EuropaBio sustaining SMEs

SusChem partner EuropaBio has recently published a brochure highlighting its policy initiatives and resources for SMEs in the biotech sector. EuropaBio established a dedicated SME platform in 2009.

The EuropaBio brochure highlights six key recommendations that can help biotech SMEs to flourish in Europe. These include making EU funding instruments more accessible to biotech SMEs through improving the awareness of initiatives such as European Investment Bank loans, and developing short term investment vehicles that can increase the availability of risk capital. Maximising the use of European State Aid rules at member state level and developing measures and opportunities to capture the value of research within Europe are also important. Further simplification of rules for participation in EU Framework Programmes for Research is also required and the achievement of measures such as the Enhanced Single European Patent.


Cross-sector
Biotech SMEs are active in all sectors from healthcare to industrial and agricultural applications, often working with larger companies to develop solutions for longer, healthier and greener lives. In the healthcare sector, for example, larger biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly relying on external R&D. This is mostly performed by emerging SMEs which represent as much as 30% to 50% of the research pipeline for many major companies.

Andrea Rappagliosi, Chair of EuropaBio said: “These enterprises have the high-end skills to deliver the innovative products and services and the smart, sustainable and inclusive growth that the EU is seeking. But if we want them to fulfil their potential there are some significant barriers that we need to break through. This new publication consolidates the aims and achievements of EuropaBio’s SME Platform, highlights the obstacles still in the path of biotech SMEs and makes six clear recommendations on how to tackle them.”

BIOCHEM ready to accelerate

During its first year of operation, BIOCHEM – a SusChem inspired project that supports SMEs wishing to innovate in the field of products made from biomass, such as bioplastics - has laid the groundwork for acceleration of industrial biotechnology innovation in Europe during 2011.

Enormous progress
So far, BIOCHEM has completed a comprehensive assessment of the needs, the barriers and the opportunities specific to the European bio-based products market. A partnering platform has also been developed in order to help SMEs share their ideas and identify business and research partners ready to follow them in their new activities.

“We have achieved an enormous amount in the first year of the BIOCHEM project,” commented Dr. Steve Fletcher, BIOCHEM project coordinator at Chemistry Innovation Ltd in the UK. “Our BIOCHEM business toolbox should be fully operational by April, we have assembled pieces of high quality information to support the project, and we have identified SMEs across Europe that can take advantage of all this.”

A toolbox to accelerate bio-based innovation
Once ready, the toolbox, which includes business planning tools, lifecycle analysis and access to facilities, partners and funding, will be accessible through the European Commission’s INNOVA Portal. It will be used to help selected European SMEs conceive and deploy their innovative business ideas, and to accelerate their growth within the bio-based market.

“In March we will train about forty individuals – National Innovation Managers - in the use and application of the toolbox,” continues Steve Fletcher. “Then the work can begin to assess the potential of each company and provide it with information tailored to its specific profile and needs.”

A large database of relevant EU-based start-ups and SMEs who might benefit from BIOCHEM assistance has been compiled, and 100 SMEs will be audited by BIOCHEM experts throughout 2011. By the end of the project, at least 250 SMEs will have received support from BIOCHEM.

Launched in February 2010 BIOCHEM is a pan-European project co-funded by the European Commission’s INNOVA programme to support companies entering the rapidly emerging market of bio-based products. For more information on BIOCHEM visit the website or why not register on the Partnering Platform - it is free to join!

Sustainable chemistry on Commission HQ

Yesterday (2 February) a 'mega banner' promoting sustainable chemistry was unveiled on the European Commission's headquarters, the Berlaymont building, in Brussels.


The 40 metre tall banner celebrates International Year of Chemistry with the message 'Chemistry innovating for a sustainable future'.

The banner coincides with an important conference for the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Chemical Industry (HLG) that takes place in Brussels on 10 February.

