FP5 Horizontal Actions - INCO2, INNOVATION/SMEs and IMPROVING (Human Potential)

Contacts
Website: www.cordis.lu/innovation-smes/
Summary Information



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Background Information



Innovation and SME Programme

The Innovation and SME Programme is one of the horizontal actions of the Fifth RTD Framework Programme (FP5). It promotes innovation at Community level and encourages SME participation under FP5. The programme helps European businesses to innovate, to develop, market and integrate new technology and to manage change more effectively. More specifically, it supports European SMEs to enable them to fully participate in FP5 actions and to optimise their advantages from such participation. The programme also aims to contribute to

• a more innovation friendly environment in Europe
• improved conditions for the creation and development of new companies
• the diffusion of new technologies
• the emergence of new economic activities and,
• the fostering of an "innovation culture" in Europe.

Activities

With its focus on Innovation and SMEs, the programme aims at improving industrial competitiveness, sustainable growth, social development and job creation. It demonstrates new ways of orienting innovation and growth more effectively towards employment and helps SMEs to contribute to employment and to better play their essential role in the economic fabric of Europe.

To help optimise the economic impact of Community RTD, the programme encourages the effective use of Community RTD results. In areas such as Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Finance the programme will provide help services to FP5 participants and carry out pilot activities. Specific emphasis will be given to help with the setting-up and development of innovative firms. Hence, the programme serves three main functions:

• As a "service provider", the programme offers information services and assistance to SMEs, other firms and relevant players and supports the Thematic Programmes in their approach to Innovation and SMEs.
• As a "clearing house", the programme collects innovation data and analyses trends, initiatives and policies at Community and Member States level. It offers platforms for trans-national experience exchange and contributes to Community policy initiatives.
• As a "test bed", the programme launches pilot actions in the areas of Innovation and SME participation and aims at the continuous improvement of Community instruments.

Innovation policy

The programme suppors the analysis and benchmarking of innovation performances and policies in Europe. It serves policy makers at Community and member states level as a platform to discuss, analyse and launch innovation policy initiatives and enable the Commission to follow up policy measures in the area of innovation promotion (e.g. the Amsterdam and Luxembourg Summits) and to produce ad hoc policy recommendations, publications and study reports supporting future innovation policy initiatives.

Publications

Innovation is also promoted via several DG Enterprise printed publications:

• Innovation Technology Transfer Newsletter,
• Euroabstracts, and
• CORDIS focus.

Services and National Centres

The programme is assisted by an information centre at the European Commission as well as through national contact points. These include:

• Info Desks for Innovation-SMEs Programme
• SME National Contact Points

Innovation National Contact Points and Innovation Relay Centres, consist of a network of 68 centres in the European Union and beyond providing local help to promote technology partnerships and transfer.

Further details can be found through links from the website.