Given, in some countries, difficulties faced by SMEs to their participation in European projects, the question whether European mechanisms are adapted or not to SMEs is more and more frequent.
One answer consists of saying that FP regulations are too complicated or that EC procedures are too lengthy and bureaucratic. Besides, SMEs often had bad experiences from previous projects given EC requirements. On SMEs’ activities’ side, it is often said that companies are too active in areas, which are not covered by FP projects or that companies do not have the capacity to prepare project proposals.
Another type of answer can be given, based on companies’ competitiveness and on a better understanding of FP projects’ objectives.
Continue reading ‘Are current European mechanisms adapted to SMEs?’
If you ask French specialists in Innovation issues whether results of SMEs’ participation in FP programmes are satisfactory, the answer is clearly no.
Why is that so?
Despite an active participation of French SMEs in FP programmes (at the second rank in the EU 25 after Germany), they get only 9% of FP programmes? funding that benefits to France. This figure must be compared to a general objective set at a 15% rate and 14% for German SMEs.
Continue reading ‘Insight into French SMEs’ participation in European FP Programmes’
ROVIMA SA, a French SME specialised in paint manufacture was involved, along with 7 other partners from 6 European countries overall, in a FP5 Craft Project aiming at developing a new type of paint made of enzymes based on antifouling agents. This material is used in marine coatings for ships and other offshore constructions and gives ships and offshore constructions an improved aero-dynamism while being less toxic for the environment.
This project was carried out in the framework of the specific research and technological development “Competitive and Sustainable Growth”.
This project, initiated by the industry, can be considered as very successful as the underlying concept was to gather - ex-ante ? innovative ideas coming from several European SMEs. In other words, this project was based on clustering in a view to build European partnerships.
Thanks to a strong networking effort, bringing together SMEs which worked in their specific area but on similar projects targeting niche markets application processes this project was made possible.
Concerning in particular ROVIMA’s involvement, the company has developed over the years important research activities in order to elaborate innovative products and new applications. It not only takes part in European projects but also collaborates with French universities and research laboratories of big French companies.
Countries involved in the Project: Denmark (Co-ordinator), France, Portugal, UK, Greece, Netherlands.
For more information: Cordis
The ICZ company belongs to the top system integrators in the Czech Republic. Thanks to its division focused on e-health it ranks among the leading companies in the field of hospital information systems (IS) on the local market. In 2006 the company turnover reached CZK 1 billion. I discussed the division history and its R&D activities with its product manager, Michal Schmidt.
He originally worked as a programmer in the state company Geofyzika. The opportunity to run his own business after 1989 led him and two other colleagues to join the SET joint stock company that won the tender for an information system in a newly built hospital in Breclav. At that time hospitals were introducing their first complex computer systems and so SET could build its system from scratch according to its ideas and without being limited by a reverse compatibility.
Continue reading ‘ICZ: infotizing health care as an opportunity for European projects’
Loading ...
Recent Comments