Impact on European R&D in surface transport

It is expected that the project will have a positive impact on the large trade associations such as EUCAR, COREDES, UNIFE and CLEPA. These organisations are invited to support the project and this will work towards raising their awareness of the issue of SME participation of FP6.

In addition to communicate with the associations the project will be in close contact with their members and more specifically the project co-ordinators.

The comprehensive mapping of SME capabilities throughout Europe and the availability of this information to the scientific and industrial research community will help them to identify new potential supply chains and new partners or innovations to which they may have been previously obvious. This will not only promote SME participation in FP6 and following FP programmes but also promote SME participation in other surface transport research initiatives.

Impact on SME participation in FP6

The project will during its lifetime work towards raising the level of participation of SMEs in FP6 and the following FPs and expanding the field of SMEs that can participate in FP6.

The obvious impact of the project on SME participation in FP6 will be the increased awareness within the SME community of FP6 and the opportunities for participation, which will inevitably lead to an increased participation of SMEs in the program. Another impact is the regrouping of the three surface transport modes under one project which will encourage and support cross pollination between SMEs working in the different modes and open up SMEs to new fields. Finally, the project will be hosting its workshops in various member states including associate candidate countries in the national language. This will ensure that those SMEs with limited command of English are not discriminated against and are provided with the necessary information and support for participation in an FP project should they wish to do so.

In addition the coaching and support services provided to the SMEs will provide SMEs without prior experience of European research programmes.