What is the ECARE+ project? The European Communities Aeronautics REsearch+ project is a Specific Support Action funded under the Aeronautics & Space priority of FP6. It follows up on the ECARE project (2003-2005) and its goal is to capitalize on the first project to deliver better service to European aeronautical SMEs. The project started on February 1st, 2006 and will last 30 months. More information on the ECARE+ project What are ECARE+ main objectives? ECARE+ is a bottom-up initiative emanating from SMEs themselves with a twofold objective: Better involve research-intensive aeronautical SMEs into EC funded research during the Seventh Framework Programme. Further establish the ECARE Group of local clusters as the voice of the European aeronautical SMEs. What is the ECARE Group? ECARE+ is based on a dynamic pan-European network of regional and national Aeronautics clusters: the ECARE Group. Members of this ECARE Group work together to facilitate the participation of SMEs in the Aeronautics large collaborative projects of FP7. The ECARE group counts 30 regional clusters and comprises the European Federation of high-tech SMEs (coordinator of the ECARE+ project) and the ANRT(expert of the Framework Programme) who both initiated the ECARE project. More information on the ECARE Group Who can benefit from ECARE+? What are the benefits? ECARE+ benefits different European stakeholders: aeronautical SMEs, large companies and aeronautical local clusters in Europe. Benefits for SMEs ECARE+ has been initiated by SMEs themselves and develops a non-biased approach. The working methodology of ECARE+ helps SMEs presenting their competences to project coordinators in a structured and attractive way. The ECARE+ database allows SMEs to identify partners in other regions or countries. Benefits for large companies Thanks to fieldwork in the regions ECARE+ is able to bring to large collaborative project coordinator a cross regional pre-consortium of SMEs on a given topic. ECARE+ brings to the open companies and competences not yet identified, what is called the European “untapped potential”. ECARE works in close cooperation with other support measures, most importantly SCRATCH and AeroSME. Benefits for clusters The ECARE Group offers the opportunity of regular contacts between various clusters in Europe. Cluster of ECARE+ are given the possibility of expressing common statements in order to better serve their companies. ECARE+ also aims at the development of dialogue between clusters and the European aeronautical Regions. What is the ECARE database? The ECARE database is constituted of selected and targeted aeronautical SMEs in Europe. Access is restricted to the ECARE Group and registered SMEs. SME uploaded follow a Quality Control Procedure in order to make sure that they present the level of quality needed by the large collaborative project leader or potential SME partners. A partner search function allows SME and clusters to identify partners in other regions or countries within the database. At the end of the project the database will be constituted of 350 SMEs. Link to the ECARE database (link to Database in private section) How is ECARE+ working? ECARE+ follows a method adapted from the ECARE project and its best practices: Training - The ECARE Group Regional Contact Points are trained on FP7 opportunities and peculiarities of the new instruments. Multiplying - Regional Sessions are organized by the Regional Contact Points in the different ECARE regions, in order to relay information from the training to SMEs. Networking - After each regional session SMEs can declare their interest in the project activities by declaring their competences together with the Regional Contact Point. Assessing - SMEs profiles are assessed thanks to a Quality Control Procedure and uploaded in the ECARE database. The ECARE database is updated with given large collaborative project. Liaising - ECARE+ pre-consortia of SMEs are forwarded to project co-ordinators through AeroSme More information on the ECARE methodology What is the added value of being member of the ECARE Group? Beyond specific support actions for SMEs, ECARE+ offers strong networking opportunities within the ECARE Group. Access to the ECARE+ database is restricted to members of the ECARE Group and allows the identification of potential partners in other European countries. The ECARE Group has been recognized by IMG4 as a legitimate and important interlocutor at the final conference at Paris air show 2005. This recognition will allow ECARE+ to strengthen contact with the research and procurement departments of European large aeronautical companies. What are the results of the ECARE project? Figures made available by the EC for FP6 show that between Call1 (ECARE not yet involved) and Call2&3 (ECARE involved), the SME share of funding in IPs grew from 5% to 9 %. From an initial outside position, ECARE became a legitimate SME interlocutor for IMG4. European aeronautics being a very well structured industry, ECARE therefore appears as a first step to at structuring SME technological offer at European level. For more information I am interested in joining the ECARE Group who should I contact? I am an SME First contact your regional cluster or national cluster. If the latter is not yet member of the ECARE Group you can directly contact the coordination of the ECARE+ project. Link to the ECARE Group Link to the ECARE+ coordination I am a regional or national aeronautical SME organisation Please contact the coordination of the ECARE+ project. Link to the ECARE+ coordination I am a large company Please contact the coordination of the ECARE+ project. Link to the ECARE+ coordination