Project Title: Engaging regional SMEs within the ICT sector in EU research (EASIER)

Project Duration: 30 months

Start Date: October 2005

Funding Authority: European Commission FP6

Type of Instrument: Specific Support Action

Status: Completed

Project Objectives

The project aims to increase the research activity and to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs within information and communication technology in Europe, more specifically in thirteen regions in Europe, through participation in European research networks and research programmes.                                               

The project’s most important sub-objectives are:

- To engage SMEs within ICT sector through regional networks. In this way the EASIER project will have impact beyond its duration.

- To produce a database of SMEs that are potential candidates to get involved in European research projects.

- To assess, develop and describe methods (tools) for engaging the SMEs through these regional networks.

- To provide new methods that are tested in two pilot regions; the Minho region in Northern Portugal, and in the West Midlands in the UK.

- To find opportunities for involvement of the SMEs in FP6 and FP7.

- To exploit these opportunities by coupling them with the SMEs in the database, and by assisting the SMEs through the process from idea to engagement in European RTD activities.

EASIER project assesses and develops methods and mechanisms for engaging SMEs as organization of regional networks for RTD cooperation, information dissemination, upgrading skills and strategies for participation in European RTD activities, electronic tools, methods to increase international cooperation and measures to increase the SMEs RTD abilities. Regional networks planned to be established within the project will have many similarities with clusters, and they will be used for increasing the awareness and competence of the European research.

Project Consortium

TAGES Role

TAGES is the consultant partner of the project from Turkey and it supports Turkish ICT SMEs to be engaged in European research. TAGES is responsible of the following activities in the project:

- SME audit and mapping

- ICT SME database development

- Motivating SMEs by series of events like, workshops, networking sessions

- Assisting SMEs on the development of project proposals of their project ideas to be submitted in FP7

In order to get more information about the project and to register to the EASIER project database, please visit the project website,

www.eti-easier.org

and project database web site,

www.easierproject.com