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128 Cross-border
economic
development
Project factsheets
TTC “Top Technology Cluster” and GCS “Crossborder Cluster Stimulation”
GCS “Crossborder Cluster
STimulation”
The second project, GCS “Cross-border Cluster Stimulation”, is a
continuation of the work of the TTC, being also co-financed by the
INTERREG programme.
This project consists of an innovation fund, amounting
to €4.7 million, which is aimed at cross-border
innovation projects between technology sector SMEs.
Grants range from €100,000 to €250,000 per project and are likewise
not repayable, provided the beneficiaries have own funds equal to the
amount of the grant. Three calls for proposals have been issued and
22 cross-border R&D projects selected, with a total of €13.2 million
invested. Selection of the consortia has been made by a group of experts,
based on a number of criteria: sector (cutting edge technologies), the
innovative nature of the proposal, the market outlook, the international
dimension of the businesses’ activities and the proportion of self-
financing of the project. Some 80% of the projects co-financed by the
GCS innovation fund had been initiated by the TTC project. In addition,
many more ideas for innovative cooperation have been generated and
launched without European financing.
What plans for the future?
For the 2014-2020 programme period, the partners are working on
drawing up a Sustainable Innovation Programme. This programme
will focus both on making links between players from research and
business (S2B – Science to Business) and on relationships between
economic players themselves (B2B – Business to Business). The S2B
component aims to develop the transfer of technologies to businesses
through a voucher system, a fund inspired by the Sciences Offensive
project (Offensive Sciences, financed by the 2007-2013 Upper Rhine
programme) and capitalisation activities. The B2B component, for its
part, is focused solely on the pre-competitive phase, in order to comply
with the regime governing state aid. It will include the creation of an
Open Innovation Cluster similar to the TTC project, an Open Innovation
Fund similar to the GCS project, and an Open Innovation Loan.
To what extent can this good practice be
adopted in other cross-border territories?
Financial support to SMEs is a highly problematic issue for cross-
border cooperation programmes, with the extremely strict regulation
of state aid (de minimis) greatly reducing the scope for businesses
to receive European funds. The TTC and GCS projects nevertheless
make it possible to comply with the rules concerning state aid.
These two initiatives also make it possible to better coordinate
the sometimes divergent life cycles of businesses and European
programmes. Initially intended as a sole project, the partners in
the end opted for two projects in order to adapt to the timeframe
of innovative projects. The TTC gets involved at the initial research
stage, while the GCS supports the realisation and development of
new products.
For more information:
Contact:
Ralf MEYER
Business Development Support & Technology Transfer
Aachener Gesellschaft für Innovation
und Technologietransfer mbH (AGIT)
+ 49 241 963 10 39