SMEs Involvement

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TECARE Meeting 14 June 2007
European Commission Research DG Horizontal
aspects and coordination Alessio Vassarotti
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Opportunities for Research-intensive SMEs in
Theme 2
BASIC RULES
less than 250 employees, annual turnover
less or equal to 50 million and balance
sheet less or equal to 43 million the
company has to be "independent" More details at
http//ec.europa.eu/enterprise/enterprise_policy/
sme_definition/index_en.htm
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Overview of the European SMEs

• European SMEs
• 23 Million enterprises
• 75 Million jobs
• 2/3 privet jobs in Europe are in SMEs
• 99 of all European enterprises

Micro-businesses dominate employment in countries
such as Italy (48) and Greece (57), whilst the
share of large enterprises in total employment in
the United Kingdom is over 45.
Small firms are in fact the real giants of the
European economy
Source Eurostat (2005)
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FP6 SME participation in TP5

• 428 declared SMEs participated in the programme
  out of almost 2.900 participants (15)
• Approx. Received 64,5 millions out of 700
  millions ( 9) available for the FP6 TP5
  programme
• HE 3 SMEs and 0,1 millions
• RES 104 SMEs and 26,3 millions
• IND 145 SMEs and 17,3 millions
• OHT 149 SMEs and 17,6 millions
• Not defined 27 SMEs and 3,2 millions

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SMEs participation in FP7(2007 2013)
Cooperation Collaborative research
Ideas Frontier Research
People Human Potential
Capacities Research Capacity

JRC (non-nuclear)
JRC (nuclear)
Euratom
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SME participation in FP7

• 15 of the budget covering the specific
  programmes under the cooperation programme has
  been earmarked for the participation of SMEs
  40,7 million euro per year!
• ETPs (European Technology Platforms) and JTI
  (Joint Technology Initiatives) are particularly
  relevant for industrial research. In this context
  SMEs should be actively involved in their
  operation
• Mainly high-tech SMEs

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Funding schemes

• To support actions implemented on the basis of
  the call for proposals
• Collaborative projects
• Projects can range from small or medium-scale (
  3 Million) to large scale integrating projects
  (between 3 and 6 Million)
• Networks of Excellence
• Activities run by a number of research
  organisations integrating their activities in a
  given field
• Coordination and Support Actions
• Activities aimed at coordinating or supporting
  research activities and policies ( 1Million)
• Others Individual projects (ERC) Fellowships
  Research projects for third parties (i.a. SMEs)

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Opportunities for Research-intensive SMEs in
Theme 2
WHICH ONES?end-users of new technologies
(breeding companies, SMEs or agricultural
cooperatives involved in the production,
packaging or control of food or feed, etc)
technology providers (engineering/software
companies...)technology-based biotechnology
companies (green or white biotechnology).
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Opportunities for Research-intensive SMEs in
Theme 2
WHY? Medium/long term vision it is a 7
year programme Significative commitment
285 Mio to be spent on SMEs research
Strong support up to 75 of total RD costs for
research and up to 100 for management and
training Optimal protection IPR rules
particularly attentive to SMEs needs
Facilitated burocracy Reduced need for financial
checks and bank guarantees
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Opportunities for Research-intensive
SMEs in Theme 2 SUPPORT GUIDANCE
SMEsforFOOD http//www.smesforfood.org/
several services, including a matchmaking
database SMEs go LifeSciences
http//www.smesgolifesciences.be National
Contact Points http//cordis.europa.eu/fp7/
ncp_en.html Commission Services
http//cordis.europa.eu/fp7/get-support_en.html
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Special ERA-NET Opportunity EUROTRANSBIO
EUROpean network of TRANSnational collaborative
RTD for SMEs projects in the field of
BIOtechnology managed by a network
between 17 Agencies and Ministries from 9
European countries and regions 3 common
European-wide joint calls for RTD projects
with funding up to 35 Mio (???) two step
procedure (next pre-proposal submission
deadline 7 May 2007) Open to
transnational Consortia with at least two SMEs
from two ETB-countries
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SME relevant research

• It is expected that SMEs are involved in all
  relevant research projects that aim to support
  the competitiveness of European industries, in
  particular
• those dealing with the concrete industrial
  application of new technologies or
  research results,
• or the development of industrially relevant
  technologies.
• The Work Programme 2007 covers two calls for
  proposals
• FP7-KBBE-2007-1 published on 22/12/2006
• deadline 02/05/2007
• FP7-KBBE-2007-2A indicative dates publication
  08/05/2007, 1st stage deadline 11/06/2007 and
• 2nd stage deadline 31/01/2008

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SME participation in FP7(2007 2013)
Cooperation Collaborative research
Ideas Frontier Research
People Human Potential
Capacities Research Capacity

JRC (non-nuclear)
JRC (nuclear)
Euratom
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Capacities Research Capacity

• 1. Research infrastructures
• 2. Research for the benefit of SMEs
• 3. Regions of Knowledge
• 4. Research Potential
• 5. Science in Society
• 6. Coherent development of policies
• 7. Activities of International Cooperation

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2. Research for the benefit of SMEs

• Research for SMEs
• Research for SME associations
• Encourage and facilitate SME participation across
  FP7
• under the Competitiveness and Innovation
  Programme (CIP)
• Support services provided by networks to
  encourage SME participation in FP7 (awareness,
  identification of needs, assistance)

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2. Research for the benefit of SMEs

• Research for SMEs
• All SMEs that need to outsource research
  activities
• - Mainly low to medium technology SMEs with
  little or no research capability
• - Research intensive SMEs that need to outsource
  research to complement their core research
  capability
• Research for SME associations
• SME associations which are normally best placed
  to know or identify the common technical problems
  of their members

Outsourcing of Research
SMEs participants
RTD Performers
Results, IPR
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2. Research for the benefit of SMEs
Share of RD of the RTD performers 60
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Further information
EU research http//europa.eu.int/comm/research S
ixth Framework Programme http//www.cordis.lu/fp
6/home.html http//www.cordis.lu/fp6/food.htm Se
venth Framework Programme http//www.cordis.europ
a.eu/fp7/home.html Research DG
Site http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/index_en
.html RTD info magazine http//europa.eu.int/co
mm/research/rtdinfo/ Information requests
http//ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pgenquirie
s