SMESFORFOOD: Specific support action to improve the participation of SMEs in integrated projects and networks of excellence in the food quality and safety sector

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 03.0552

Key words (English)

Food quality; food safety; SME

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: 508589

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 6. Frame Research Programme - 2.1 Industrial and materials technologies

Short description (English)

See abstract

Abstract (English)

The general objective of the SMEsforFOOD project is to set up several actions in order to increase the participation of SMEs in the new instruments of FP6, Integrated projects (IF) and Networks of excellence (NoE). This objective will be achieved through three major actions:
1. FP6 Information of European SME of the food safety and quality related programmes
2. Assistance to 5MB willing to participate in IF and NoE
3. Assistance to IP and NoE coordinators and partners willing to involve SMEs in their proposal / project.
For the implementation, a workplan consisting of 6 workpackages has been put together, including Management, design of a common working methodology, SME profiling, NoE and IP profiling, matchmaking and dissemination. The consortium of the SMEsforFOOD project comprises 19 partners from 16 countries, including 12 EU Member States, 2 Associated Countries and five Candidate Countries. Furthermore, the SMEsforFOOD consortium gathers highly experimented partners with a large experience of EC Framework programmes, SMEs and Food related industry since it gathers more than 10 SME NCP, four Food NCP and Agro-food technical centres. The SMEsforFOOD project is highly relevant to the objectives of ETI since it addresses a well-defined research theme, which is one of the main priorities of the EU Research general objectives (food quality and safety), it is mainly dedicated to facilitate and increase the participation of SMEs within Integrated projects and Networks of excellences, and it will facilitate the creation of groupings or clusters of SMEs that have similar innovation needs and promote trans-regional cooperation between SMEs.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 03.0552