The conference will take stock of the current situation for the European chemicals industry and present examples of actions undertaken to implement the recommendations of the HLG report published in early 2009 with particular emphasis on innovation and human resources.

New IYC Blog feature

As part of SusChem's celebration of International Year of Chemistry, we are introducing a new feature to the SusChem News Blog to promote some of our favourite chemistry and biotech blogs, websites and chemical writing around the world.

Links to our favourite sites are in the 'SusChem Favourite IYC Links' section in the right navigation. We will change the featured links on a regular basis with some of our favourites and new sites that we come across during 2011.

But if you have a recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact us with a suggestion for a link.

IYC marathon down under
To kick off the new section we present an Australian chemist, Magdeline Lum, who has has vowed to write a blog on an interesting piece of chemistry every day throughout International Year of Chemistry. She is keeping up so far! Support her efforts at the Chemistry 365 blog.

IYC launches today

Today (27 January) 2011 sees the official launch of the International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011) at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris.

SusChem will be celebrating IYC 2011 at its Stakeholder annual event to be held in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam, the Netherlands on May 17. The meeting has already been recognized as an official IYC 2011 event.

SusChem will also be present at the two-day launch event in Paris in the exhibition area featuring the SusChem Smart Energy Home concept. The technology platform will be contributing enthusiastically to this year-long celebration of chemistry as the solution-provider for the challenges facing society today.

IYC 2011 is a joint initiative of UNESCO and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) under the unifying theme “Chemistry – our life, our future”: a sentiment that is at the heart of SusChem thinking.

FP7 rules simplified

European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn today (24 January 2011) announced three initiatives that will have an immediate impact on the administration of FP7 projects.

On her first day in office Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn had pledged to cut the red tape associated with EC Research Framework Programmes, and today she made a first delivery on that pledge.

Simplification
At a press conference announcing the changes Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn stated: "We need to replace Kafka with common sense, we need to send red tape to the shredder, we need simple and clear rules, consistantly and rigourously applied."


The three changes announced today will save millions of Euros and provide better value for EU taxpayers she claimed.

“The changes outlined should significantly reduce the administrative burden involved in participation in FP7 projects - especially for SMEs,” commented Ger Spork, Innovation Manager at Cefic. “This in turn will encourage innovative SMEs along value chains to get involved with important collaborative research and innovation programmes in the future.”

Flexible, consistent
The first change will allow more flexibility in how staff costs are calculated and reported to the EC. Currently many organisations are obliged to establish parallel accounting systems simply to comply with FP7 reporting requirements. From now on EU research grant-holders can apply their normal accounting systems when requesting reimbursement. In addition special certificates setting out how payments for staff are calculated will no longer be required.

The second measure looks to encourage further involvement of SMEs. In young, small companies it is often the case that owner/ managers do not have a formal salary and this disqualifies them from recieving payments under FP7. Now a flat-rate payment system will be introduced that will allow their contribution to projects to be recognised. This will hopefully open up FP7 to many more dynamic SMEs.

The final element looks to build a consistent approach to the implementation of FP7 through the establishment of a steering group at Director-General level. A number of DGs and EC agencies are involved in managing FP7 activities and this has led to a diversity of management practices. The steering group will ensure that a single set of rules applies to all aspects of participation in FP7.

The Commissioner expects these simpler rules will be better respected and allow abuses to be easier to detect. These three changes can be immediately implemented under the Commission's own area of competence. The Commissioner also expects further simplifications under proposals that will need to be debated with the European Parliament and European Council.

A video of the press conference by Commissioner Quinn is
available until 31 January 2011.

The press release on FP7 simplification is available here.

Paul-Joël Derian talks to International Innovation

An extensive interview with SusChem chairman Dr. Paul-Joël Derian has just been published in International Innovation.


In the interview Dr Derian describes SusChems's remit and impact, its current successes and looks forward to the future.

The full Q&A article can be accessed on the magazine's website. International Innovation is published by Research Media Ltd - Europe's leading portal for scientific dissemination.