OBJECTIVES

The MOBITECH project has the general objective to boost the SMEs participation in the Fifth Framework Programme, with the aim to enhance their presence in the telecommunication (TLC) sector and, in particular to the mobile one. SMEs play an important role in the development of mobile TLC due to their ability and dynamism in transferring innovative technology results to the market. However it is generally recognised that SMEs are not able to completely exploit technology results and they lack a competitive strategy in the market. To enhance this situation the MOBITECH project has the aim to:

• Promote the transfer of advanced technologies and methodologies to SMEs;
• Foster SMEs exploitation of market opportunities;
• Promote SMEs’ participation in the 5thFP; Support SMEs’ participation in EU programmes.
  

PROJECT ACTIVITY

The activity to be carried out by the MOBITECH consortium will start from a state-of-the-art analysis of the new technology offer, and an analysis of the market trends. Afterwards direct relationships with a large number of European SMEs will be established to evaluate their technology needs in order to better reply to the market requirements, becoming more innovative and more competitive. The process to reach these objectives will be based on the promotion of 5thFP actions and in assisting SMEs in their participation in 5thFP actions. From a methodological point of view, the major axes to realise the above described activity are the following:

• To focus on the telecommunication market, and particularly in the mobile TLC sector with the aim to underline the role of SMEs;


• To ensure SMEs involvement in the project through the European Federation High-Tech SMEs activity, that can dialogue directly with SMEs being the Federation present in 8 countries through a number of national organisations;

Workplan



Detailed Workplan

CONSORTIUM

The Comité Richelieu, a non-profit association founded in 1989, is the National association of French high-tech SMEs. It groups currently about 200 companies active on Information & Communication and Aerospace & Defence technologies. It offers to the Procurement and R&D departments of large companies, the organisation of business meetings with high-tech SMEs on specific items chosen by one or several large companies.

More than 30 events took place from 1996 including items such as “Materials – Optics / Optronics – Aeronautics – Signal processing – Microelectronics – Software tools – Automotive – Telecommunications – Mechanics – Sensors – Robotics – Automation – Energy / Environment – Defence – Multimedia – Marine technologies – ICT – Space technologies”. More than 6500 European SMEs and 700 representatives from large companies participated in these events organised by Comité Richelieu. François GUEREL (Coordinator)
E-mail: co.richelieu.lyon@online.fr
Web Site: www.comite-richelieu.com

• European Business Associates Srl (EBA) is a company operating at the EU level in the field of macro and micro economic studies for SMEs, business process models definition, technology policy assessment and market appraisal; EBA operates furthermore in the field of project and financial management of international projects, taking care of the definition and implementation of models and best practice for the exploitation of emerging technology and services into the market. The strategy of the company, created at the end of 1995, is based on the following axes: High level of specialisation and competence in the economic and business fields, with regards to business creation, communication and dissemination strategy, project management and technological transfer of RTD results related to the European Union and other international organisations;


• A European and world-wide vision of the market with the objective of a European positioning in a niche market of high strategic value;


• A portfolio of clients who are market leaders at national and European level;


• A professional team recruited at European level.


UE Sectors of activity EBA operates in the following sectors of the European Union Research and Technological Policy:

• Innovation and SMEs programmes


• IST Programme - Telecom infrastructure


• TEN TELECOM Programme


• QoL Programme

Growth Programme


Contact person: Ira Vater (Partner) E-mail: info@ebanet.it

Tecnopolis promotes, supports and encourages innovation inside local companies, manufacturing plants and public administrations. Tecnopolis offers companies and public administrations services such as:

