Since 1 January 2019 Innosuisse, the Swiss Agency for the Promotion of Innovation, has been responsible for innovation-oriented European partnership programmes with the EU and for the market-driven EUREKA research and development initiative.
Innosuisse took over the tasks from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (ERI) with the aim of better exploiting synergies in project funding, entrepreneurship and knowledge and technology transfers. The multinational joint programmes are being integrated into Innosuisse’s promotion activities. “I am convinced that the transfer of these tasks to our agency will create synergies,” says Andreas Gut, who has moved with his SBFI team to Innosuisse and continues to lead international programs. “Project partners that receive support – innovative companies and universities of applied sciences in Switzerland – will ultimately benefit.”
The following multinational cooperation programmes changed from ERI’s to Innosuisse’s jurisdiction on 1 January 2019: the European partnership programmes with the EU (Eurostars 2, Active and Assisted Living (AAL), Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership (ECSEL)) and the cross-border EUREKA research and development initiative. Moreover, the European Research Area (ERA)-Nets scheme is now within Innosuisse’s purview. The programmes’ funding conditions remain unchanged.
EUREKA and Eurostars 2 are particularly interesting for start-ups. EUREKA is an independent initiative of the European Commission’s framework programmes for cross-border cooperation projects in market-oriented industrial R&D. Consortia comprising Swiss universities of applied sciences, companies and at least one partner from a EUREKA country can apply to Innosuisse for funding.
Under the Eurostars 2 programme, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can further develop their products or services together with partner firms or research teams at the international level. Projects of start-ups such as Pryv, Insolight, AAAccell or Akselos have recently been supported by Eurostars. The next cutoff date is 28 February 2019.
All information about these programmes and initiatives can be found on the Innosuisse website.
(Press release - SK)
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