Specific Capacities Programme (FP7). Support for Innovative Clusters 

The Commission stresses the importance of synergy between regional innovation and R+D policies

-FP7. Capacities. Regions of Knowledge Programme -
Informative note from the Committee meeting held in Brussels on October 5, 2007

1. Adoption of 2008 Programme. Commission Proposal

In order to adopt the three sections of the 2008 programme organized by the Committee (coherent policy development, research potential and regions of knowledge), the Commission has established the written procedure as per the schedule below:

The most important new item in the 2008 programme, subject to the final contents of the calls for applications, is that, as an exception, financing of up to 45% will be available for the fitting-out costs of any actions in which the candidate companies participate. This was limited to 30% in the 2007 call for applications.

2. Some results and lessons learnt from the 2007 call for applications

Regions of Knowledge Programme

Results

Facility 1. Proposals from already existing clusters

Out of the total of 97 proposals received (100%), 71 were assessed (73%), 24 (25%) passed the thresholds and 11 (11%) were subsidized.

Facility 2. Proposals for new clusters

Out of the total of 28 proposals received (100%), 22 were assessed (78%) and 5 were subsidized (18%).

Lessons Learnt

• The proposals covered a wide-ranging area.
• The energy, environmental, ITC and biotechnological sectors represented the majority of the proposals.
• The "triple helix" approach as a support for the programme will have to be better explained in the future.
• The high number of proposals that were not subsidized, and which passed the assessment thresholds, is considered "unacceptable" (sic). There was some talk that the programme was "creating losers" (sic), a thought that was shared by the Commission.

Research potential

Results

Lessons Learnt

• A high response per sector, subject and area.
• The synergy between regional policies and R+D policies was verified by the proposals, in keeping with the provisions established in the Communication "Competitive European Regions through Research and Innovation", (COM (2007) 474 final, of August 16, 2007).
• There was a high number of rejections caused by reasons such as: insufficient information, the administrative ability was not demonstrated, the SWOT analysis was not coherent with the content of the proposals, and budgets that were not clearly explained.

3. How the 2008 Programme will be carried out

Expected activities related to dissemination

Apart from CORDIS, the Commission is going to visit areas where the proposals did not do well in 2007.

"Information days" (conferences) are also expected to be carried out and the representatives of the Regional Offices located in Brussels will be called to attend.

Priorities for 2008

These will be: to encourage greater efficiency in the use of technological infrastructures and reduce CO2 emissions.

The specificRegions of Knowledge Programme (available on the CORDIS website) responds to the need to boost the ability of territorial agents to encourage scientific and technological initiatives.

The 2008 programme is expected to be structured the same way as in 2007, based on two activities or sub-programmes that complement each other:

• Activity 1. Analysis, guidance and integration of research agents.
• Activity 2. Boosting the creation of new innovative clusters.

In 2008, the proposals granted community financing through Activities 1 or 2, will eitheraim to maximize benefits reaped from research and innovation structures, or contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions through activities carried out to improve energy sustainability.

Facility 1

As regards Activity 1, consortiums that include at least six partners from a minimum of two European Community countries can participate. Each consortium must have at least two innovative business clusters, and the rest of the partners will be agents, such as: public or private research centres, technology transfer offices, regional development agencies, chambers of commerce, financial entities and venture capital agents, among others.

The activities subsidized by the programme can be carried out over a period of up to 36 months, and aid is available to cover up to 100% of the eligible costs, with a ceiling of one million euro.

The activities to be financed by the programme will be: studies; definition of strategies to allow agents to access the community programmes and financial instruments through plans of action; activities related to technological transfer; impact assessments; cooperative programmes and projects; conferences; seminaries; workshops; personnel exchanges between organizations; and the dissemination of best practices among others.

This set of activities will be focused on achieving objectives in areas such as: increasing research potential, greater mobility of the agents involved, streamlining the joint or collaborative use of innovation infrastructures in R+D, transference of knowledge, setting up networks, improving SMEs access to support services, among others.

Facility 2

The objective of the second activity is to create new national or European innovative clusters. Both options are possible.

The activities subsidized by the programme will be studies, workshops, conferences, round tables, the exchange of best practices, meetings of expert groups and activities related to dissemination. These can be carried out over a period of up to 24 months and financed to a limit of 200,000 euro. As is the case with Activity 1, community financing can cover as much as 100% of the eligible costs.

The proposals financed through the second activity of the Regions of Knowledge Programme in 2008, will have a minimum of three partners: a public or private research entity, a public entity in charge of promoting regional or local development, and an innovative cluster, normally made up of companies.

4. Previsions for 2009

The options envisaged for drafting a Work Plan for the Regions of Knowledge Programme for 2009, include the assessment and role of universities, and other public research centres, in regional development as well as comprehensive water management.

It is likely that both options will be carried out in the same way as Activities 1 and 2 in 2008.