Commission announces €77m for FP7 research
The European Commission has announced a €77m FP7 fund to assist high-tech SMEs in the manufacturing sector in the deployment of ICT.
It is hoped that the ‘I4MS’ initiative (ICT for Manufacturing SMEs) will help 200 SMEs across Europe who are either attempting to reduce the risks involved in using advanced technology or are trying to cross the ‘valley of death’ that separates the development of an innovative prototype from a successful product in the market.
European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes said: “Europe’s research community must be at the forefront of ICT research in the manufacturing sector. It is even more important to translate this research leadership into productivity gains and increased competitiveness of our products and industrial actors. By stimulating targeted innovation and investing in our biggest assets in that sector, namely SMEs, I4MS is bridging this gap.”
I4MS will officially begin in July 2013 and will conduct more than 150 innovation experiments over the next three years. It will target suppliers and users of ICT solutions and cover innovation in advanced robot solutions, high performance cloud-based simulation services, intelligent sensor-based equipment, and innovative laser applications.
It is hoped that SMEs will also benefit through direct financial support aimed to improve their products or manufacturing processes, the acquisition of new technologies and knowledge, and access to new markets and partners outside their local ecosystem.
The experiments will be implemented with the help of a pan-European network of competence centres, providing the knowledge and support for partnering beyond national borders. SMEs will be able to apply for funding through Calls for Experiments launched by these centres in 2014 and 2015.
