Press Release: Commission targeting innovative SMEs to take up EUR 2.2 billion worth of European research funding

At a seminar in Brussels on 24-26 March 2004 European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin launched the EU funded DETECT-it project, that will help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to overcome the difficulties in setting up and financing research activities. The project aims to identify the most innovative SMEs, and encourage them to make the most of the EU 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6 2003-2006) funding. Within FP6, a total of at least €2.2 billion will go to SMEs. Through the project the Commission's Business Innovation Centre incubators (EC-BICs) will cluster more than 1,000 SMEs into three target industry sectors.

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/sme/leaflets/en/02.html http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/sme/leaflets/en/02.html

http://ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb/index_en.cfm http://ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb/index_en.cfm

http://www.ebn.be/ http://www.ebn.be/

---