Generating growth and competitiveness through innovative SMEs
Europe’s economy is based on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which comprise 99 % of all businesses(opens in new window) and employ over 88 million people. Eurostars-3(opens in new window), the flagship programme of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs, supports companies to engage in international collaborative projects by fostering links between SMEs, research organisations and other partners. Since 2008, the three editions of Eurostars, co-funded by the different EU framework programmes for research and innovation, the Eureka Network and a steadily increasing number of national funders, have witnessed a rise in public money committed and the number of projects funded, as well as an increase in private funding leveraged and its expansion towards non-European countries. The European Partnership on Innovative SMEs manages to strengthen innovation ecosystems, accelerate the scale-up of SME-driven technologies and enhance access to international markets. It also plays a vital role in bridging the gap between research and market deployment, enabling innovative SMEs to contribute significantly to the EU’s green and digital transitions.
Nurturing innovation
Over 1 600 SMEs have taken part in projects funded under Eurostars-3, the flagship programme of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs since its start in 2021, demonstrating how European start-ups and spin-outs are pushing the boundaries of technology through international collaboration. These SMEs have developed innovative solutions that accelerate the shift to sustainable energy and transport, advance efforts to combat cancer and future pandemics and reduce waste while improving food sustainability. Eurostars-3 empowers companies by connecting them with international innovators, fostering cooperation that goes beyond EU borders. The programme not only promotes cutting-edge research and development but also strengthens the global competitiveness of EU businesses, enabling them to access new markets and scale their innovations worldwide.
Internationally competitive
This CORDIS Results Pack features nine projects that highlight the impact innovative SMEs can have on European societies through the technologies they develop, the economic growth they generate and the social impact they bring. Seen as the mainstay of European growth and competitiveness, research-intensive SMEs require substantial support to grow beyond national borders. As the EU has put innovation and competitiveness at the heart of its strategy, the goal of this Results Pack is to highlight through real-life examples the gaps that remain and the importance of programmes such as Eurostars-3 in bridging those gaps.
Growth beyond Europe
The Eurostars-3 programme helps SMEs build innovation networks beyond their home country, co-develop technologies with partners across Europe and globally, and explore new markets and value chains. Implemented through national and regional public authorities that are close to the level of the organisations it supports, the programme is often an accessible first step into international cooperation for SMEs. Its bottom-up nature enables innovators to access funding to develop transformative technologies across any sector, fostering new market creation and driving growth at the level of individual companies. At societal level, solutions delivered through the programme’s open calls have impacted EU-level challenges such as the twin transition, with 52 % of all projects contributing to digital innovation and 37 % to the European Green Deal(opens in new window). The RVDR project developed a new generation of extraction-free, diagnostic technologies to make rapid molecular testing more readily available. GLYSEC designed an integrated analytical platform for glyco-immunology to discover how glycans influence immune responses and disease progression. NEOWIND improved the accuracy of wind measurement tools, developing a floating system based on light detection and ranging technology for site assessment at offshore wind farms. GearUp provided real-time insights into gearbox performance by creating a photonics-based system for monitoring wind turbine gearbox. EuteQ developed a smarter way to store solar energy based on encapsulated phase change material. HATCHTOOLS built a web-based data management and analytics platform to analyse information from larval nutrition and hatchery studies. SeaweedPack used seaweed extracts to create home-compostable films for sustainable food packaging. Meanwhile, FIT4Weld built a self-adjustable robotised welding cell. Finally, AFE designed an AI-powered platform for fast, cost-effective creation of audiobooks in multiple languages. The projects will help to address current societal challenges by supporting economic growth, creating jobs and boosting the EU’s competitiveness in the global marketplace, while contributing to a sustainable future.
