STAR-NET: a network to help SMEs operating in the Sustainable Surface Transport sector
The main objective of the Star-Net Transport project is to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating within the Sustainable Surface Transport (SST) sector by helping them to participate in the activities of the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) of the EU.
The concept behind the Star-Net project emerged on the occasion of the "Technology Day on Green Mobility" organised by CLEPA (European Association of Automotive Suppliers) in Brussels on October 27th 2010. The need for a support structure for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in the field of Sustainable Surface Transport (SST) was mentioned by many of the SMEs participating in the event or contacted after it by the Portuguese company Inova+ who is the initiator of this project and leader of the consortium. Thus Star-Net was born. In particular, a series of barriers were identified on that occasion that seemed substantially to prevent SMEs from participating in Europe-wide projects (lack of language skills and of experience in dealing with the bureaucracy and the somewhat complex administrative procedures of EU projects, limited resources for proposal writing, the need by SMEs to protect innovative ideas, an inability to network especially at an international level, difference between national and European legislation for participation in tenders, staff shortages, financial barriers created by banks etc). To overcome those and many other barriers a series of concrete and positive proposals by the consortium led by Inova+ have emerged to help SMEs improve their presence at an international level. Here are some of them: create new skills and job opportunities by promoting research and development (RTD) activities in the SST sector; promote industrial-oriented research across Europe and connect companies with similar or complementary needs; promote international cooperation among transport stakeholders and exchange best practices; create awareness of major EU policies and financial instruments in the SST field. Another undertaking by the consortium led by Inova+ was to become an "honest broker" between SMEs and the EC by identifying the barriers that prevent SMEs from participating in FP7 projects, to make recommendations to the EC and contribute to the research agenda in the SST sector. On the practical side, the consortium will also undertake the organisation of targeted FP7 workshops and events at national and European level and provide special sessions to answer queries about FP7 project proposals, submission procedures and rules. It will also PRESS4TRANSPORT is funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7)
provide online thematic groups to share and solve problems, assisted by SST experts and access to an online tool to support project proposal writing. The involvement of Universities and research institutions is highly recommended. A good number of universities from several countries are already members of the consortium. The creation of a Star-Net Transport database is also foreseen and support will be offered to help prepare FP7 RTD project proposals. For more info please contact Chiara Frencia at chiara.frencia@inovamais.pt starnet@inovamais.pt
PRESS4TRANSPORT is funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7)