Aerospace industry gets ready for FP6
Europe's aerospace industry is already preparing for the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), and has begun to evaluate potential project partners. At two recent events, the industry's big players presented project proposals that they envisage submitting under the first FP6 call for proposals. The events were aimed at informing and involving companies, in particular small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), from an early stage. The workshops were coordinated by the Industry management group for aircraft, engines and equipment (IMG) and the AeroSME project, which is partly funded by the European Commission. Previously, smaller companies have only become involved after the publication of the Commission's call for proposals. The workshops demonstrated the commitment by industry to enhance the efficiency of their projects by involving SMEs.