Brokerage event serves SMEs with R&D needs

A brokerage event for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is to take place in Paris on 7 May 1999.

It is intended to provide a meeting place where SMEs interested in participating in the key action "Food, Nutrition and Health" of the European Commission's Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (RTD) (1998 to 2002) can meet potential research partners, with a view to putting together a CRAFT (RTD in industrial and material technologies) proposal.

The brokerage event is for SMEs wanting to apply for an exploratory award and in need of a partner to prepare research projects. It is also directed at SMEs that need cooperation partners to be able to go directly into cooperative research projects with a minimum of two other SMEs and RTD performers.

Encounters will be arranged on the basis of a partner profile, which must be filled out when registering for the conference. This will enable potential participants to communicate their interests and their strengths to which their technical abilities can be complemented.

Participants will also be able to indicate which potential research partners they would particularly like to meet, and it will be possible to arrange meetings on the spot at the event.

The event will also provide participating SMEs with an overview on the CRAFT scheme.

The event is being organised by the Association for Technical Coordination in the Food Industry and the Bureau for International Research and Technology Cooperation.
For further information, please contact:

Agro-Industrie Avenir
8, rue d'Athènes
F-75009 Paris
Tel. +33-1-44531535; Fax +33-1-44531549