CORDIS bietet Links zu öffentlichen Ergebnissen und Veröffentlichungen von HORIZONT-Projekten.
Links zu Ergebnissen und Veröffentlichungen von RP7-Projekten sowie Links zu einigen Typen spezifischer Ergebnisse wie Datensätzen und Software werden dynamisch von OpenAIRE abgerufen.
Verwertbare Ergebnisse
Over half of Europe's prosperity is created by SMEs. Although they might have good business networks, how can they tap into the opportunities available across Europe? The e-POWER project has established a Europe-wide network that links regional technology centres together encouraging knowledge transfer and the exchange of best practices.
e-POWER is a pan-European network of Regional Technology Centres (RTC) funded under the EC's IST programme and part of their Go-Digital initiative. The idea is that through linking up and establishing a forum where RTCs can cooperate, the take-up of e-business technologies for SMEs will accelerate. e-POWER specialises in information and communications technologies (ICT) for the engineering and manufacturing sectors.
Philip Purslow, administrator of e-POWER says: "There are three kinds of regional technology centres. One kind is the technology transfer unit that one finds in universities. Then there are the regional organisations that are set up by individual authorities to provide a level of excellence in engineering and manufacturing for SMEs within the particular region. Finally, there are organisations that are best thought of as user groups and trade associations of one sort or another."
Multiplying the effect
"The problem is that it's difficult to establish contact with SMEs," comments Purslow. "This is why we've gone for the two-tier approach; we work with RTCs, and they work with their local SMEs. RTCs often have quite good links to SMEs, but not necessarily to other RTCs so what we're doing is to link the RTCs together to prevent isolation and disseminate ICT more widely to SMEs. We call this our multiplier effect; by using RTCs in this way, we can multiply the end result. If we were to disseminate and advise SMEs directly, the likelihood is that we wouldn't achieve much coverage.
"Of course, there are variations from one region to another. In Germany, for example, there already exists a tightly-knit network of RTCs, and SMEs are accustomed to using them effectively. In Spain, by contrast, the pre-existing networks for RTCs were not very well developed, and in fact the Spanish network has been one of the largest users of the e-POWER network."
One of the aims of e-POWER is to develop new RTC business opportunities by promoting the work and capabilities of the members at National and European levels. In this way, information channels have been opened up between research communities across Europe and regional communities of SMEs.
e-POWER organised five regional Special Interest Group (SIG) workshops at various locations around Europe and a larger-scale conference, where they outlined their offerings and established links with RTCs. These workshops gave an insight into the general state of RTCs in the regions, and enabled e-POWER to prioritise the RTC networks' training and expansion opportunities. The outcomes of this work were presented at the second e-POWER conference that took place on 3-4 July 2003.
Making progress
There are currently around 70 member RTCs in the network, all of whom are leading practitioners in promoting awareness, technology transfer, and innovation in engineering and manufacturing. There is specialist capability in a number of key areas, including: ICT, design engineering and product modelling, advanced processes and automation, manufacturing management, supply chain integration, shop-floor control and e-business.
e-POWER has initiated a thorough assessment of the take-up of e-business and e-work in the sector. It has also developed a benchmarking process through which RTCs can gauge the degree to which SMEs have adopted these concepts.
The project has developed a number of diagnostic tools. Purslow explains that "using the AGREE tool, RTCs can help SMEs to assess their own e-business strategies. We think of it as a kind of enabling tool. It has been launched as a product in the UK, and it has already been used fifteen times in real-life assessments. We also developed a questionnaire that has enabled us to see the capabilities of RTCs in terms of their communication operations and facilities."
The overall market reaction to e-POWER has been very positive, although there are noticeable regional variations, as remarked earlier. "People appreciate the need to talk to one another and to try and develop solutions to common problems, communicating with the SMEs themselves," says Purslow. "For example, if an ICT provider of e-business tools wanted to assess the likely market take-up in another country, it could enquire of the e-POWER network through the members' directory to access the information."
Says Purslow: "Through the e-POWER website, the information library and the members' directory, we are helping to promote the skills, capabilities and services of RTCs across Europe. We see participation in structured networking across Europe as one of the key means of generating new partnerships and new business opportunities."
Source: Based on information from e-POWER
Promoted by the IST Results Service
Suche nach OpenAIRE-Daten ...
Bei der Suche nach OpenAIRE-Daten ist ein Fehler aufgetreten
Es liegen keine Ergebnisse vor