1. Networking Opportunities Projects (SSAs, ETIs, etc) aiming to boost FP6 participation:  RURAL ETI-NET  INTEGRATING ACC  MISMEC  NAOMITEC  Continuing Support to the NIPs from Armenia, Azerbaijan & Georgia

2. RURAL ETI-NET Set up and manage a European rural network:  Novel Crops  On-farm processing  Forestry / wood chain  Waste management  Eco-systems Objective: To assist the participation of at least 50 SMEs in FP6 projects Target group: SMEs & Stakeholder Groups

3. RURAL ETI-NET Beta Technology LtdUK Bureau for International Research and Technology Co-operationA Agenzia Per La Promozione Della Ricerca EuropeaI Swedish EU/R&D CouncilS The Scientific and Technical Research Council of TurkeyTR University of National and World EconomyBG RTD TalosCY HELP-FORWARD NETWORKEL Food Industrial Research and Technological Development Company S.A. EL Rannsoknamidstod IslandsIS S.C. Temagon Romania S.R.L.RO Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of SciencesSK

4. Integrating -ACC Integrating the New Member States and Associated Candidate Countries into the 6th Framework Programme through networking activities and improved NCP services in the area of Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems :  Sustainable Energy Systems  Sustainable Surface Transport  Global Change and Ecosystems

5. Objectives:  To improve NCP services in the ACC  To Reinforce the networking approach by building bridges between the research networks across Europe Target Groups: Research Networks, professional associations, end-user associations, Technology Transfer networks, etc in the fields of Sustainable Energy Systems, Sustainable Surface Transport, & Global Change and Ecosystems Integrating -ACC

6. Continuing Support to the NIPs from Armenia, Azerbaijan & Georgia Objectives:  to open the European Research Area towards TransCaucasian countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia),  to raise the quantity and quality of participations from the TransCaucasian Countries in the 6th EU Framework Programme,  to support establishment, development and training of INTAS FP6 National Information Points (NIPs) in the TransCaucasian countries,  to set-up an Advisory Board to give continuous organisational advice and support and exchange of best practices to the NIPs on management issues related to institution building, to capacity building, and to community activities of the NIPs.

7.  To support SMEs to take part in proposals and on-going projects of FP6  To provide information on calls, how to write a proposal, how to join a project (e.g. large IPs and NoE)  To assist SMEs to join as coordinators, research partners and end-users  Focus in projects on the Mechatronics sector – combination of Mechanics, Electronics & Informatics MISMECObjectives: New Methods for Involving SMEs in Mechatronics sector in FP6

8.  To assist at least 270 SMEs leading to participation in at least 70 FP6 project proposals, of which: 230 SMEs will participate in 50 proposal submissions to new and on-going IPs and NoE 40 SMEs will participate in 20 proposal submissions under other instruments  To develop working practices that will facilitate networking provided by European intermediaries working with participation of SMEs in FP6 New Methods for Involving SMEs in Mechatronics sector in FP6 MISMECTargets:

9. 1.GERMANY: SEZ - Steinbeis Europa Zentrum 2.WALES: WDA - Welsh Development Agency 3.ITALY: CECCP - Centro Estero Camere Commercio Piemontesi 4.SWEDEN: IVF - Industrial Research and Development Corporation 5.GREECE: Diktyo PRAXI / HELP- FORWARD Network 6.ISRAEL: MATIMOP – Israeli Industry Centre for R&D 7.LITHUANIA: MSI - Institute of Lithuanian Scientific Society 7 Partners Germany, UK, Italy, Sweden, Greece, Israel, Lithuania New Methods for Involving SMEs in Mechatronics sector in FP6

10.  To promote and facilitate the participation of SMEs in the new FP6 instruments : IPs and NoE  To provide information on calls, proposals, how to join a project (e.g. large IPs and NoE), search for partners  Focus on projects on Nano & Micro Technologies and their applications in the most important industrial sectors (ITC, Transportation, Health Care, Aerospace, Environment) NAOMITEC Objectives: Targets:  To assist at least 80 SMEs leading to participation in at least 40 FP6 project proposals Nano and Micro-TEC SMEs in IPs and NoE

11. 1.GERMANY : VDI/VDE 2.FRANCE : ARIST-CRCI 3.FRANCE : CEA 4.UK : BetaTechnology Limited 5.ITALY : AIRI 6.ITALY : APRE 7.ITALY : CNR-ISMN:GT 8.FINLAND : Eureco OY 9.AUSTRIA : BIT 10.GREECE : Diktyo PRAXI 11.BELGIUM : BEA 12.ISRAEL : ISERD 13.POLAND : IFTR PAS 14.SWITZERLAND : Euresearch 15.SWITZERLAND : FSRM 16.NETHERLANDS : EG Liason 16 Partners: Germany, France, UK, Italy, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Israel, Poland, Switzerland, Netherlands Nano and Micro-TEC SMEs in IPs and NoE

12. Contact details Epaminondas Christophilopoulos Tel: +30 2310 552791 Fax: +30 2310 552790 epaminondas@help-forward.gr www.help-forward.gr