Integrating experiments and facilities in FIRE+

Specific Challenge: The validation of research results in large-scale, real life experimental infrastructures is essential for the design and deployment of products, applications and services on the Future Internet. There is a need for more experimentally-driven research, which can be served well on top of available infrastructures.

Scope:

a.      Research & Innovation Actions: proposals are expected to cover one or more of the themes identified below, but not necessarily all of them.

         Proposals for the integration of experimental facilities, testbeds and laboratories into FIRE+. The resulting experimental infrastructure must be extensive, span various technologies and allow for integration on demand in response to experimenters' and users' needs.

         Collaborative projects for experimentally-driven research on top of existing experimental infrastructures including necessary extensions, adaptations or reconfigurations that serve the experiments. Proposals in any of the areas under point a. of topic FIRE+ are encouraged.

The action may involve financial support to third parties in line with the conditions set out in Part K of the General Annexes. The consortium will define the selection process of additional users, experimenters and suppliers for which financial support will be granted (typically in the order of EUR 50.000 – 150.000[1] per party).  At least 50% of the EU funding should be allocated to this purpose.

b.      Innovation Actions

Proposals for technically mature experiments on top of FIRE+ facilities for close-to-market products, applications or services. Proposed collaborative projects must include at least one SME and should be conducted with financial or other support and/or participation of a European or a National Agency; they must have a clear innovation and business perspective (e.g. based on new business models, including SMEs and start-ups).

Expected impact:

         A set of more than ten open, experimental facilities and platforms developed at European, national or regional level and integrated into a reliable, diversified experimental infrastructure, covering different aspects of advanced networking and applications. These facilities may include ecosystems and real world settings in experimental activities.

         Further economies of scale in terms of infrastructure and its management by promoting the utilization of existing shared experimental facilities and platforms by experiments in this specific challenge.

         Enabling access to FIRE facilities by SMEs; serving new constituencies and new types of innovation-oriented experimentation previously not served within FIRE+.

         Promotion of innovative applications and services, close-to-market, short-term, focused, mature ideas and acceleration of technology take-up and transfer.

Types of action:

a.       Research & Innovation Actions – Proposals requesting a Small contribution are expected

b.      Innovation Actions – Proposals requesting a Small contribution are expected

[1]     In line with the Rules for Participation Article 19 (7) the amounts referred to in Article 137 of the Financial Regulation may be exceeded where it is necessary to achieve the objectives of the action.