Common support services to exploit research results.

closed

The Commission seeks to establish a framework service contract for on–demand services to the Commission in assisting beneficiaries of the following actions:— indirect actions (projects) under the 7th framework programme of the European Union for research, technological development and demonstration activities (FP7),— actions under the framework programme for research and innovation — Horizon 2020.The assistance aims at enhancing the exploitation of the results of projects (especially through the commercialisation of their outcomes), and supporting the protection of IPR. The objective of this call is to maximise the research results by helping to exploit the results, going beyond the interest of the participants of the project. For this, 4 services are designed. They will identify and address the obstacles and opportunities the projects face. These may be internal obstacles, such as diverging expectations or intentions between project partners (risk of conflict of interest), or external obstacles, such as legislative or normative influences, market evolution, the development of other technologies to solve the same problem or address the same market, lack of training, lack of acceptance by society and opportunities, such as the contribution to the design of new standards, difficulties in attracting investment, etc. These obstacles and opportunities are linked to the technology readiness level of the project, and so are the services:— TRL 3 (experimental proof of concept): analysis of exploitation risks, to scout a route towards the market, the risks and the ways to limit these risks, including patenting,— TRL 4 (technology validated in lab): brokerage and pitching event where a project presents its results to potential users and investors in order to attract follow-up support,— TRL 5 (technology validated in a relevant environment-like industry): exploitation strategy seminar, business plan development. The business plan development is also available for any project that has progressed 2 levels during the project, for instance taking the research from TRL 6 (technology demonstrated in a relevant environment like industry) to TRL 8 (system complete and qualified). These services help projects at this level to develop a strategy for exploitation and a business plan that can fill in this strategy.