1. „ SMEs go LifeSciences“ is co-funded by the European Commission Activities supporting SME participation in the instruments particularly Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence in the areas of Life Sciences in the 6th Framework Programme

2. Raising the quantitative and qualitative level of involvement of SMEs and SME groupings in Life Sciences oriented projects in the 6 th Framework Programme (FP6), with an emphasis on the new instruments – Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence. Candidate countries participation will be a special focus of the measures foreseen. Objective

3. Key Figures Submission: April 2003 as ETI - Specific Support Action No. 508527 Project start: 1st March, 2004 Duration: 3 years Project partner: 28 partners out of 26 countries (10 CC, 4 AC, 12 MS) Coordination: Bureau for International Research and Technology Cooperation, Austria Budget: 2.557 855 Euro EC contribution: 1.734 025 Euro

4. Main Objective Support and foster the participation of SMEs and SME groupings in Life Sciences projects of FP6 Two major lines of activities Capacity building and training Consortium building & match for SMEs & SME groupings + making for SMEs researchers on how to + researchers preparing a involve SMEs proposal

5. Activities Target group: SMEs & SME groupings  Identification/Information of SMEs and SME groupings  Profiling of SMEs and SME groupings interested in international research cooperation and ready to participate in the Framework Programme  Training/Assisting of SMEs and SME groupings following their needs (Intellectual property rights, financial framework of FP6, project management etc.)

6. Activities Target group: Researchers  Identification researchers/research consortia preparing Life Sciences proposals as coordinators or active participants  Training/Assistance of researchers  creation of awareness on the importance of involving SMEs  assistance on consortium building and finding partners  training/individual assistance on proposal preparation and involvement of SMEs,  training in legal and financial framework of FP6  Profiling of research consortia looking for SME partners

7. Activities Matchmaking between SMEs/ SME groupings and researchers  Creation of a high quality database where SMEs can present their expertise and researchers their project ideas  Organisation of brokerage events (real or virtual)  Presentation of SME profiles and researchers project ideas on major conferences and events  Matchmaking by individual support/advise of SMEs/SME groupings and researchers

8. Activities  Call Information Network: Assisting already running projects in integrating SMEs in a later stage of their project  Identification of and establishment of cooperation with Bio- incubators and Biovalleys as well as training of relevant organisations  Close collaboration with Biotech Entrepreneurial Networks like Europabio (platform for the National Biotech Associations), EBN (European Business and Innovation Centres Network), IRC (Innovation Relay Centres)

9. Major Achievements  Contacts to 2500 SMEs for participation in LifeSciences projects in FP6  Contacts to 400 researchers/coordinators of Life Sciences proposals  160 national & 6 transnational training sessions for SMEs & SME groupings as well as for researchers, 3 brokerage events  100 profiles and partner searches of coordinators or active participants preparing Life Sciences proposals, particular in the new instruments  Contacting, profiling, training of SMEs and researchers will result in 300 consortia taking in at least one additional SME partner resulting in 500 involved SMEs in total

10. The consortium  A network of 28 partners from 26 countries is highly motivated and committed  Project partners are highly experienced in working with SMEs and research organisations - most of them act as National Contact Points (NCPs)  “SMEs go LifeSciences“ is a stepping up project of the FP5 initiative “Partners for Life”.

11. Responsibilities Herlitschka

12. Conclusion “ SMEs go LifeSciences” project is the key platform for Life Sciences SMEs in Europe. We can make a difference and can help developing the innovation potential of European Life Sciences SMEs. Web: www.smesgolifesciences.org

13. Project coordination and contact: Bureau for International Research and Technology Cooperation Donau-City Straße, 1220 Vienna, Austria Birgit Steininger e-mail: steininger@bit.ac.at phone: +43/1/26013-133 fax: +43/1/26013-16 web: www.bit.ac.at

14. Bulgarian Partner and contact  Bulgarian Agency for Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency 1 Sveta Nedelia Sq., Sofia 1000 Galina Doynova State expert e-mail: g.doynova@asme.bg phone: +359 2/ 9329 277 fax: +359 2/ 986 18 99 web: www.asme.bg, www.btpa.bgwww.asme.bgwww.btpa.bg