Opportunities for External Funding

Flanders & The Netherlands

Dr. Joeri VercammenInterscience Expert Center

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Interscience develops and integrates turnkey solutions for chromatography laboratory in Belgium and The Netherlands.

We operate at the cross junction where research, innovation, technological feasibility and economic viability meet.

The last couple of years, we have made substantial investments to develop new markets.

With four business units we focus on different aspects of the chromatography market in the Benelux and beyond.

1. G.A.S.2. IS-X 3. SampleQ4. Syft Europe

With four business units we focus on different aspects of the chromatography market in the Benelux and beyond.

1. G.A.S.2. IS-X 3. SampleQ4. Syft Europe

Compact analyzers for the (petro)chemical and energy industry.All systems are designed and build-to-order in our own production facility in The Netherlands. www.gas-site.com

With four business units we focus on different aspects of the chromatography market in the Benelux and beyond.

1. G.A.S.2. IS-X 3. SampleQ4. Syft Europe

Expert services for chromatography laboratories worldwide.Focus on method development, validation, data mining, quality control and lean process redesign. www.is-x.com

With four business units we focus on different aspects of the chromatography market in the Benelux and beyond.

1. G.A.S.2. IS-X 3. SampleQ4. Syft Europe

Design, implementation and validation of modular platforms for automated sample preparation for chromatography. Our solutions apply proven technology in a creative way. www.sampleq.com

With four business units we focus on different aspects of the chromatography market in the Benelux and beyond.

1. G.A.S.2. IS-X 3. SampleQ4. Syft Europe

Selective MS technology for sub-PPB analysis of volatile components without chromatographic preseparation.www.syft-europe.com

Universities, government agencies and large companies have been key beneficiaries to receive funding. SMEs are usually less involved, which is a weakness that has been addressed in the new Horizon 2020 program initiated by the European Union.

Today, the role of the SME is much more significant.

Nonetheless, participation levels remain rather low. Finding your way in the maize of calls & initiatives, both at the European, regional as well as interregional level definitely isn’t helping. That’s a pity because certain initiatives are definitely worth the effort as the chance for a positive evaluation is significant, particularly in locally funded programs.

Last year, Interscience actively participated in three EU calls:

Analysis of volatile biomarkers in breath (SMEINST) Monitoring plant health for future space missions (TIME

SCALE) Analysis of olive oils (TRUST)

Although only TIME SCALE was evaluated positively, the impact of participating to these calls goes much further: new people were met, new networks developed and new opportunities created!

In this presentation we will focus on three calls that will be launched very soon with potential opportunities for everyone working in Flanders, The Netherlands and Wallonia.

Interscience is able to participate in all three of them!

BEL-SME: Flanders, Brussels & Wallonia (SME-only) Interreg V: Flanders and South of The Netherlands (all) Fast track to innovation: Belgium and The Netherlands (all)

BEL-SME

What?

Program for interregional technological development projects between SMEs in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia. The main objective of BEL-SME is to strengthen the competitive capacity of SMEs by:

Increasing collaboration between SMEs from different regions Increasing the cooperative and competitive capability of SMEs

to work in interregional R&D networks Helping SMEs to develop new products, processes or technical

services that exceed the existing state-of-the-art and have good market opportunities by lowering the economical risks.

BEL-SME is an initiative of IWT (Flanders), Innoviris (Brussels) and SPW (Wallonia). Participants are funded according to the rules of the respective regional funding program. For Flanders this is the IWT.

Focus points of a project considered suitable for funding

Innovative (what’s in a name?) project that aims to develop new or significantly improve existing products, processes or technical services that in their parameters exceed the existing state-of-the-art (of the SME, JV).

Project must contain significant technical risks.

Outcome(s) must be concrete and possess real market potential.

The project cannot be carried out without public funding or it should be in a reduced form or with significant delay.

Consortium set-up

At least two SMEs from two different regions Participation of RTOs* is possible but not mandatory Balanced participation of all partners in the project Clear participation of all SMEs in the economic results of the

project Every participant has a defined role in the project that

contains R&D tasks with significant technical risks, that can be delimited from other subprojects and is necessary for the project success

At least 50% of the work in the project has to be performed by companies

Regional rules prevail, consult regional funding schemes for details.

