EBN project succeeds in integrating SMEs into Integrated Project
A European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN) project charged with facilitating the participation of innovative small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in projects funded under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) is chalking up encouraging results. The FP6 funded LINK initiative, coordinated by PERA Ltd in the UK, focuses in particular on SMEs working in the electronics and plastics industries. Six SMEs from this sector have successfully been integrated into the project SMErobot following the intervention of LINK. SMErobot is an Integrated Project coordinated by Fraunhofer IPA. Its rationale is to create a new family of robots suitable for SMEs, and to exploit the potential of the robots with regard to competitive SME manufacturing. Speaking to EBN, LINK participant Henk van Ekelenburg from Pro Support in the Netherlands explained how the consortium worked towards this achievement. 'Rather than contacting as many SMEs as possible for the SMErobot project, first an analysis was carried out of the coordinators' needs and project objectives through a face-to-face meeting with the project coordinator.' The LINK partners then turned to the LINK Database, which contains data on all SMEs interested in participating in EU projects. 'The focus on identifying a small number of specialised SMEs enables us to spend more time on one of the selected SMEs and to provide them with dedicated support, which significantly increases successful integration,' said Mr van Ekelenburg. Contact with selected SMEs was initially done with a well-prepared telephone call. 'Later on managers told us that this is exactly the way they want to communicate, because they have limited time,' said Mr van Ekelenburg. 'If they do not see immediate possibilities, an e-mail or brochure will be put at the bottom of the list and it will be unlikely to be examined.' The SMErobot project proposal was approved by the Commission in October 2004, and the team started work in March 2005.