• Analysis, Evaluation, Planning and Designing of Innovation, Identification of company innovation needs, definition of innovation paths and financing opportunities.
• Research and Development and Technology Transfer Analysis and evaluation of technological solutions; search for partnership and for National or European Union funding opportunities
• Technical and Managerial Education Study and starting of follow-up and continuing education processes to improve efficacy and efficiency and to increase organisations competitiveness.
• Tecnopolis CSATA Novus Ortus is: · Enrolled in the “Central Consultancy Register of DG1A” as a consultancy company for PHARE - TACIS Programmes
• Top Quality Research Laboratory, a formal acknowledgement by Ministry of University and Research to assist companies in their applied research activities
• Innovation Relay Centre Node of the Innovation Programme for Information on research, development and technology transfer
• Business innovation centre, a formal acknowledgement by the Ministry of Industry, for the enterprise creation in the Apulia region; full member of the EBN network
• Main contractor of the Programme PIC/PMI for the Apulian Region
• IRC IRIDE, since 1995 Tecnopolis has coordinated the IRC activities in co-operation with ENEA and SPI in Puglia, Campania, Basilicata and Molise
• Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) Puglia Innova Management Unit aiming to set up an infrastructure for innovation and development of local systems
• Agency for job promotion and business creation acknowledged by the Italian Ministry of Labour
• Information Branch of Young Entrepreneurship for business creation and self-employment opportunities support

• Facilitation of the MoU on Open Access to Electronic Commerce for SMEs
• Publication of the European Journal of Teleworking.
• Publications related to Electronic Commerce and to Regional Economic Development Completed or completing projects undertaken recently include MAESTRO (ACTS), TEMPLE (TELEMATICS), and DIPLOMAT (ACTS) for which latter Stephen Simmons provided external expert advice.
  

P5 AGENZIA PER LA PROMOZIONE DELLA RICERCA EUROPEA

APRE (The Agency for the Promotion of European Research) is a non-profit agency closely related to the Ministry of Research and is supported by over 40 member organisations, which are widely representative of the Italian research and innovation system. In addition to a large number of public and private research centres and industries, there are also about 20 Universities adhering to APRE. APRE's institutional aim is to promote participation in RTD programmes of the European Union. Its activities consist of providing information, assistance and training, and in particular:

• information on EU research programmes - through various channels such as a help line for information by telephone, an Internet site, a periodic newsletter and a series of thematic dossiers, collaboration with numerous national and regional magazines, etc.; Individual assistance and consultation to potential participants on how to present research proposals;
• organisation of workshops, info-days and seminars;
• Training courses. APRE held the role of National Focal Point for SMEs in the Third Framework Programme and National Focal Point as well as Focal Point for a number of specific programmes in the Fourth Framework Programme. APRE is currently the National Contact Point for the following programmes: Quality of Life, Information Society, Competitive and Sustainable Growth, Improving Human Potential and the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base.
• APRE has acquired a great deal of practical experience in support activities to DG XII and DG XIII of the European Commission. APRE was VALUE Relay Centre with a coordinating role at the national level of the other VALUE Relay Centres in Italy, and is presently an Associated Member of the Innovation Relay Centre network. The European projects carried out by APRE basically fall into two categories: studies and SME stimulation actions.

Contact Person: Floriana Di Giacomo
E-mail: digiacomo@apre.it
Web Site: www.apre.it

The Israeli Directorate for the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Union was jointly established as a non-profit organisation by the Ministries of Science, Industry and Trade, Finances and Foreign Affairs and the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education. ISERD was created to promote the participation of Israeli companies and the research institutions in the EU RTD Fifth Framework Program, with the aim of realising the inherent business potential of this programme. To that end ISERD:

• Provides information, advice and guidance to the Israeli RTD community (industries, universities, research institutes, etc.) on all matters related to submitting project proposals to the EU RTD programs within the Fifth Framework Programme.
• Co-ordinates the activities of Israel delegates to the Program Committees that manage EU RTD programs.
• Records, follows up and reports on the Israeli participation in EU RTD programmes for the purpose of the policy making agencies in Israel. ISERD is a partner to the Israeli IRC and to the OPET-Israel consortia. ISERD's activities are an integral part of the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Contact Person: Myer W Morron
E-mail: mwm@iserd.org.
il Web Site: www.iserd.org.il/ist

P7 BÜRO FÜR INTERNATIONALE FORSCHUNGS UND TECHNOLOGIEKOOPERATION

BIT is the National Contact Point (NCP) for all specific programmes within the 5. Framework Programme on RTD. BIT is the institution responsible for central operational services and support to industry, SMEs, universities and other research organizations in connection with the Austrian participation in EU RTD programmes, EUREKA and other international RTD programmes and initiatives.

