In the end of the EASIER project I would like to thank you all who contributed to this blog with own experience or views. I also thank to all the readers who shared their comments with us.

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We have recently relaunched it under the Centrope ICT Technology Transfer project while focusing primarily on Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. Nevertheless we are closely watching the trends and best pratices in the whole Europe and would certainly appreciate if you updated us about promising partners for FP7 projects or what is going on also in your region.

The main target of EASIER project has been to deliver new RTD collaborations for FP7, and other European-wide opportunities with a special focus on SMEs within the ICT sector. During 2 ˝ years, the EASIER project has been able to affect and attract all kinds of companies regardless of their experience because of its wide range of activities: one-to-one consulting, networking, project idea presentations, important international brokerage events, strong dissemination activities and a lot more. To all SMEs and other stakeholders that have participated at workshops, meetings, Brokerage Events in Istanbul in the south and Aalborg in the North, we give our thanks. We, the EASIER partners, hope that the effect of this project will continue to be felt in the future, as initiatives that started during this project, will work towards preparing project proposals, and executing already approved R&D projects.

The most frequently asked questions during one-to-one consultancies to SMEs performed within EASIER project show us the first steps to be taken – questions to be answered – to educate, motivate and support more SMEs in ICT to participate in FP7 and other R&D funding programmes.

What? – Most SMEs would have not yet participated in an R&D grant funded project. Probably they have not yet considered it at all. Moreover, they may not even know at all what grant funding is. The first step on the way will therefore be to raise the awareness of a particular R&D performing SME, explaining the following:

One of the major achievements of the EASIER project is the increase of the level of awareness of and the familiarity with the availability and conditions of EU funded research projects, that ICT SMEs from Northern Greece have gained throughout the whole duration of the project, in the last 2,5 years.
Many SMEs with very little experience in FPs, now are able to manage their way in finding relevant information, and use the various tools and services available from the EU, i.e. using Cordis website and other tools provided by the EU which support them in undertaking the necessary steps to participate in a project consortium and develop their research idea into a full project proposal. Furthermore, SMEs learned how to approach effectively the suitable content points for assistance.
Surveys, individual discussions with SMEs and SME participation in workshops organised by SEPVE or with the participation of SEPVE and in the framework of EASIER show a gradual change in the mentality of SMEs towards the use of EU funded tools, which are now regarded as an accessible way of getting funds for Research & Development activities in the ICT sector.
Thus, an increasing number of SMEs in the region became interested in participating in EU funded programmes mainly for:
- Conducting R&D activities
- Networking activities
- Project partnership
- Business partnership

Vizyon Net is a Turkish software development company established in 1999, located in Tübitak Marmara Research Centre Technology Development zone. We can describe Vizyon Net as a Research & Development oriented software company with a deep know-how and expertise in workflow management domain. TAGES supported Vizyon Net to model its project idea for FP7 but finally the company decided to submit its project idea to the First Call of new launched EUROSTARS Programme. Vizyon Net created a consortium of 4 companies also with the involvement of the south Greek EASIER company EXIS.

Work carried out for EASIER project in those 30 months has produced new knowledge for us in different issues. In this post, we stress learning in method and strategies of work for better help delivered to SMEs.

IN PART II:

• Proactive strategies bring good results in SMEs consciousness and commitment;
• Keep more than one strategy in your folder.

215 representatives from 130 companies and 18 countries met successfully in Aalborg, Denmark for The Second Brokerage Event. The arrangement was cooperation between two EU projects EASIER and SINCERE. The diversity of the participants makes it impossible to give a representative report of BE2. The intention of the glimpses presented is therefore to depict the variety of experiences that of the participants.

To form and develop high quality and innovative projects begins with insight, curiosity and even more important - an open mind. In addition, when joining EU programmes, concrete information on how to further proceed with your EU application, is a requirement. As continued innovation is the key to any business' longevity, our approach during the last 2 ˝ years has been to further support the communication between ICT companies in order to encourage the catalyzing of new EU RTD projects by drawing on existing regional networks. The aim has been to initiate new transnational partnerships to further ICT SME participation in European research programmes.

Work carried out for EASIER project in those 30 months has produced new knowledge for us in different issues. In this post, we stress learning in method and strategies of work for better help delivered to SMEs.

IN PART I:
• SMEs that are new comers need time to assimilate what EU participation means;
• It’s difficult to give a large step.

Under EASIER Project, COTEC Portugal is organizing a course “Writing Competitive Proposals in FP7”.