The European project FITT (Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer) has developed a unique package of tools and services in order to improve technology transfer between research and economy and to support the commercialisation of Europe’s ICT research results. In the FITT Toolbox seven European transfer experts have codified their practices and condensed their experience.
Providing a collection of instruments, the FITT Toolbox offers practical help for technology transfer officers. It focuses on five core topics of technology transfer and includes an overview on each topic which is enriched by best-practices, case studies, instruments, external sources and articles:
– Opportunity Identification
– IP Management
– Human Resources Management
– Value Creation
– Networking & Clustering
The FITT Toolbox is available at fitt-for-innovation.eu.
Read more in FITT’s press release (pdf).
September the 3rd: a workshop for INTERREG IV B NWE was held in Bonn to guide the german speaking applicants through the impervious road, which bring to the development of successful projects. The MFG Baden-Württemberg was there, here a short report of the event.
For the ones who are still confused on the matter, it’s important to know that Interreg IV B NWE (North West Europe) is a financial instrument of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy. It funds projects which support transnational cooperation. The aim is to find innovative ways to make the most of territorial assets and tackle shared problems of Member States, regions and other authorities.
The Iinterreg IVB NWE priorities at a glance:
1. Developing the NWE knowledge-based economy by capitalising on our capacity for innovation
2. Substainable management of natural resources and of natural and technological risks
3. Improving connectivity in NWE by promoting intelligent and sustainable transport and ICT solutions
4. Promoting strong and prosperous communities at transnational level
Unlike its predecessor Interreg III B, the Interreg IV B is mainly focused on projects which will provide a concret outputs, developing a final product with a visible value and able to prove the long lasting impact of the project. That means that studies will not longer be financied. Besides, the transnational dimension of the project will be crucial: the greatest potential for added-value through transnational cooperation can be achieved in projects where the problems addressed is of such nature that it cannot be satisfactorily tackled within one nation state.
Here are some useful tipps emerged from the conference:
- A well defined project required at least 6 months of development
- It is always better to have a face-to-face meeting with the partners you are working with
- In writing the project avoid to use jargon
- Deserve the right attention to the budget calculation: even things like translation and travel costs shouldn’t be understimated
- Staff costs are usually calculated considering the gross-income
- Don’t over estimate the costs of contribution in kind
- Before submitting a project check if some other projects on the same topic have already be presented
- Last but not least, form matters: don’t forget to sign the project, to completely fill the form, to provide all the documents required and to send everything on the right time
At the workshop – organised by the Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (BBR) – was also presented the German Contact Point for the Interreg NWE, an istitution which should be contacted by the German applicants to get some useful tipps and recommendations but also in order to absolved at the First Level Control (FLC). For any further information:
Eva C. Lupprian
Deutsche Kontaktstelle
Interreg IVB Nordwesteuropa (NWE)Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Mittelstand und Energie
des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen
Haroldstraße 4
40213 Düsseldorf
Tel.: ++49 (0)211 837 4149
Fax: ++49 (0)211 837 4206
E-Mail: nwe-contactpoint@mwme.nrw.de
Christine Heinrich • 
3:35 pm • 
