EUREKA - 20 years of world-class innovation

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Ing. Evan Stringos, EUREKA national programme co-ordinator, outlines the potential benefits to be had by Maltese enterprises - including access to a wealth of expertise and funding - from joining the EUREKA network

The EUREKA Initiative is committed to enhancing the competitiveness of European industry through the promotion of high-quality collaborative, market-led innovation. Its unrivalled network enables industry, research centres, universities and national administrations to join forces in near-market research and development through transnational collaborative projects, and to refine and exploit the technologies essential for European competitiveness, job creation and a better quality of life.

Malta Enterprise is conducting an information seminar on the EUREKA Initiative on Tuesday at 1.30 p.m., paving the way to the first call for proposals for projects next June. A series of meetings with enterprises also interested in the programme is to be held before then, Ing. Evan Stringos, EUREKA national programme co-ordinator, told The Sunday Times. Additional events, like information and capacity-building events and company visits, will be held throughout the year to keep the awareness process going.

The EUREKA Network is making a substantial contribution to boosting Europe's competitive edge and technological advantage by helping ensure the success of European industry - particularly through its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and its market closeness. It also offers project partners rapid access to a wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise across Europe, and facilitates access to national public and private funding schemes.

The internationally recognised EUREKA label adds value to a project, giving participants a competitive edge in their dealings with financial, technical and commercial partners. And it has been doing so for more than two decades.

National Project Co-ordinators (NPC) in each member state are the member states' enterprises' contacts with EUREKA. "Generally these are situated at governmental offices; these people are not only responsible for linking the enterprises to the network but also the running of EUREKA," Ing. Stringos points out. "They are involved in the strategy/direction setting and decision-making of the initiative thanks to the yearly meetings. Malta Enterprise is responsible for setting up this office and appointing the NPC for EUREKA in Malta."

Since 1985, around €24 billion of European public and private funding have been deployed through the EUREKA Initiative to support leading edge market-oriented research and development (R&D) in transnational and collaborative projects. More than 11,000 partners from industry - over 42 per cent from SMEs - as well as research centres, universities and national administrations have been involved in some 2,700 projects. On average, public funding invested is returned less than two years after project completion.

"Malta applied to become a member last April," Ing. Stringos recalls. "Following a series of negations, last December ME presented Malta's candidacy in front of EUREKA's HLG. The latter recommended that Malta becomes full member. This is expected to be formalised on June 9, during EUREKA's ministerial conference."

Ing. Stringos explains that there is a database of potential partners for Maltese SMEs to benefit from a EUREKA project.

"EUREKA has a Website (www.eureka.be) where all enterprises (not just SMEs) can view information about the initiative, past and running projects, and a database for projects searching for partners. The latter is open for Maltese enterprises as well; the reason being that a country need not be a member to participate," he pointed out.

"However a participant should be European and the project should involve at least two participating EUREKA member states. Obviously not being members gives less rights in terms of decision-making power. The site is linked to ME's corporate Website (www.maltaenterprise.com/eureka). All industrial sectors are targeted for benefit as long as projects are directly related to science, technology and engineering."

EUREKA's flexible, decentralised nature enables it to deal with all types of research - from large-scale clusters covering entire sectors through to small-scale projects initiated by young, innovative SMEs. No matter the source, EUREKA projects producing highly significant results, contributing to improved security, the environment, employment and the well-being of citizens in Europe and beyond.

By encouraging and assisting innovation, EUREKA complements the European Union's Framework Programme in working actively towards the common European objective of raising investment in research and development (R&D) to three per cent of GDP by 2010.

EUREKA will present Maltese SMEs with the opportunity to participate in a shorter term, market-oriented R&D programme designed to cater for and include small, innovative companies. In this way, EUREKA will help Maltese enterprises grow through R&D, because these will be involved in projects much larger than they would otherwise be able to support.

With EUREKA, risks and the high cost of investment associated with R&D projects will be shared between the collaborating enterprises, and resources become much more feasible to manage. Collaborating partners will also be able to share complementary skills and strengths from each other, and will have access to the latest research expertise within the pool of knowledge set up by the same partners.

Finally, regular partnering events on specific technological issues provide excellent fora for promoting the benefits of collaborative research, establishing contacts and discussing ideas that could lead to further R&D ventures.

Asked for a classic case study to illustrate how the EUREKA network can benefit local (Maltese) SMEs, Ing. Stringos highlighted a typical successful past project in which a Dutch SME (Kinetron) was partnered with two large watchmakers (the Swatch Group was one).

"Together they developed a micro-generator that replaces batteries," he explained. "Basically the invention or idea came from the SMEs, but because of the substantial effort and resources, and risks associated with R&D projects, the SME required assistance to share its costs and risk, and develop the idea into a product.

"Another typical example is that of Cavendish Kinetics on PDA micro switches, again based on an SME idea. Dr Beunder, director of Cavendish Kinetics, will be presenting his experiences with EUREKA projects during the seminar on Tuesday."The ground rule to participate in a Eureka project is quite simple and prevents unnecessary bureaucracy within the process. What is required is to meet a simple set of criteria for establishing EUREKA projects.

Besides being carried out in collaboration with at least two EUREKA member participants, the technology being created should contain an element of novelty; and, finally, is market-oriented so that the results of the project lead to a marketable product.

"Malta Enterprise will use its already establishd links with the enterprises to capture interest in EUREKA," Ing. Stringos explains.

"Such mechanisms include ME's relationship managers who are the contact point between ME and the enterprises, as well as other facilities, such as the IRC network and KBIC. Basically enterprises interested in EUREKA can approach RM or the other channels which will link them to the NPC. Members from ME top management will also be in EUREKA's High Level Group, which is the body responsible for final decision-making within EUREKA."

Malta Enterprise is at the Enterprise Centre, San Gwann, tel: 2542 3419. E-mail: eureka@maltaenterprise.com.