Small companies flock to Horizon Europe, with Spanish SMEs proving the keenest for the programme’s research and innovation grants
Photo credits: Sam Williams / Unsplash
Small and medium-size enterprises have long held a special place in the hearts of EU policymakers, and the current European Commission president is no exception. “The 24 million European SMEs create quality jobs anchored in local communities,” said Ursula von der Leyen before her re-election. “But they, along with larger companies, still face too many complexities.”
She went on to outline a strategy to make it easier and faster for innovative companies, including SMEs, to do business. A key element of her plan is the 28th regime, a proposed EU-wide legal status for start-ups and innovative companies that would address the current challenge of facing 27 distinct legal regimes.
While discussions on implementing this plan are ongoing, SME participation in EU research Framework Programmes continues to grow.
During the seventh Framework Programme (2007-13), 6,693 SMEs from the EU member states secured 7,569 research…
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