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This SSA will set-up a European Co-operative Platform, in the field of meat research, to foster effective PPP between the research community, industry and policy makers at trans-regional level. This will stimulate more effective RTD, contributing directly to achievement of the Lisbon objectives: developing the ERA and increasing R&D investment towards the 3% of GDP target.
This proposal, devoted to the SMEs involvement, will promote entrepreneurial participation to FP6, Priority 5 and to the same topic in FP7, through the implementation of targeted measures focused on specific areas, starting from specific SME needs. This project envisages experimenting a novel methodology for fostering SMEs participation through a bottom-up approach. The partnership, linked to local and European SMEs networks of at least 1800 enterprises, will guarantee the critical mass to reach this objective.
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Other objectives envisaged are: to support local and European policy development and to identify specific needs within a candid ate country. In order to achieve these objectives the co-operative platform will comprise: <UL> <LI> a geographical working groups (WGs) network animated by regional technology mediators to involve SMEs; <LI> a trans-regional thematic WGs network to prepare future research activities based on needs and expectations of SMEs;<LI> institutional WG aimed at harmonising regional policies for SMEs involvement in European research. The results of this project will be: <LI> a model for the meat food chain, extendable to other agro-food sectors; <LI> a durable network of technological mediators in European regions, operating with a common methodology for SMEs involvement and working group animation; <LI> at least 2 trans-regional technology clusters ready for participating to future research activities; <LI> a core group of regional institutions, expandable into a European network, aimed at promoting leading policies for supporting SMEs participation in European Research.</ul>
For more information about this project, please visit the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/biosociety/food_quality/projects/089_en.ht…; target="_blank">European Commission Food Quality and Safety in Europe</a> Web site.