CORDIS publishes profiles of first FP6 projects in support of SMEs
The EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) encourages participation by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in research projects, and includes special activities to increase SME competitiveness and research capabilities. CORDIS, the European Community Research and Development Information Service, has now published fact-sheets profiling the first FP6 projects in support of SMEs under the Collective Research and Economic and Technological Intelligence (ETI) actions. SMEs are of course eligible to participate in all FP6 projects, such as Integrated Projects (IPs) or Specific Targeted Research Projects (STREPs). In addition however, several actions specifically in support of SMEs began in the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5), including Collective Research and ETI, and they have now been extended in FP6. The Collective Research initiative supports pan-European research projects that develop technologies and expand knowledge for communities of SMEs. While the research may be carried out by other organisations, at the heart of the projects are a core group of SMEs who will benefit from exploitation of the technologies developed, as well as industrial associations who retain ownership of the Intellectual Property at the project's end. The aim of ETI projects meanwhile, is to use existing sources and networks to identify SME needs and anticipate market and technology trends. The projects then work to promote innovation in SMEs, compile and analyse information on scientific developments and identify and disseminate best practice. At least 15 per cent of the budget (approximately 1,700 million euro) relating to the seven thematic priorities of FP6 will be allocated to SMEs. On top of this, the indicative budget allocated to horizontal activities specifically in support of SMEs (including Collective Research) for the duration of FP6 is 473 million euro, while that for the Research and Innovation work-programme (including ETIs) is 35 million. The newly published project profiles result from projects with signed contracts following selection from the first call in FP6. The first call for ETIs concentrated on SME participation in the thematic priorities and new instruments of FP6, such as IPs and Networks of Excellence.