* RTO: university, higher education institute, research institute, technology center, etc

Consortium characteristics

RTOs can participate if at least one SME from their region is part of the consortium. They are treated as subcontractors.

Other partners (large companies, other SMEs, RTOs, etc.) from other countries which do not take part in this call or partners from the participating regions that cannot be funded in the respective regional programs may be part of the project consortium if their contribution is essential to reach the project goals. No funding will not be available for them.

Parts of the work may be outsourced to subcontractors. Funding budget in Brussels and Flanders cannot exceed

250.000 € per project proposal. In Brussels only experimental development projects can be submitted.

Project duration

The duration of projects can be between 12 and 24 months, according to regional rules.

Next call opportunity

January 2015: Joint call announcement. Opening of all call documents available on the websites of the participating agencies May 29th, 2015 – 12h00: Call deadline.

June 19th, 2015: Communication of the results of the eligibility check to the project coordinator, indicating if the project application does not fulfil the minimum requirements and will not be evaluated

Only non-eligible projects are addressed, so if you do not receive an email before June 19th 2015 your project is eligible and will be evaluated.

October 2015: Communication of funding decisions

Project proposal

Proposal Submission – Trans-regional level The project application must be signed by each partner and submitted electronically by the project coordinator before the deadline of May 29th 2015, 12h00. The template “Proposal Application Form” available on the website must be used. The application language for this part is English. In addition to the project application the coordinator must submit a draft consortium agreement.

Proposal Submission – Regional levelAt the same time regional forms have to be sent to the regional funding agencies.

Some tips from the IWT website

Eigen aan kmo-innovatieprojecten is dat in het project nieuwe kennis - technologische en/of niet-technologische - opgebouwd, vergaard en/of creatief en intelligent toegepast wordt met het oog op de innovatie.

Ten opzichte van de normale bedrijfsactiviteiten en courante vernieuwingsprocessen, moet het project duidelijk afwijken in werkwijzen, inhoud, beoogde resultaten en/of risico’s waarvoor kennis moet opgebouwd worden.  Het project moet voldoende uitdagingen inhouden voor het bedrijf.

Projecten zonder een duidelijk aantoonbare meerwaarde of “me too”-projecten komen niet in aanmerking.

Partnering up with Interscience?

Design, develop and validate new instrumental solutions that are able to address a particular analytical challenge in a Flemish SME. Technology: GCxGC, TOF/MS, MS/MS, pyrolysis, automation, field portable GC/MS

Train SME users to become experts in smart chromatography, lean lab, etc.

…

www.grensregio.eu

What?

Cross-border collaboration between Flanders, The Netherlands and the 8 provinces located at the border. Particular focus on innovation and sustainable development within the region as well as developing the economic, social and territorial cohesion between the member states.

Means are provided by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and aims to reach primarily companies and company-clusters, but also governments and research institutes.

Regional focus

Next to the participating provinces, it is also possible to include partners from outside the region, if deemed valuable. For example, Groot-Rijnmond and the Drechtsteden in the Flemish-Dutch Delta.

Belgian key focus points

“Accelerating the transition to a knowledge-based economy and reducing the costs of input”

“Stimulating employment by targeted activation & training, more interregional collaboration and active inclusion of vulnerable groups”

“Reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and improving the energy efficiency of the economy and the portion of renewable energy”

Dutch Key focus Points

“Creating a more innovation-friendly company culture”

“Increasing labor participation by better employment and social integration”

“A more environmentally friendle and resource-efficient economy”

Four priorities have been identified

Innovation Renewable energy Environment Labor & trade

1. The innovation priority

Within this priority there is a distinct focus on infrastructure & collaboration between research institutes on one hand and research & innovation in industry on the other.

Each submission needs to be demand-driven or closely align with an actual industry need. It is crucial to involve companies directly and

actively in all cases.

