Our presence at the Eureka Global Innovation Summit 2019
May has been a rather busy month for our team, always on the move to promote and publicise our activities to the largest audience. This time, we embarked on a 3 day trip to Manchester to take part to the Eureka Global Innovation Summit 2019, the international meeting place for businesses and innovation agencies that took place between last 14 -16 May 2019. The event marked the return of the UK to the chairmanship of this important network after 22 years and the turnout couldn't have been more impressive: over 2000 delegates from 65 countries, with Belgium, Canada and South Korea sharing the centre stage, as each of these delegations organised receptions, networking events and specific workshops. South Korea, in particular, to celebrate the deeper involvement within the network, enjoyed a separate venue with a bespoke set of showcases and talks.
The 3 days of talks and workshops on international collaboration in innovation have been inaugurated by Science Minister, Chris Skidmore, whose speech not only set the but also highlighted some very interesting points on the direction the Government wants to take in terms of future policies, among which the commitment to invest 2.4% of the GDP in research and development by 2027, and the intent to maintain the UK within the next Horizon Europe programme despite of Brexit, clearly raised much interest and the approval of the delegates.
Overall, the event proved to be an unique opportunity for our company, as we had the chance to promote our business and activities to such a vast and international audience, as our delegate, Matteo Radice said: "The Summit gave me the great chance to sit at the table with some of the most influential figures in the global innovation landscape to discuss the future of international partnership and not only that! it was great to meet businesses and policy makers from as close by as Caerphilly and from as far as South Africa! Most of all, thanks to our success stories -and especially our BreathSpec project- RedKnight is slowly getting international recognition. It is indeed a nice feeling!"
EU support to SMEs ready for change
After helping thousands of SMEs across Europe access funding to fuel their innovation, the SME Instrument is soon to change radically.
On the 18 March 2019, the European Commission revolutionised the traditional framework to support innovation in SMEs, by signing off the updated version of the Enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot for the period 2019-2020 of Horizon 20202 programme. With an allocated budget of 2 billion euros, this important update to the framework programme, will prepare the ground for the upcoming Horizon Europe 2021-2027 programme.
Besides including other calls and actions – such as Fast Track to Innovation and the Horizon Prizes – the Enhanced EIC Pilot sanctioned:
- The end of the Phase 1 SME instrument, with a final deadline for applications issued to be 5 September 2019;
- The replacement of the current Phase 2 SME Instrument with the new EIC Accelerator Pilot, starting from October 9th, 2019. From this deadline the programme will cease to provide only grant support, to move to a mixed model in which grants-only and blended finance(combining grant and equity) opportunities will be equally provided.
- Starting from the 9 October 2019 single beneficiary only (a single company, not a consortium) can apply for Phase 2/EIC Accelerator.
The SME Instrument was launched in 2014 and since then, it has become a very popular and competitive instrument that has firmly established itself on the European SME and startup scene. By the end of 2018, the instrument has invested in more than 3,200 ambitious SMEs in the amount of 1.3 billion euros and created a network of 750 business coaches to advise the beneficiaries.
If you are looking for funds and you are a SME, there is still enough time for you to apply the SME Instrument programme! Don’t miss the chance to win €50,000 up to €250,000 worth of funding to support your innovation. Contact us at [email protected] to find out how.
Innovate UK ready to fund Smart energy
Starting from 7 May 2019, UK business will have a chance to compete for a share of up to £30 million to develop designs for smart local energy systems that make the best use of innovative technologies including cheaper renewables, energy storage, low carbon heat and digital infrastructure.
The aim of the competition is to create a pipeline of highly innovative, ambitious, local energy system designs that are investable and ready to roll out across the UK in the 2020s.
Projects will create new market and business models using smart energy systems that enable deployment at scale of the latest in energy technologies across heat, power and transport, in a way that is reproducible across the UK.
Projects are expected to:
- develop novel market and business approaches for smart energy systems
- integrate new energy technologies across heat, power and transport in replicable and scalable ways across the UK
- investigate and design approaches that will significantly lower energy system costs and emissions
- create economic benefits for the local area and the UK as a whole
- develop finance and investment models for the deployment of low carbon technologies at scale
To know more, visit Innovate UK or contact us on [email protected]
Source: Innovate UK
Top Commissioner pledges for UK amid COST funding chaos
Whilst Brexit has been delayed until October 2019, uncertainties about the future of UK research in Europe still loom long and large over academics and grant holders in general; and this has come not without some daunting episodes, the most recent of those coming from the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Association.
As a matter of fact, the Brussels-based association issued last April that U.K. grant holders would have shifted financial administration to a partner in Europe by 1 May. This has been an extraordinary decision that does not follow the political direction taken by other EU funding schemes, such as Horizon 2020, and it is worth reminding that COST is not strictly part of the EU (indeed it is an intergovernmental organisation, although its funding for grants comes from Horizon 2020); yet, the decision has cast a dire shadow over UK researchers.
