovation activities. The total amount to be distributed between the SMEs working on 51 projects is €80 million.
Horizon 2020 SME Innovation Associate: € 7 million to fund 71 innovative projects (05/12/2016)
71 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 17 countries have been selected for funding in the pilot run of the Horizon 2020 SME Innovation Associate programme.
SME Instrument: € 500 million invested in more than 1400 companies in 2014-2015 (06/12/2016)
Over 20.000 applications received, € 500 million invested in more than 1400 projects and more than € 692 million of private equity attracted. Since 2014, the European Union's new € 80 billion Framework Program for Research and Innovation - Horizon 2020 – contains a dedicated tool for financing innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) .
Scottish Nova Innovation: a growth path powered by tidal energy (06/12/2016)
Nova Innovation is a Scottish-based company founded in 2010 that designs, builds, installs and operates tidal energy projects. Operating from two sites in Edinburgh and Shetland, Nova Innovation installed the world’s first community-owned tidal energy device in 2014. In August 2016 the company announced the deployment of the world’s first fully-operational, grid-connected offshore tidal array in Shetland.
Evaluating innovation potential – how are SME Instrument proposals scored? (03/11/2016)
After each cut-off hundreds of small companies that applied for the SME Instrument get an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) announcing the results of their submission. But how are the SME Instrument proposals scored?
Entrepreneurs, partners and investors strengthen ties at the SME Instrument Innovators Summit (03/11/2016)
After two intensive days of workshops, pitching and networking at the Innovators Summit in Brussels, it's a wrap! We've learned so much, with all the experts present at the very first edition of the SME Instruments Innovators Summit. European Innovation Leaders had a chance to meet partners, possible investors, peers and their SME Instrument project officers.
SME Instrument: 65 innovative companies to get €90 million under Phase 2 (06/09/2016)
65 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from 18 countries have been selected in the latest round of Horizon2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. Each project, 56 in total, will receive up to € 2.5 million (€ 5 million for health projects) to finance innovation activities. The total amount to be distributed between the 65 SMEs is € 89.57 million.
Help us communicate better! Take 3 minutes to fill our survey. (06/09/2016)
We would be very grateful if you could take a brief moment to answer our survey so we can learn about how you perceive the SME Instrument brand. This will help us make our work more relevant to you. The survey shouldn't take more than 3-5 minutes of your time. Your answers will be confidential.
The survey is open until 2nd October 2016.
SME Instrument: € 51.6 million more to invest in innovation in 2017 (06/09/2016)
The Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2016-2017 has been updated on 25 July, bringing novelties to the SME Instrument programme. The good news is that the SME Instrument budget has been increased to € 437.5 million to be invested in innovation small and medium-sized businesses.
Fast Track to Innovation: European Commission eases market access for innovative projects with €32 million (06/09/2016)
The European Commission is awarding nearly €32 million to bring innovative ideas to market quicker. The 15 benefitting projects, involving 70 partners in 19 countries, will receive around €2 million each under the fifth round of the Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) scheme run under the EU's research and innovation programme Horizon 2020.
A step into the future - Skeleton Technologies raises €13 million for its graphene ultracapacitor (06/09/2016)
Graphene has been heralded to revolutionise high-tech industry thanks to its ground-breaking physical and mechanical properties. Since it was discovered in 2004, the wonder material has attracted interest from industry across the board, but its potential has so far reached few concrete applications on the market
Check the latest SME Instrument companies featured in EASME's showcase (07/09/2016)
This month we put the spotlight on Worldsensing, Paptic, Infarm, Coelux and Hövding...
SME Instrument: 1,189 Phase 2 proposals submitted under June 2016 cut-off (07/07/2016)
For the second Phase 2 cut-off in 2016 on 15 June, EASME received 1,189 project proposals from 35 countries. ICT was the most popular topic with 259 proposals submitted or 22% of the total of applications.
SME Instrument: Holoxica unveils first ever 3D holographic display of brain (07/07/2016)
Holoxica, the specialist holographic 3D visualisation company, has created the first ever 3D digital hologram of the human brain fibre connections from an MRI scan which will have a profound impact on medical science, giving neurosurgeons and clinicians a fresh insight into identifying, diagnosing and treating a wide range of neurological conditions.
IBIS Power: When your banker becomes your client (07/07/2016)
In April 2015, IBIS Power, a Dutch company providing renewable energy solutions, obtained € 1,7M under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument programme for the IRWES project (Integrated Renewable Wind Energy System). This investment helped create 16 high qualified jobs during the last year. On top of that, IBIS Power sold one of its solar combined power PowerNEST system to Rabobank, one of the largest banks in the Netherlands.
SME Instrument invests € 73 million in 50 innovative SMEs under Phase 2 (29/04/2016)
50 SMEs from 14 countries have been selected in the latest round of Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. Each project, 47 in total, will receive up to € 2.5 million (€ 5 million for health projects) to finance innovation activities like demonstration, testing, piloting, scaling up and miniaturisation, in addition to developing a mature business plan for their product.
189 innovative SMEs selected for funding under Phase 1 (February cut-off) (29/04/2016)
189 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 26 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of Horizon2020 SME Instrument, for Phase 1 under February 2016 cut-off.
10 reasons to apply for the SME Innovation Associate (10/05/2016)
The EU wants to help entrepreneurs turn knowledge into innovation and substantial growth for the company. We offer to support the matchmaking of a brilliant European company (SME or Start-up) with a great business idea and a top class researcher from all over the world (PhD holder). There are many reasons why your business could benefit from the SME Innovation Associate, here are a few of them.
969 Phase 2 proposals submitted under April 2016 cut-off (29/04/2016)
For the second Phase 2 cut-off in 2016 on April 19, EASME received 969 proposals from 36 countries.
ICT was the most popular topic with 216 proposals submitted or 22% of the total of applications. It was followed by Low Carbon & Efficient Energy (116 proposals), Transport & Smart Mobility (104) and Nanotechnologies (93).
Most proposals have been submitted by SMEs from Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. These three countries together initiated about 43% of the applications.
Global Commerce Provider Magento chooses French Platform.sh to operate its New Enterprise Cloud Offering (04/05/2016)
Magento Commerce, announced that it's new Magento Enterprise Cloud Edition product will be operated by French SME Instrument champion Platform.sh.
Key takeaways from CeBIT 2016: Dyadic shares its experience (04/05/2016)
March 2016 has meant a whirlwind of travel for Dyadic. The CEO, Avner Mor, started the month in San Francisco, spent the middle of the month in Hannover, Germany and is closing out the month in The Hague, Netherlands. This was the company's first year exhibiting at CeBIT, hence Avner Mor gives us his impressions.
