Wednesday 9 January, 2008
14:00 - 17:00
MCST, Villa Bighi, Kalkara
The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) is the key financial tool for supporting Research and Innovation at the European Level with the purpose of integrating Europe’s research capacities, creating jobs and improving competitiveness in line with the Lisbon Agenda. In order to promote more qualitative and effective participation in FP7 from Industry’s behalf, the Malta Council for Science and Technology and the Malta Federation of Industry are organising an Info Day on two themes:
Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials & new production technologies
Research for the benefit of SMEs
The core objective of the ‘Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies (NMP)’ theme is to improve the competitiveness of European industry and generate the knowledge needed to transform it from a resource-intensive to a knowledge-intensive industry. NMP research also aims to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry by generating ‘step changes’ in a wide range of sectors and implementing decisive knowledge for new applications between different technologies and disciplines. Funding the NMP research theme will benefit new, high tech industries and higher-value, knowledge-based traditional industries, with a special focus to the appropriate dissemination of research results to SMEs.
The aim of the ‘Research for the benefit of SMES’ is to strengthen the 'innovation capacity' of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe and their contribution to the development of new technology based products and markets. The programme will help them outsource research, increase their research efforts, extend their networks, better exploit research results and acquire technological know how, bridging the gap between research and innovation. Representing 99% of all enterprises in Malta, SMEs contribute more than two thirds of European GDP and provide 75 million jobs in the private sector. They are therefore key to implementation of the renewed Lisbon strategy for economic growth and employment.
The workshop will combine:
• An overview of the FP7 and its application to industry from EU Commission representative
• Presentations from the National Contact points of the themes mentioned above
• Question time sessions for interaction with participants
In this context, the aim of this Info Day is to provide information on the measures launched by the EU to reinforce the participation of SME-specific research projects and to closely assist their participation in FP7.
Target Participants
• Stakeholders from Industry
• Employer Bodies
• Public entities collaborating with enterprise
• Academic experts
Draft Agenda
14:00 Registration & Coffee
14:30 Welcome and Introduction, Dr Brian Warrington, CEO, MCST
14:40 EU Research and Innovation Support for Industry, Dr Ing Jonathan Borg, NCP for NanoMatPro, UoM
15:10 Specific Measures for SMEs under FP7, Ms Martina Daly, Policy Officer, European Commission DG Research
15:30 Question Time
15:45 Coffee Break
16:15 The ‘Research for SMEs and SMEs Associations’ 2008 Work Programme, Ms Jeanelle Catania, NCP for Research for the Benefit of SMEs, FOI
16:45 Question Time
17:00 Comments and Conclusions
Participation for this event is free of charge.