SMEs, what are you waiting for?.
Date: 2008-01-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: applied research, organisation of research, research policy, research project, scientific research, small and medium-sized enterprises

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Transferring cutting-edge Science and Technology from creative Academic 
groups to SMEs is a key element for successful business.  Well trained, 
entrepreneurial-minded and mobile researchers are key to this successful 
collaboration.  This is why the two Marie Curie actions (IAPP and ITN) are 
promoting SMEs-Academic collaborations focusing on giving researchers 
the adequate skills and opportunities to contribute to SME growth.  This 
brochure explains how SMEs can exploit this research potential.

SMEs

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Exploit your 
research potential!

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Interested in European research? 

Research*eu is our monthly magazine keeping you in touch with main developments (results, 
programmes, events, etc.). It is available in English, French, German and Spanish. A free sample 
copy or free subscription can be obtained from:

European Commission

SMEs What are you waiting for? 

European Commission 
Directorate-General for Research
Communication Unit
B-1049 Brussels
Fax (32-2) 29-58220
E-mail: research-eu@ec.europa.eu
Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-eu

Fax (32-2) 29-58220
E-mail: rtd-info@ec.europa.eu
Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/research/rtdinfo/index_en.html

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

2007 — 12 pp. — 14.8 x 21.0 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-05958-2

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Directorate-General for Research 
SME Unit
E-mail: research@ec.europa.eu
Contact: Martina Daly
European Commission 
B-1049 Brussels
Tel. (32-2) 29-90645
Fax (32-2) 29-63261
E-mail: martina.daly@ec.europa.eu

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

SMEs
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Directorate-General for Research

2007

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Marie Curie Actions: IAPP and ITN 

Fostering Innovative Research in SMEs and  
Training the Next Generation of Research Entrepreneurs  

Shellfish Collaboration is a Pearl 

Academy Award-Winning Partnership Joins Marie Curie 

How does it work?  

Celtic Catalysts Contribute to Celtic Tiger 

Fuels Cells in Turkey Face
Bright Future through Marie Curie IAPP 

Useful Links 

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MARIE CURIE ACTIONS: IAPP AND ITN

Fostering Innovative 
Research in SMEs and 
Training the Next 
Generation of Research 
Entrepreneurs 

Transferring  cutting-edge  Science  and  Technology  from  creative  Academic  groups 
to  SMEs  is  a  key  element  for  successful  business.  Well  trained,  entrepreneurial-
minded and mobile researchers are key to this successful collaboration. This is why the 
two Marie Curie actions (IAPP and ITN) are promoting SME-Academic collaborations 
focusing  on  giving  researchers  the  adequate  skills  and  opportunities  to  contribute  to 
SME growth.

Industry Academia Partnership and Pathways (IAPP) and Initial Training Networks (ITN):

- promote S&T transfer and create a win-win situation for SMEs and academic groups;
- fund recruitment of staff, networking activities, and research costs.

Industry and Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP)

IAPP are partnerships between public and private research organisations based on a common 
research project and aim to increase the exchange of skills between the two sectors. 

A consortium comprises at least one research organisation from the public sector and one 
from the private sector. Participating organisations must be from at least two different Member 
States or Associated Countries. 

Funding covers: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

exchange of know-how and experience between private sector and academia 
through secondments of research staff of the participants; 
recruitment  of  experienced  staff  from  outside  the  partnership,  for  facilitating 
the transfer of knowledge and/or the training of staff; 
networking  activities,  organisation  of  workshops  and  conferences,  involving 
the participants’ own research staff and external researchers; 
research equipment funding for SMEs with up to 10% of the EU contribution 
for each SME participant. 

Which research topics are supported? 

Proposals from all areas of scientiﬁ c and technological research are welcome.

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MARIE CURIE ACTIONS: IAPP AND ITN

Fostering Innovative 
Research in SMEs and 
Training the Next 
Generation of Research 
Entrepreneurs 

How does it work? 

Once your proposal has been submitted, it is evaluated against a series of predetermined 
criteria by international peer review and may be selected for funding for three to four 
years.  These criteria can be seen on the following website:

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/people/industry-academia_en.html

Initial Training Networks (ITN)

ITN are networks of academic and private research organisations which collaborate to 
train researchers in order to improve their research and entrepreneurial skills, help them 
join established research teams, and enhance their career prospects in both the public 
and private sectors.

