Directory of RTD Partners
The CORDIS RTD-Partners database was created to make the search for partners easier, to help companies and other organizations to establish cross-border cooperation on projects which could be funded by the RTD programmes of the European Community. A printed Directory of Research Partners has now been issued, based on the RTD-Partners database, making the information it contains even more accessible. For any RTD project to be selected for Community financial support, one of the criteria that must be fulfilled is that it must involve independent partners from at least two Member States. This is because cooperation and the forming of partnerships across national borders is fundamental to the European Community. In the industrial field, such cooperation is vital in order to exploit the potential of the Community's internal market to the full, and to build up the competitiveness of European enterprises at the world level. However, it is not always easy to find the right partner in another country. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are particularly encouraged to take part in the Community RTD programmes, are known to face problems in this respect. A valuable aid to partner location, the RTD-Partners database now contains more than 7,500 entries describing the RTD interests of organizations including SMEs, consultancies, universities, public or private research centres, manufacturers or service companies, or multinationals. The organizations may be based in the European Community (EC) or in European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. The database can be used whenever a partnership in the RTD field is being sought. As well as its value in preparing proposals with a view to funding from Community programmes, it helps to locate partners for the exploitation of research results, partners with particular RTD expertise, and partners with specialized equipment. A subset of the RTD-Partners database information is now available in the printed Directory. Because SMEs are so important to the Community's RTD effort, yet are one of the groups least likely to have access to on-line databases, the Directory concentrates on this type of business, as well as on small, private-sector research organizations. Some larger organizations are included, especially when they are represented in the database by their research branches. As a result, the Directory contains about 20% of the total number of entries in the RTD-Partners database, although it should be remembered that the database entries are longer and contain more details than the entries in the Directory. As well as greater ease of access, one other reason for publishing the Directory is the hope that it will inspire readers to try the on-line database and benefit from the much greater amount of valuable information it holds.