SMEs go Health – a benefit for you?
 During the last three years, SMEs go Health supported you in many different ways.
As the project has now ended you might raise the question:
What will happen with my expertise profile in the database after the end of the SMEs go Health initiative?
Building on the success of the SMEs go Health project, the Commission published a new topic in the 4th Health Call, promoting the participation of high-technology research-intensive SMEs, operating in the Health sector.
Most of the SMEs go Health consortium members have been involved in the preparation of a new proposal for this topic hoping that, if selected for funding, they will be able to continue to support SMEs in Health Research in the future. The outcome of the evaluation will be known by March/April 2010.
In any case, the members of this new consortium will continue their support of SMEs and academia. Importantly, the related initiative “Health NCP Net” (www.healthncpnet.eu) will contribute to the maintenance of the SMEs go Health database and ensure highest quality of expertise profiles from SMEs and academia gathered in this outstanding pool.
The synergistic benefits with the Health NCP Net were already established during the last years, with several members of the SMEs go Health consortium actively involved in both networks. Therefore, highest commitment and continuous quality assurance are given in order to keep the support for SMEs and academia in the Health-related sector in the best way.
Finally, SMEs go Health is announcing a survey, estimating your particular training needs for upcoming trainings to be organised by the new consortium.
Please click here to download the one-page questionnaire.
After three-year duration, SMEs go Health will wind up at the end of January 2010.
For this reason we reviewed our activities:
How did the initiative support you?
The SMEs go Health initiative with a consortium of 29 institutions from 27 countries, launched in 2007, was designed to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and academic researchers interested in research cooperation and participation in the 7th EU Framework Programme (FP7), particularly in the Health-related area. As a main objective, the number and quality of involvement of SMEs and SME groupings in Health related projects of FP7 should be raised.
SMEs go Health supported both SMEs aiming to get involved in research projects and researchers looking for suitable SMEs as partners in their consortium. It thus focused on information and training, as well as on consortium building and matchmaking of SMEs and researchers preparing EU project proposals in the “Health” area. The project addressed all types of researchers, from companies, universities or research organisations, whether they act as project coordinators or partners. Strong emphasis was placed on the support of New Member States and Associated Countries.
- We assisted & supported SMEs and academia
A remarkable amount of quality checked expertise profiles of SMEs and academia have been presented in an on-line database. More than 800 SMEs and 1000 academics used this platform to present their expertise and know-how to the scientific community. They are increasing their visibility among Europe’s research community in Life Sciences and maximising their chance to be identified as potential research partners for EU funded projects. The consortium assisted coordinating SMEs and researchers in finding appropriate partners for collaborative projects. During the run-up phase of previous FP7 Health Calls, partner searches have been supported and SMEs and academics were instructed and guided by the network in preparing proposals as either project coordinators or partners.
- We informed & trained SMEs and academia using different routes
In addition to personal assistance for SMEs and academia, the SMEs go Health initiative designed a so called “First Aid package” giving hands-on advice on general aspects of FP7, partner search, proposal preparation, financial guidelines and IPRs. A special focus on key players in the Health-related landscape in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey was placed in a dedicated booklet. Both brochures are available online on the SMEs go Health website.
Trans-national training workshops organised in Riga, Berlin, Paris, Istanbul and Stockholm addressed SMEs and academia from all over Europe and other international countries. The workshops provided extensive information on research areas in Health and Biotechnology, funding opportunities, and experience reports from successful coordinators and evaluators. Hands-on trainings offered special sections like financial aspects or the conceptual design of an EU-Project including tips for planning. Find the content of our trainings on our website.
- We matched SMEs and academia by using complementary instruments
SMEs go Health strongly fostered SMEs and researchers in building consortia in the preparation phase of Health Calls by different methods:
Virtual brokerage events were launched during the run-up phase of Health Calls, bringing together SMEs and academic institutions as potential “groups of interest” around specific topics of the work programme. This served to encourage contact and discussion between potential collaboration partners, aiming to pave the way to collaborative research projects. As an accompanying result, new registrations of SMEs and academia for the SMEs go Health database peaked.
For facilitating partner searches in a more personal way, partnering days were organised in Krakow, London, Prague and Vienna, offering the possibility for bilateral meetings. SMEs and academia had the opportunity to select or be selected by cooperation partners, personally presenting their expertise and needs and project ideas. Meetings of numerous prospective partners offered the possibility to establish contacts and partnerships of high relevance.
Success stories from fruitful cooperations in FP7 projects gathered from previous FP7 Health Calls are displayed on the SMEs go Health website – they were distributed at the occasion of national and international events all over Europe, thus maximising the promotion of successfully operating organisations.
We hope to support you also for your upcoming activities and plans in the health-related sector!
Ines Haberl – Coordination of SMEs go Health
FFG-Austrian Research Promotion Agency - European and International Programmes
Sensengasse 1, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
ines.haberl@ffg.at
www.smesgohealth.org
Newsletter by Euro Top. |
Newsletter January 2010