Star-Net Transport - European Network to Support the Sustainable Surface Transport SMEs |
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The strategic objective of the Star-Net transport is to increase the participation of surface transport-related SMEs in the surface transport programe. The aim of the Star-Net transport project is to be the first step towards the formation and development of a consolidated structure for support of SMEs in Europe for participation in sustainable Surface Transport activities, building on the knowledge, tools and services developed within some of the most relevant FP6-SUSTDEV support actions over the recent years (SURFACE NET, TranSMEs, AUTOIN, EURO-TRANS and HUN-POL-TRANS) and in future FP7-SSTSSAs projects. The Star-net Transport project will directly contribute for “Strengthening Competitiveness” of Transport SMEs in the European Union. It aims the improvement of the competitiveness of transport industry, ensuring sustainable, efficient and affordable transport services and creating new skills and job opportunities by research and developments. Emphasis will be placed on innovative and improved product and system concepts and improve transport services higher customer satisfaction. The involvement of Transport SMEs in the European Transport supply chains will be also pursued. Bring innovation to the Transport SMEs in Europe is vital to assure their future and competitiveness. Nicholas Negroponte, in its best-seller about the new digital world “Being Digital”, refers to the innovation process as being “like driving on the autobahn at 160 km/h. Just as I realise the speed I am going, zzzzooom, a Mercedes-Benz quickly passes me by, and another, and another...” Innovation is by no means a static process, in particular in dynamic fields as Transport Technologies, and companies which want to stay innovative will request new and improved actions and measures from those organisations who are willing to support them, in the certitude that, as Lewis Platt, former CEO at Hewlett-Packard once put it “whatever made your success in the past will not work again in the future”. To look for new, improved and frequent ways to innovate, European organisations will more and more be looking for dedicated and reliable partners in innovation. As innovation will no longer be an occasional process within companies, but a permanent and continuous activity, as “natural” and daily as marketing or quality control are today, innovative companies will increasingly look for partners than can assist them and support then throughout the whole process and at every stage and on whom they can trust completely. The STAR-NET Transport project will prepare organisations in to assume this “innovation solutionsprovider” role within the SST field that the market is increasingly demanding. During the duration of the project, the Regional Nodes will have to permanently enlarge their knowledge and expertise basis with new methodologies, experiences and practices that are either being developed by their fellow members of the network or elsewhere around the world and that will be brought to them by means of the STAR-NET Central Unit, contributing to enrich their own offer of integrated innovation services. |
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Added value for SMEs The Star-Net consortium ensures wide geographical coverage (Portugal, Spain, France, Poland, England, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Baltic States, Hungary and Germany) and the Advisory Council Group members which have an European level. Through the consortium’s partners extensive experience in providing services related to innovation and technology transfer matters, and the strong relationship and contacts they have with industry, relevant research institutes, incubators and industrial associations, this project will contribute to the innovation competitiveness of European organisations and in particular SMEs once it will: • Raise the knowledge in ongoing research activities in European SMEs and research teams, in the Sustainable Surface Transport domain and in particular in New Member States and Associated Countries, through the provision of services to a large number of organisations in those countries. • Promote the establishment of strong technological RTD links. Provide SMEs with opportunities to participate in 7FP SST projects, facilitating access of SMEs to EU funding for the development of new technologies. • Connect companies with similar/complementary needs. Extend geographical coverage of technological alliances. • Promote a more solid technological foundation in the SST area through European SMEs and research groups. The European dimension of the project will also be reinforced by the links sought with other EC initiatives and projects. In addition, especially for the dissemination activities, the project consortium will also establish links with international initiatives as the European Network of Innovation Relay Centres, the network of National Contact Points and Business Innovation Centres. |
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Download the project description in PDF. |
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More information: www.starnet-transport.eu |
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