1. The innovation priority. #1 Focus on research institutes

Reinforcing research, technological development & innovation Expansion and reinforcement of the cross-border infrastructure

for research & innovation, particularly that of research institutes

Creating “open access” research facilities Collaboration between research institutes

1. The innovation priority. #1 Focus on research institutes

Examples of possible topics:

Demand-driven collaboration between research institutes at both sides of the border

Building and exploitation of shared research infrastructures Test facilities & living labs Cross-border centers of excellence and knowledge platforms Open innovation networks and open innovation research

programs

1. The innovation priority. #2 Focus on industry research

Promotion of company investments in research & innovation Development of collaborations and synergies between

companies, research institutes and universities. Development of products & services, tech transfer, social

innovation and applications for governmental services, demand stimulation, networks, clusters and open innovation

Measures for fast product validation, advanced production capacity and first production in key-enabling technologies

1. The innovation priority. #2 Focus on industry research

Examples of possible topics:

Knowledge vouchers to enable entrepreneurs to purchase knowledge from research institutes

Market-oriented collaboration in innovation programs, new product, process & service development

Exploring the feasibility of new product/market combinations at the level of collaborating SMEs

Design of demand-driven innovation clusters consisting of a collaboration between industry, research institutes and (semi) government around key-enabling technologies

Partnering up with Interscience?

Fulfill the role of expert SME in a (open innovation) knowledge cluster that focus on smart chromatography methods & instruments, lean lab, etc.

Design, facilitate or participate in a living lab set-up Design and evaluate new instruments, techniques and

applications Train SME users to become experts in smart chromatography,

lean lab, etc. …

2. The renewable energy priority

Three key focus points within the renewable energy priority, i.e.

Support for energy efficient and renewable energy in industry Support for energy efficient and renewable energy in public

infrastructure Demonstration of innovative CO2-deprived technologies

2. The renewable energy priority. #1+2 Energy efficiency

Examples of possible topics:

Investments in small-scale demonstrations and pilot projects that focus on the application of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in companies or public infrastructure

Stimulation of energy clustering, i.e. collaboration between industry to exchange energy and rest flows

Provide insights and assistance to entrepreneurs with respect to the possibilities to carry out energy-saving measures

Introduction to new technologies for SMEs Feasibility studies for SMEs to change to renewable energy

2. The renewable energy priority. #3 CO2-deprived technology

Examples of possible topics:

Market-oriented collaboration in innovation programs, development of new products, services and processes

Feasibility & application of technologies that reduce CO2 emissions, e.g. increased energy efficiency, renewable energy and CO2 capture/storage

Inventory of effective application of energy-saving techniques Feasibility & possibilities of low emission inner-city distribution

and mobility

2. The renewable energy priority. #3 CO2-deprived technology

Examples of possible topics:

Feasibility of new product/market combinations for carbon-low technologies at collaborating SMEs

Setting up demand-driven innovation clusters for carbon-low technologies in which industry, research institutes and (semi) government participate

Feasibility studies or experiments with smart grids

Partnering up with Interscience?

Design solutions to monitor CO2 concentrations under varying atmospheric conditions, both in a laboratory setting or in situ

Provide technology and test facilities Train users …

3. The environment priority

Three key focus points within the environment priority, i.e.

Protection & repairing of biodiversity, soil and ecosystems Innovation for improved environmental protection and efficient

usage of natural resources in waste disposal, water management, soil protection and air pollution

Support for the transition towards a resource efficient economy and the promotion of green growth

3. The environment priority. #1 Biodiversity

Examples of possible topics:

Recovery of green infrastructure Recovery of neglected ecosystems Increased biodiversity and prevention of biodiversity loss Cross-border management of terrains, water- and soil quality Pilot project that focus on new models for public/private

collaborations in nature conservation

3. The environment priority. #2 Efficient usage of natural resources

Examples of possible topics:

Market-oriented collaboration in innovation projects. Development of new products, services and processes

Feasibility and application/demonstration of new technologies Inventory of effective application of energy-saving techniques Feasibility of new product/market combinations for efficient

usage of natural resources at collaborating SMEs Gain insights with respect to the possibilities to improve

resource efficiency in companies Setting up demand-driven innovation clusters between

industry, research institutes and (semi) government

3. The environment priority. #3 Transition to a resource efficient economy

Examples of possible topics:

Investments for small-scale demonstrations and pilot projects in companies

Provide insights and guidance to entrepreneurs with respect to the feasibility to carry out measures to improve a more efficient usage of resources

Introduction programs focusing on SMEs

Partnering up with Interscience?

