SMEs

EU-XCEL, European Virtual Accelerator launches its recruitment campaign for tech entrepreneurs across Europe

This January, a new Horizon 2020 project was launched to harness the power of challenge prizes and ICT to serve as catalyst for social progress in Europe.

An EU-funded project is attempting to validate a prototype test designed to predict which combination therapy would best suit individual patients with colorectal cancer, the most common form of cancer in Europe. The test is expected to lengthen the life expectancy for those with this aggressive form of cancer by indicating the most effective treatment combination for individual patients.

Buildings account for some 40% of the EU’s energy consumption and CO2 emissions. More than half of them are residential, often with plenty of room for energy efficiency gains. An SME-led project funded by the EU has developed an innovative heating solution specifically for existing single-family homes. It expects this system to be on sale within a year.

If you’ve ever been stuck on the motorway in a tailback of polluting heavy goods vehicles, then you’ll welcome this EU-funded project to reduce the burden of freight on the roads by moving it to rail with a new loading system. The method, which also saves rail freight companies both time and money, is already being introduced in one Italian port.

With the support of the European Research Council (ERC) "Proof of Concept" grants, 59 researchers in Europe will now get the chance to turn their inventions into viable products.

Opportunities for participation presented to universities of applied sciences by EU funding, especially by the EU's research and innovation funding programme Horizon 2020, were the main topic of the conference "Mobilizing Universities of Applied Sciences for Horizon 2020”, hosted by the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) on 4 February 2015 in Brussels.

The melt rate of Europe’s snowy peaks and glacial lakes can have a huge impact on both daily activities and planning in many countries. EU-funded researchers have developed applications that use satellite data to tell them just that, in close to real time.

Technology capable of quickly detecting the tiniest of flaws in automotive parts could help reduce production stoppages and costly vehicle recalls. The next step is to create new opportunities for SMEs by bringing this innovation to market.

Tales of invincible ‘super rats’ sweeping across towns and cities are no longer so far from the truth. There are around 60 billion rats on the planet – eight rats for every human! One pair can produce 3 650 young in a year, and each new generation is more resistant than the last to every pest controller’s most powerful weapon: rat poison.

EU-funded researchers have developed a driver’s seat and seatbelt from smart textiles that measure heart and breathing rates. Detecting if drivers are showing signs of fatigue behind the wheel and somehow alerting them to the fact, the system could prevent thousands of fatalities every year.

EU-funded researchers have developed an automated prototype to help farmers monitor and control the amount of water and fertiliser they need for their crops. It has already been successfully tested on 25 hectares of land (an area roughly the size of 35 football pitches), and the SMEs involved are making commercialisation plans – there is currently no such system on the market.

Mycotoxins – produced by fungi – contaminate about 25 % of food crops worldwide, according to the latest estimates. Detecting contamination quickly and reliably is essential for food safety, as mycotoxins could be transferred to bread, for instance, making it unsafe to eat. The MYCOHUNT project developed a system that can sniff out mycotoxins almost immediately. It is expected to be on the market within two years.

With the help of EU research funding, three small businesses have been able to take a concept for more efficient, cheaper types of paints for hazardous, explosive work areas, develop innovative products, and successfully bring them to market. The new paints also eliminate the need for the metal particles and solvents normally used in such products – removing a potential health hazard.

Today the European Commission is announcing new support for innovative companies around Europe through two initiatives. One of these is a new, €200 million, "Fast Track to Innovation" initiative launched today by the Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas. This instrument will promote innovation by reducing the time it takes to bring innovative ideas to market.

Air transport is a growing and increasingly vital part of our rapidly globalising world. At the same time, the aeronautics industry faces an unprecedented set of challenges. Chief among these is the need for greener and more sustainable aviation. For everyone in the industry, the message is clear: successful ‘green’ innovation will be key.

Wind turbine towers are growing taller, with rotor blade diameters exceeding 100 metres. And like any other machine, these ‘giants’ occasionally need repairing. EU-funded researchers have now started to develop a novel system for on-site maintenance.

Sometimes a simple cast is not enough to fix a broken bone. Surgery may instead be necessary to insert a nail into the bone and stabilise it. An EU-funded project has developed a prototype of a surgical tool for such operations that will help prevent potential cross-contamination. Thanks to a novel welding method, the new tool does not have any crevices where bacteria can hide and is also easier to clean than traditional tools.

The European Investors Gate (EIG) project is open for ICT SMEs interested to connect with European investors. e-pitches are organised every two months.

Using digital machining, companies can turn a digital design into an object with the click of a mouse. An EU-funded project has come up with a new and innovative way to do this, bringing the technology within reach of smaller companies with limited budgets.