Organized as an association under Austrian law BIT is jointly funded by the Austrian Economic Chamber and several federal ministries coordinated by the Federal Ministry for Science and Research.

BIT has the following objectives:

• to intensify the participation of Austrian institutions in international RTD programmes and initiatives
• to identify, motivate, inform, support and advise Austrian participants
• to coordinate national and international RTD programmes and initiatives The main activities are:
• early-warning on forthcoming international RTD programmes (especially EU RTD programmes)
• strategic and broad dissemination of information
• active project generation and design · consultancy and advice for the preparation of proposals
• international partner search · management support
• continuing education activities in the area of liaison with international collaborative programmes

In addition BIT is closely cooperating with the Austrian delegates in the EU Programme Committees (including the ISTC), participates in the meetings, and communicates continuously with the EU programme officers in Brussels.

Contact Persons: Erich Prem and Georg Melzer
E-mail : ist@bit.ac.at
at Web Site: www.bit.ac.at/ist.htm

P8 NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN INFORMATICS

The National Institute for R & D in Informatics - ICI was created in 1970 qualifying for advanced researches in the IT field. International Co-Operations At international level, the National Institute for R & D in Informatics - ICI participates in 38 joint research projects within the EU Forth and Fifth Framework Programmes EC-PECO, COPERNICUS and ESPRIT Programmes, devoted to the IT field: multimedia, expert systems, genetic algorithms, virtual reality, intelligent control and process control systems, decision expert systems, computer networks. It is worth noting that export makes about 20% of the institution's turnover, here including the EC research projects and various other contracts outside the EC projects.

It Services
The National Institute for R & D in Informatics - ICI basic activity, which is an applied research activity and takes about 50% of its revenues, is supplemented by other activities:

• Analysis, design, programming and implementation of large scale information system for industry, agriculture and public administration
• Consultancy
• Drawing up feasibility and modernisation studies
• "Turnkey" systems delivery
• Training and specialisation in IT field
• Software assessment, testing and certification
• Technical assistance on implementing the software developed by ICI or by other foreign companies
• Customisation of software products.
• Software conversion (from one platform to another)
• Producing two technical journals: Studies in Computers and Informatics (an international journal) and the Romanian Journal for Informatics and Automation (in Romanian).

Contact person: Romeo Ilie
Email: romeo@u3.ici.ro
Web Site: www.ir2.ici.ro/siap

The Experimental Radioelectric Centre Guglielmo Marconi (CRESM) is a non-profit institution created in 1933. Its statute was modified by the Ministry of University and Scientific research in 1999. The Centre is located in Rome, Tor Vergata University and Engineering Faculty in Trieste, Scientific Area Park. At the moment this centre carries out a certification activity for the mobile terminals GSM (900 e 1800 MHz) and, in the future, it will also carry out a certification activity for GPRS e UMTS terminals. This activity is carried out for manufacture firms and in collaboration with them. The centre is also rigged for measuring electromagnetic fields in order to verify their compatibility with limits imposed to protect human health. The centre has been charged by the Friuli Venezia-Giulia regional administration to carry out a training activity for young graduates financed by the EU. The Centre carries out a consultancy activity in the telecommunication field for developing countries in cooperation with the International Centre for Science and High Technologies of U.N.I.D.O.

Contact Person: Gian Carlo Corazza
E-mail: centro.marconi @com.area.trieste.it
Web Site: www.com.area.trieste.it/marconi/

P10 THE EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF HIGH-TECH SMEs

François GUEREL (ICT Forum Manager)
Email: guerel@hitech-sme.com
Web Site: http://www.hitech-sme.com/

DELIVERABLES

The deliverables indicated as public deliverables in the table here-below can be requested by sending an e-mail specifying your name and address and the reason for requesting the deliverable to: Ira Vater (Partner) E-mail: info@ebanet.it