Eurostars launched to finance R&D partnerships with SMEs

This is the first ever European Union R&D programme targeted at SMEs, and the public funding is expected to pull in a further €400 million from the private sector. Under the Eurostars programme participating countries will pool their national programmes and research funding for SMEs, which the Commission claims will result in better, more efficient use of funds.

Launching the scheme, Science and Research Commissioner Janek Potočnik claimed it will bring a new level of cooperation and integration to Community and national research programmes. “Creating strong links between public and private funding, Eurostars will give a boost to R&D performing SMEs, allowing them to collaborate with the best research teams in Europe, and to transform new ideas into successful businesses. It is an illustration of the European Research Area at work.”

SMEs represent 99 percent of all enterprises in Europe and are seen as crucial to the success of the Lisbon partnership for growth and jobs. As the official Commission view has it, their small size, flexible organisation and commitment to research, means they can, “take advantage of a fast-changing economic environment, seize new market opportunities, and create new jobs.”

Potočnik’s ambition for Eurostars is that it will go beyond the mere coordination of research programmes, to voluntarily integrate processes covering scientific, management and financial aspects of research projects.

This includes scientific integration, which implies a common definition of priorities, and common evaluation and selection of projects, on the basis of excellence and economic impact;

Management integration through the establishment of a dedicated management structure for faster decision-making, and financial integration, which includes setting up a long term financing plan, pooling Commission and member states funds into a common pot.

Eurostars will target R&D activities involving multi-partner multinational projects, led by SMEs, but open to universities, research organisations and large companies targeted at market-oriented research and development, that is likely to deliver short to medium term commercial results

The programme will be managed by the EUREKA Secretariat in Brussels, under the authority of Eurostars representatives of the participating countries. The aim is to provide a one-stop shop for SMEs.