Practical experience and facilitating combined funding for large-scale RDI initiatives

Specific challenge: Industrial investments into research, technological development and innovation in Europe, in particular with the aim to bridge the valley of death and prepare new manufacturing capacities, will often need a combination of funding instruments, including EU, national and regional funding, making use of structural and regional funds, as well as private financing. The KET High Level Group underlines the need for efficient combination of funding as a key factor for investments into large-scale pilot lines as a crucial step towards commercial exploitation of new developments. New public programmes are being developed and implemented in connection with the next EU multi-annual financial framework including Horizon 2020 and regional and structural funds. While the responsible authorities are committed to make the instruments compatible, industrial stakeholders including SMEs need to understand what this means, how best to use this for their project, and how to combine public support with