Nanoforum - Nanotech Regulatory Document Archive

2.4. European Commission funded support networks for innovation
The European Commission funds several support networks for innovation in the EU
Member and Associated States. One EU initiative is the National Contact Points (NCPs)
that supports consortia that want to submit proposals for EU calls for proposals.
There are separate NCPs for each thematic priority, including NCPs for the
nanotechnology thematic priority. The EC also funds an Innovation Relay Centres
Network (IRC). These IRCs support international technology transfer in the EU and its
associated countries. Other EU supporting networks include the Gate2Growth project
aiming to match innovative entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and Minanet, an
online database of European microsystems and nanotechnology research projects. Last
but not least, the European Commission funds Nanoforum, a thematic network that
serves as a European Nanotechnology Gateway, including information services for
researchers, industrialists, policy makers, students, and the general public.
www.nanoforum.org
NCPs
There are 16 National Contact Points for the Nanotechnologies and Nanosciences,
Knowledge Based Multifunctional Materials and New Production Processes and Devices
(NMP) thematic programme in FP6, in the 13 Candidate Countries. See:
http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/ncp.htm
IRCs
The Innovation Relay Centre network acts as a technology broker between companies
in different European countries. They publish technology offers and requests, and
frequently organise brokerage events, where companies can present their technology
offers and needs. There are IRCs in the candidate countries Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Because European regions have different technological specialisation, the IRCs have
formed thematic subgroups of IRCs whose clients have similar technological interests.
Some Innovation Relay Centres recently established a thematic group on Nano and
microtechnologies. This group has currently members in 11 countries. Cyprus is the
only candidate country among the IRCs in this thematic group. http://irc.cordis.lu
Gate2Growth
Gate2Growth, an initiative from the European Commission, has developed a complete
package of services that help entrepreneurs to identify the right investors, and to draw
up business plans that will convince them to back their projects. The Gate2Growth
initiative deploys a range of services and networks to make the process of attracting
investment quicker and cheaper for young high-tech firms with substantial growth
potential. They include an investor identification service, helping those seeking finance
to hone their business plans, and introducing them to appropriate investment funds. The
Gate2Growth.com portal is also an excellent tool for the many service providers and
support organisations around Europe that assist entrepreneurs in building their
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