A network typically comprises at least three participants proposing a coherent research 
training programme. 

Funding covers:

• 

• 

• 

recruitment  of  researchers  (in  the  ﬁ rst  ﬁ ve  years  of  their  careers)  for  initial 
training;
recruitment of experienced researchers of outstanding stature in international 
training and collaborative research to strengthen transfer of knowledge;
networking  activities,  organisation  of  workshops  and  conferences,  involving 
the participants’ own research staff and external researchers.

Which research topics are supported? 

Proposals from all areas of scientiﬁ c and technological research are welcome.

How does it work? 

Once your proposal has been submitted, it is evaluated against a series of predetermined 
criteria by international peer review and may be selected for funding over three to four 
years. These criteria can be seen at the following website.
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/people/initial-training_en.html

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Dr Julie Maguire, coordinator

Shellfi sh Collaboration is a 
Pearl

Sales  of  shellﬁ sh  are  enjoying  a  boom, 
thanks  mainly  to  their  healthy  image. 
However,  inconsistency  in  the  quantity 
and  quality  of  the  wild  seed  supply  is 
causing  headaches  for  processors,  who 
are faced with a raw material of variable 
quality. 

What  about  plans  for  the  future?  Julie 
Maguire states, ‘We will deﬁ nitely want to 
continue  working  together  and  are  now 
looking for new opportunities; in the future 
we  may  diversify  into  another  species, 
such as abalone.’

Arild Linsett and Yoav Barr, scientists

To  counter  this,  the  Marie  Curie  IAPP  is 
funding a Research Fellow from Norway 
to  develop  genetic  selection  techniques 
for  a  speciﬁ cally  designed  breeding 
programme. This will allow the industry to 
base  its  business  on  the  most  suitable, 
proﬁ table  shellﬁ sh.  Scallops  with  an 
improved growth and survival rate will have 
a signiﬁ cant impact on the proﬁ tability and 
further expansion of the sector. According 
to Julie Maguire, coordinator of the BIFF 
project, ‘The IAPP scheme has been well 
worth it and we feel that the Commission 
is there to help us.’

EC ﬁ nancial 
contribution: 

€ 579 086 

Project duration: 

December 2006 – December 2010 

Paybacks  for  the  Irish  partners,  Fastnet 
Mussels  and  Daithi  O’Murchu  Marine 
Research  Station,  include  new  skills  in 
designing genetic breeding programmes, 
whereas  their  Norwegian  counterparts 
will  gain  experience  in  raising  shellﬁ sh. 
SMEs  involved  will  clearly  beneﬁ t  from 
an  improved  understanding  of  analytical 
techniques  and  ethical 
issues,  while 
academics  will  gain  greater  insight  into 
the needs of the industry and the market. 

Coordinator: 

Dr Julie Maguire 
Daithi O’Murchu Marine Research Station 
Bantry 
Cork 
Ireland 

E-mail:   julie.maguire@dommrc.com 

Website: http://www.dommrc.com 

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Academy Award-Winning 
Partnership Joins Marie Curie

Thanks  to  EC  funding,  a  London-based 
SME developing special effects for Hollywood 
blockbusters  and  scientists  in  the  Republic 
of Ireland are collaborating on cutting-edge 
research.  The  Marie-Curie  IAPP  helped 
bring  together  an  industrial  partner,  The 
Foundry,  specialising  in  the  development 
of  ﬁ lm  post-production  software,  and  an 
academic  partner,  Trinity  College  Dublin 
(TCD)  Sigmedia  Group,  experts  in  video 
processing and content-based access. 

two  organisations  have  been 
The 
successfully cooperating for several years 
and  have  already  won  acclaim  for  their 
work, including the highly coveted Scientiﬁ c 
and Engineering Award from the Academy 
of Motion Pictures, Arts, and Sciences. Bill 
Collis  coordinator  of  the  AXIOM  project 
claims,  ‘The  Marie  Curie  IAPP  is  an 
excellent way of continuing to develop our 
relationship  with  Trinity  College  and  the 
Commission  has  been  very  approachable 
and helpful.’

