If you are a small company in need of public funding for your innovative idea, participation in a Eurostars project can bring you a passport to growth, further innovation, an opening to new global markets and even greater business success. Eurostars is the only European funding programme to be specifically dedicated to support R&D-performing SMEs in their innovative R&D projects. With its bottom-up approach, it stimulates international collaborative research and innovation projects that will be rapidly commercialised. A Eurostars project must have a civilian purpose and be aimed at the development of a new product, process or service.
Deadline: 15 September 2016
Source: https://www.eurostars-eureka.eu/start-your-eurostars-project
Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation
On 2 June during the Smart Regions conference in Brussels, the European Commission launched the Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation. This new initiative offers hands-on support to regions to foster interregional cooperation based on matching smart specialisation priorities related to industrial modernisation – such as Key Enabling Technologies, service innovation or resource efficiency. It will be hosted by the European Commission’s Smart Specialisation Platform located in Seville. The aim of this initiative is to create an investment pipeline of mature projects in new growth areas across the EU, by providing tailored advice and helping regions establish links with the business and research communities. The platform could help regions develop or share infrastructure such as testing facilities, pilot plants, data centres, and Fab-Labs.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/
New Waste Emission Standards for The European Chemical Industry
The Official Journal of the European Union published the Best Available Techniques (BAT) conclusions for Common Waste Water and Waste Gas Treatment/Management Systems in the Chemical Sector. These BAT conclusions address a number of issues relevant for all chemical installations covered by the Industrial Emissions Directive: environmental management systems; waste water management, collection, and treatment; waste gas management and collection; diffuse emissions of volatile organic compounds to air; odour emissions; and noise emissions. BAT conclusions are the technical basis for national authorities in EU countries to set permit conditions for producers in the relevant field and aim at achieving a high level of protection of the environment under economically and technically viable conditions.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/
Leading Entrepreneurs Recognised at INNOVEIT 2016
INNOVEIT 2016 is a two-day innovation forum organised by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which this year gathered more than 350 entrepreneurs and innovators from across Europe. The three EIT Awards were presented, highlighting the most successful start-ups, the most innovative projects and the best young entrepreneurial talent in Europe. The prize contemplated a company that developed a system for using waste and renewable heat for clean water production and indoor air control, a company that developed an inexpensive, accurate tool for early diagnosis of heart disease, and a company that created a system for heating houses with computer power.
Source: https://eit.europa.eu/
COSME Kicks Off in Greece: More than €125 million Available for SMEs
The fund will target companies with a strong international angle. By mobilising other investors, including funds from the private sector, this is expected to result in an overall investment of more than €125 million in Greek SMEs. The European Investment Fund investment benefits from EU support under the COSME programme, funded by the European Commission, which targets growing enterprises.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/
eLearning Tool for SMEs on Standardisation
An eLearning tool has been launched to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) learn about standardisation in a quick and easy way. The benefits of standards can be gained both from using them and from participating in the process of revising or developing them. However, SMEs often lack the human and financial resources to be fully involved in such activities. The new tool helps SMEs to better understand the standardisation process and prepares them to actively participate.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/
SMEs as Major Drivers of Pharmaceuticals
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published earlier this month a report emphasizing the importance of SMEs in pharmaceutical innovation and draws attention to the trends observed in the past ten years. “The report shows that EMA’s tools to support pharmaceutical innovation by SMEs, and in particular scientific advice, are being increasingly used,” explains Melanie Carr, Head of EMA’s Stakeholders and Communication Division. “Encouraging small enterprises to engage in dialogue with us early in the product development is a priority for EMA as the input we provide allows them to optimise their development programme and generate high quality data on a medicine’s benefits and risks.”
Source: http://www.ema.europa.eu/
CoRAP Updated with 138 Substances to be Evaluated
ECHA has adopted the updated Community rolling action plan (CoRAP) for 2016-2018 with 138 substances to be evaluated. Registrants of these substances are encouraged to coordinate their actions and to interact early with the evaluating Member States. The Member States, the European Commission and ECHA have agreed on the recommendations on best practice for interaction between registrants and the evaluating Member States during substance evaluation. These are available on ECHA’s website. The registrants of substances listed on the CoRAP will in any case have an opportunity to comment before any decision to request further information is taken.
CoRAP specifies the substances that are to be evaluated over a period of three years. The plan is annually updated to include substances for the additional year as well as any revision to the substances that were included in the second and third year of the previous plan.
Source: http://echa.europa.eu/
New Portal to Bring EU Projects and Potential Investors Closer
The European Investment Project Portal (EIPP) is a new online platform designed to attract a wide reach of potential investors to EU projects. Via the EIPP, potential investors will be able to search for suitable projects and receive project updates in a virtual meeting place for both project promoters and investors.
To be published on the portal, a project must have a total cost of at least €10 million, be expected to start within three years of its submission to the EIPP, be promoted by a public or private legal entity established in an EU country, and be compatible with all relevant EU and national laws. The sectors covered by the EIPP include renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, energy R&D and fuel extraction and refining.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/
Financial Opportunities and Legislative Barriers for Circular Economy
During a workshop in Brussels on the 21 March 2016 aimed at stakeholders involved in Circular Economy, participants will be given the occasion to better understand the practical tools to finance the transition to Circular Economy. Read more