Pan-European Clusters for Technology Transfer and new VAlue chains

The overall concept of the project consist of supporting innovation in SMEs and fostering the smart reindustrialization of Europe by enabling the emergence of new cross-border and cross-sectoral value chains resulting from the translation of advanced technologies among selected sectors with strong synergies. These new value chains will be created from the interaction of the following sectors: aerospace, agro-food sector, health and ICT.

The project will operate in the next 36 months. The development of the new value chains will be facilitated setting up geographical poles of activity in different regions across ES, PT, NL, IE and PL, comprising: Cluster/ SME intermediaries, which help create an appropriate innovation ecosystems; RTD centres which are able to assess the potential and viability of the proposed new value chains for SMEs innovative services or products. Besides, a third kind of entity, the innovation facilitators will operate at a cross-cluster level, organising funding rounds to complement with private funds EU public support and establishing networks for collaboration.

 

ACTTiVATe aims to foster cross-sectoral innovation among SMEs from four different sectors, aerospace, agro-food, health and ICT allocating 85% of the project budget to SMEs. The project will focus its effort in setting up strategies that allow clusters to lead the engagement of SMEs in activities intended to create new services and products and therefore the generation of new value chains and emerging industries across Europe. Furthermore, ACTTiVATe intends to set up strategies to achieve stable growth of cross-sectoral and cross-border innovation beyond the project.

ACTTiVAte will undertake two kinds of activities to optimise the benefits to SMEs: a) Direct funding of SMEs innovative projects. Competitive calls will be launched in the proposed technology areas. The wining projects (30) will receive an amount of up to 50.000€ each from a total of a 1,5M€ from the project budget. The selection criteria will consider both the technical feasibility and viability and the socioeconomic impact. Investment rounds will be organised to raise private funding to multiply the effect of public investment. b) Activities aimed at creating a favourable environment for the innovation in SMEs, such as brokerage events, mentoring, coaching, mobility and exchange programmes among other initiatives. The demonstration of the project at large scale will also be carried out during the project.

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