A Research Fellow from Trinity College will 
gain  valuable  commercial  experience  in 
the post-production industry and exposure 
to  many  of  the  Foundry’s  customers. The 
Foundry has sent staff to Dublin to study the 
latest research in 3D image processing. Bill 
Collis  concludes  that  the The  Marie  Curie 
IAPP exchange has been a great success, 
collaborating on cutting-edge research that 
will help the business to grow’. 

Benjamin Kent

Bill Collis

EC ﬁ nancial 
contribution: 

€ 241 403 

Project duration:  

January 2006 – January 2009 

Coordinator: 

Dr Bill Collis 
The Foundry 
1 Wardour Street 
London 
W1D 6PA 
United Kingdom 

E-mail:  bill@thefoundry.co.uk 

Website: http://thefoundry.co.uk 

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How to apply for the IAPP 
and ITN

1.  identify relevant Call for 

Proposals

2.  obtain Call specifi c 

information and forms

6.  submit proposal to 

Commission by Call 
deadline

7.  international peer review

3.  complete Part A and Part B 

of form

8.  contract negotiation and 
consortium agreement

4.  obtain username and 

password

9.  contract signature

5.  press “SUBMIT” button

10. launch project, begin work

Step 1. Identify relevant Calls for Proposals  - Calls for Proposals for this action are 
announced on the CORDIS website: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/people/home_en.html

Step 2. Obtain Call specifi c information and forms - The submission of the proposal 
is carried out online. If you are unable to submit your proposal in this way, please contact 
the  Commission.  Those  interested  in  participating  must  use  the  Electronic  Proposal 
Submission Service (EPPS). 

Step 3. Complete Part A and Part B of form –  Proposal submission forms include 
Part A and Part B. Part A comprises a pre-prepared form concerned with administration 
information regarding the proposal and proposers, and general budget information. Part 
B addresses the evaluation criteria, and comprises a description of the research project 
and a series of heading and explanatory notes based on the evaluations criteria. 

In order for your proposal to be considered eligible it must involve the minimum number 
of participants stipulated in the Call text.

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How to apply for the IAPP 

and ITN

Step  4.  Obtain  username  and  password  -  The  project  coordinator  completes  the 
proposal application by obtaining a username and password, coordinating the completion 
of Part A of the form for each participant and coordinating the drafting of Part B of the 
form. 

Step  5.  Press  submit  button  -  Last  but  not  least,  the  coordinator  must  press  the 
“SUBMIT” button, so that the form is valid.

Step  6.  Submit  proposal  to  Commission  by  Call  deadline  - The  coordinator  must 
prepare the application online before the deadline date. Submissions received by the 
Commission after the deadline are ineligible.

Step 7. International peer review - The evaluation of the proposals is carried out by the 
Commission with the help of independent experts. They are independent, impartial and 
objective, and possess the appropriate language skills required. The coordinator must 
bear in mind that the Commission is looking for a project that matches their objectives. 
The criteria against which the proposal will be evaluated include:

• 
• 
• 

• 

its scientiﬁ c and/or technological excellence; 
its relevance to the objectives of the speciﬁ c programme; 
its potential impact through the development, and dissemination and correct 
use of project results; 
the  quality  and  efﬁ ciency  of  the  proposed  project’s  implementation  and 
management.

Step 8. Contract agreement and consortium agreement –The terms and conditions 
regulating  European  projects  are  contained  in  two  documents,  the  Grant Agreement 
between the consortium and the European Commission and the Consortium Agreement 
signed only by the partners. 

The Consortium Agreement includes the arrangements made for Intellectual Property 
Rights, valorisation and the dissemination of results.

Step 9. Contract Signature

Step 10. Launch project, begin work!

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Celtic Catalysts Contribute to 
Celtic Tiger

‘The  Marie  Curie  IAPP  helps  academics 
understand  what  industry  really  needs 
and  by  linking  science  and  innovation, 
researchers  will  better  appreciate  the 
exploitation  potential  of 
their  work,’ 
says  NOVOCAT  project  co-ordinator 
Brian  Kelly.  The  project  focuses  on  the 
transfer  and  integration  of  distinct,  but 
highly  complementary,  areas  of  research 
competence in an SME and an academic 
institute.  The  expertise  of 
renowned 
Queen’s University, Belfast, is in the ﬁ eld of 
biological catalysts, whereas the expertise 
of successful biotech SME Celtic Catalysts 
lies in the area of chemical catalysts. 

