ZENIT supports French Ministry of Economic Affairs in its SME policy

On 12 February 2009, a delegation of the French Inspection Générale des Finances (IGF) visited the German Ministry of Education and Research in Bonn where it also met for an exchange of experience with Stefan Braun, Head of the National Contact Point for SME Specific Measures at ZENIT. Background to the visit was an analysis of what concepts are successful in motivating enterprises in France's neighbouring countries to participate in European research programmes. Contact was established to ZENIT because it has been responsible since 2003 as National Contact Point for SME Specific Measures for co-ordinating a nationwide consortium of information and advice centres which make a major contribution to the successful participation of German SMEs in the EU's Framework Programmes for Research.

The team of advisors of Christine Lagarde, French Minister for Economic Affairs, also visited organisations in Italy and Austria in mid February in order to gather recommendations on how the level of participation of SMEs in the Seventh Framework Programme can be raised. With a total budget of 54 billion Euro for the period 2007-2013, the Framework Programme is the most important support instrument in this area. According to a European Parliament decree, 20 percent of funds must be awarded to enterprises.

Stefan Braun explained to the French delegation some of the measures of the National Contact Point to raise SME participation in the Framework Programme. These include extensive information and advice services to avert the risk of making a wrong decision and to smooth the way to successful projects. Applicants are accompanied throughout the entire process, from identification of an innovative idea, selection of a suitable funding instrument to formulation of the application, search for project partners, project management and, ultimately, support in the areas of technology transfer and marketing of results. The measures met with considerable interest from the delegation and will shortly be examined to see how applicable they are to the situation in France.

Other stages in the delegation's visit to Germany were the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology, the "Otto von Guericke" German Federation of Research Associations (AiF), the federal government's "Research and Innovation" funding advice department, Berlin Adlershof Technology Park and ttz Bremerhaven, a research organisation.

Contact:
Stefan Braun
Telephone: ++49-(0)208/30004-57