Design solutions that quantify the impact of new technologies on process efficiency

Design solutions that quantify the impact of new technologies on the distribution of contaminants in waste, water, soil and air

Provide technology and test facilities Train users …

4. The labor and trade priority

Promoting sustainable and high quality employment Supporting mobility by integrating cross-border labor markets,

shared employment initiatives and information and advice and shared training

4. The labor and trade priority

Examples of possible topics:

Collaboration between cross-border employment agencies Increased output of trained technicians Cross-border recognition of qualifications Collaborations between schools and universities Stimulating knowledge exchange: governments, trainers,

branche organisations and employers Development of cross-border curriculae and facilities for

training programs that better suit the challenges in existing and new industries

Partnering up with Interscience?

Provide training programs and facilities in state-of-the-art chromatography that apply new technologies, i.e. flipped classroom, e-learning, blended learning, etc.

Allocated budgets

152 mio € in total allocated resources, amongst which 40% for projects that address the innovation priority. This corresponds to an amount of 60 mio €.

The program finances 50% of accepted costs. Co-financing is possible through the government, with the exception of Horizon 2020.

Next call opportunity

The second call in Interreg V is launched June 4th 2015. The deadine is June 30th 2015.

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/fast-track-innovation-pilot-2015-2016

Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) pilot is testing a new approach to give the development of innovations the last push needed before their introduction to the market. It is the only bottom-up measure in Horizon 2020 promoting close-to-market innovation activities and open to all types of participants.

FTI projects must be business-driven and clearly demonstrate a realistic potential for quick deployment and market take-up of innovations.

The program supports projects undertaking innovation from the demonstration stage through to market uptake, including stages such as:

Piloting Test-beds Systems validation in real world/working conditions Validation of business models Pre-normative research Standard-setting.

It targets relatively mature new technologies, concepts, processes and business models that need a last development step to reach the market and achieve wider deployment.

Consortia must involve participants from industry. Universities, research and technology organizations and further innovation actors may also participate.

Actors that can play a key role in the commercialization process are encouraged to take part, such as cluster organizations, end-users, industrial associations, incubators, investors, or the public sector.

Proposals must relate to any field under the specific objective "Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies" (LEIT).

Nanotechnologies Advanced materials Advanced manufacturing & processing Biotechnology

The nanotech program (NMP) is the most extended one. It covers 40 topics across a wide array of domains. Within Interscience we particularly see opportunities in BIOTEC. Let’s have a look what it implies.

BIOTEC 2: New bioinformatics approaches in service of biotechnology

Proposals should develop innovative bioinformatics approaches to close the gap between data availability and the discovery of new biotech applications. Proposals should in particular address the needs of SMEs active in the bioinformatics sector and should take into consideration international activities with the objective of fostering global solutions, standards and interoperability. Practical testing for validation of bioinformatics approaches should be considered.

BIOTEC 5: SME-boosting biotech-based industrial processes driving competitiveness & sustainability

The large number of SMEs which characterize the EU biotechnology sector are playing a crucial role in the move to competitive and sustainable biotechnology-based processes. These SMEs are characterized by their research intensity and long lead times between early technological development and market introduction. They therefore need to be supported to overcome the so-called “valley of death”.

Phase 1: Feasibility study verifying the technological/practical as well as economic viability of an innovation idea with considerable novelty to the industry sector in which it is presented.

Phase 2: Demonstration, testing, prototyping, piloting, scaling-up, miniaturization, design, market replication and the like aiming to bring an innovation idea to industrial readiness and maturity for market introduction.

BIOTEC 6: Metagenomics as innovation driver

Proposals should address the development of technologies that form the metagenomic toolkit to guide future developments in the field with view to enable metagenomic approaches responding to societal and industrial needs.

Metagenomics has the potential to provide unprecedented insight into the form and function of heterogeneous communities of microorganisms and their vast biodiversity, without the need for isolation and lab culture of particular organisms.

Proposals should specify the intended outcome of the project and describe its key performance indicators/success criteria. They must also include:

A business plan clearly describing the market potential (potential customers and benefits; targeted European/global markets, etc.)

The business opportunities for participants Measures to enhance the probability of commercial take-up Credible commercialization strategy that identifies next steps and

specifies other actors to be involved.

Particular attention should be paid to IP protection and ownership and to the possibility of commercial exploitation ('freedom to operate').

Deadlines29/04/2015 01/09/2015 01/12/2015

Contact me if you would like to join forces with Interscience on one of these calls

j.vercammen@is-x.com+32(0)10/45.00.25