Building a long-term strategic partnership 
enhances 
the  SME’s  core  discovery 
platform and increases its competitiveness. 
In  turn,  academic  researchers  learn  how 
to work in a commercial environment and 
acquire an understanding of the market. 

The  project  also  allows 
researchers 
from new Member States to obtain wider 
experience  beyond  purely  scientiﬁ c 
expertise.  NOVOCAT  has 
recruited 
three  scientists 
from  across  Europe, 
who  will  work  for  18  months  at  Queen’s 
University  in  Belfast,  Northern  Ireland 
before spending a further 18 months in an 
industrial  environment  at  Celtic  Catalysts 
in  Dublin,  in  the  Republic  of  Ireland. 
Coordinator  Brian  Kelly  underlines,  ‘We 
will  continue  the  partnership  after  the 
Marie Curie IAPP ﬁ nishes, and we would 
deﬁ nitely recommend it to other SMEs.’

EC ﬁ nancial 
contribution: 

€ 560 385

Project duration: 

27 months

Coordinator :

Dr Brian Kelly 
Celtic Catalysts Ltd 
Unit 1-18 
Nova Centre 
Belﬁ eld 
Dublin
Ireland  

E-mail:  brian.kelly@celticcatalysts.com

Website: www.celticcatalysts.com

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Fuels Cells in Turkey Face 
Bright Future through Marie 
Curie IAPP

Hi-tech  SME,  Adelan  Ltd’s,  cutting-edge 
environmental  technology  is  helping  to 
bring  clean  energy  to  communities  that 
have no direct access to electricity mains. 
Their  project,  developed  in  Turkey,  was 
designed to engage the country’s existing 
expertise  in  mass  manufacturing  and  to 
fulﬁ l  the  long-term  prospects  of  a  global 
fuel  cell  market,  which,  according  to 
coordinator Michaela Kendall, is estimated 
to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars 
by 2020. Adelan is working alongside the 
Scientiﬁ c  and  Technological  Research 
Council  of  Turkey  (TUBITAK)  on  a  Marie 
Curie  IAPP  funded  project  that  aims  to 
utilise  biogas  from  agricultural  waste  to 
power solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). 

By collaborating with TUBITAK, this SME 
has been able to identify project partners 
including  Uludag  University,  achieve 
a  better  understanding  of  the  market 
dynamics of a rapidly developing country, 
and  observe  business  opportunities 
ﬁ rst  hand.  A  Fuel  Cell  cluster  has  been 
developed  in  the  city  of  Bursa  which 
will  support  national  and  international 
fuel  cell  initiatives.  Founded  in  1996, 
Adelan  is  a  small  solid  fuel  cell  (SOFC) 
spinout company resulting from materials 
research  carried  out  at  Birmingham  and 
Keele  Universities  in  the  UK. Adelan  ﬁ rst 
developed the micro tubular SOFC which 
is now being used throughout the world to 
generate clean energy from hydrogen and 
hydrocarbon gas. 

Project  coordinator  Michaela  Kendall 
concludes,  ‘At  present,  SOFCs  tend  to 
be  handmade  and  therefore  expensive. 
to  develop  manufacturing 
We  need 
expertise  for  the  long  term.  With  the  help 
of  the  Marie  Curie  IAPP  we  can  link  the 
manufacturing expertise of Turkey with EU 
fuel cell innovations and establish a lasting 
collaboration in fuel cell manufacture.’ 

EC ﬁ nancial 
contribution: 

€ 218 667

Project duration: 

24 months

Coordinator:

Dr Michaela Kendall
Adelan Ltd
c/o Chemical Engineering Dept. 
University of Birmingham 
Edgbaston 
Birmingham B15 2TT
UK 

E-mail:   michaela_kendall@yahoo.co.uk

Website: http://www.fuelcellmarkets.com/adelan 

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Useful Links

Marie Curie Actions
http://ec.europa.eu/mariecurieactions/

SME Techweb
http://ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb/index_en.cfm

The Commission’s FP7 Enquiry Service
http://ec.europa.eu/research/enquiries

IPR Helpdesk
http://www.ipr-helpdesk.org/

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