NRP Portugal

universities,polytechnicsandotherHigherEducationInstitutions,publicbodiesandbusinessorsectorassociations,withaviewtocreatingcollaborativenetworksaimingforexcellence,whilesimultaneouslyallowing for the development of innovation clusters and intensive knowledge, contributing to thedevelopmentoftheeconomicandsocialfabricofaregionand/orsector.Altogether,theyincludetheparticipation of 100 companies and associate companies, 5 technology centres and 53 scientific andhighereducationinstitutions.CompetitivenessandTechnologyCentresWithaviewtocreatingandinvigoratingtheCompetitivenessandTechnologyCentres,thefollowinginitiativesweresetup:i)Clustermappingandtherespectiveterritoryintersectiongrid:inprogress;ii)Launchofapilotphasethroughsupportingexperimentalcases:underpreparation;iii)Launchofimplementationphase;underpreparation;iv) Holding meetings with stakeholders representing the economic aggregates and/or sectors with aview to divulging and galvanising initiatives to encourage collective efficiency strategies(CompetitivenessandTechnologyCentresandotherClusters);v)FrameworkrulesandregulationsfortheCollectiveEfficiencyStrategiesProgrammeoftheNationalStrategicReferenceFramework;vi) Launch of the first Competition for the “Recognition of Competitiveness and Technology CentresandotherClusters”,withinthescopeoftheNationalStrategicReferenceFramework.FINICIAPlatformsImplementationoftheFINICIAProgrammeisbasedonthecreationofpartnerships(calledPlatforms)betweentheinstitutionsoftheScienceandTechnologySystemandlocaldevelopmentagents.14platformshavebeencreated(13onthemainlandand1intheAutonomousRegionoftheAzores)involving all of the public Universities and Polytechnics, covering over 160 public and private bodies(namely,Banks,VentureCapitalCompaniesandMutualGuaranteeCompanies,ScienceandTechnologyParksandMunicipalCouncils)toexpeditetheprocessesforscrutinisingideasandprojectsforcreatinginnovativecompanies.Threecreditlineshavebeencreatedfornewbusinessprojects,providedbytheBPI,MillenniumandBSTbanks,thesearesupportedbyaMutualGuarantee,guaranteeingupto75%ofthevalueofthecreditgranted.73 municipal FINICIA funds were created, 14 of them between October 2007 and August 2008, incollaborationwithbanksandlocalauthorities.Thesewereformicrocreditoperationsforsettingupmicro and small companies. The total value of the Funds already created comes to a 21.53 millionEuros,ofwhich2.925millionEurosisrelatedtofundscreatedsinceOctober2007.BytheendofAugust,453creditandriskcapitalfinancingoperationshadbeenapproved,ofwhich390have been implemented or are at the implementation stage. The number of credit operationsapproved, supported by Mutual Guarantee, is 295, which corresponds to an overall investment of23.23millionEuros.95riskcapitaloperationswereapproved,49ofwhichhavebeenrealised,involvingaglobalinvestmentestimatedat26millionEurosandriskcapitalfinancingtothesumof7.8millionEuros.BusinessAngels(BA)NetworksWithin the scope of the Empreender+ Programme, an initiative was launched to stimulate theintroduction of the Business Angels (BA) activity in Portugal, contributing to the creation of 10 BAnetworks.KnowledgeEnhancementCentresandBusinessPotentialEnhancementCentresFollowing on from the approval of the 22 Knowledge Enhancement Centres (Technology AndKnowledge Transfer Workshop) in 2006, which provided an environment for University‐Companycooperationwiththeaimofidentifyingandfosteringthetransferofinnovativeideasandconceptstothe business fabric, the networking of this group of structures, involving Technology Centres,University/Company interface structures (e.g., INEGI, INOV INESC, UNINOVA), Industrial Property40