The action caused inevitably commotion amongst the 20 networks administered by UK researchers, who wasted no time in showing their disapproval, but mot importantly it raises a strong concern about the future opportunities for a post-Brexit UK to access EU funding, and contributes in further stirring an already confused scenario. However, latest declarations from EU research commissioner Carlos Moedas, might help easing the tensions and cast a relieving light.
As a matter of fact, ahead of the major vote that approved the deal on the next Horizon Europe programme, commissioner Moedas thus commented: “I cannot see the European programme, to be frank, in the future – whatever happens to the UK – without the UK,” said Moedas. “I will fight for having the UK on board” he said, “I hope that the UK also fights for that.” Also Moedas did not show fear for the lack of clarity with regards to Brexit in Horizon Europe’s upcoming agenda. “It’s probably something that will become clear in the next couple of months,” he said. “I don’t foresee any major problems on those discussions on the international associations, to be frank.”
Horizon Europe’s association rules are indeed yet to be discussed as part of negotiations on the EU’s overall long-term budget, which was originally supposed to be finalised in time for the next EU summit in Sibiu, Romania on 9 May. We all look forward to seeing some major step forward in defining the role of a post-Brexit UK in EU funding.
Source: ScienceBusiness & Science Mag
Moving on...
This month we would like to share with our readers a touching moment in our company's history. A key member of our team, Dr. Diana Branzea, has decided to move on to pastures new and departed the company at the end of March. We wanted to offer our colleague and friend an unforgettable farewell party to thank her for all her hard work whilst she was part of the team. To do so, the team visited the Escape Rooms Cardiff to take on Oculus, a thrilling murder-themed experience in the heart of the city. We are pleased to say the team made it out alive, with 4 minutes to spare on the clock!
We hope Diana enjoyed her day as much as we did and even though she is no longer part of the team, she will always remain a beloved friend and we wish her all the best with her future endeavours.
£1.25m available to improve efficiency in UK housing
Housing in the UK is among the least energy efficient in Western Europe. Although houses in England are recommended to be at least 18˚C at all times, many households do not meet this standard, leaving the inhabitants at risk of ill health.
To overcome this issue, on April 1st 2019, Innovate UK launched a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition in which all UK based businesses can compete for up to £1.25m to develop non-intrusive ways to monitor a household’s environmental condition. Successful projects will work with Leeds City Council and the City of York Council, so it critical that applicants take into consideration the different types of homes in Leeds and York, including high rise tower blocks which include a variety of tenants.
Overall, the competition will consist of 2 stages:
- Around 5 research and development contracts are expected to be awarded, with projects lasting up to 3 months. A total of £250,000 including VAT has been allocated to this phase.
- Amongst the successful applicants from phase 1, two will be awarded R&D contracts of up to £500,000 including VAT, to develop a prototype and begin field testing that can last up to 12 months.
All applicants must take in due account the following conditions for eligibility:
- Provide reporting and predictive modelling
- Improve the health and well-being of council tenants
- Enable tenants to make environmental and lifestyle changes to improve the condition of their home
If you think your business is up to the challenge, but you need further support, please do not hesitate to call our experts, or visit our website redknightconsultancy.co.uk
Source: InnovateUK
BreathSpec project gets the spotlight in Manchester
March 1st 2019 will represent a memorable date in our BreathSpec project timeline, as the project was invited at the Breathomiocs2019 event, that took place at the Pendulum Hotel in Manchester.
The event, organised by the Breathomics research Group of the University of Manchester and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Analytical Division, gathered interdisciplinary and transnational engineers, chemists and physics from as far as Canada, to present and discuss over novel methodologies in the analysis of chemical compounds from exhaled breath as a rapid and non-invasive technique towards disease detection and pollutant monitoring.
During the one-day event, important sampling, analytical, and data processing strategies to enhance the capability of breath analysis in the clinical and commercial environments have been showcased. Among these, our BreathSpec project received a lot of attention, as many approached our booth to ask more information about the functionalities of the device and the role of the European funding within the project.
The BreathSpec Booth at the Breathomics2019.
The response was enthusiastic and many were surprised by the efforts the project is making in completing the clinical study, which is currently undergoing. As the project coordinator, Dr. Emma Brodrick (Imspex Diagnostics) stated, "It is unbelievable how much attention the project got during the event! Of course, we [the BreathSpec Consortium] decided to attend the Breathomics expecting some interest in what we are doing across the UK, but the interest around the results of the patient recruitment and the specificity of the machine was beyond any expectation!".
If you wish to know more about this EU funded project - under the H2020 Fast Track to Innovation Programme - visit BreathSpec.com and follow the project on Twitter (@BreathSpec)
RedKnight teaches Communication and Dissemination in Brussles
Another month, another successful Masterclass delivered by our team of experts!
This time, RedKnight went right into the heart of Europe to deliver a 2-day session in Brussels on the important of Impact in EC Funded Research & Innovation projects. The course, which took place between 18th and 19th February 2019, was a new seminar organised by our trusted associates at the European Academy, with the aim of teaching the importance of Communication Dissemination and Exploitation activities within European funded projects.
For this occasion, we sent our Project Manager, Matteo Radice, who was thrilled to share his experience - gathered managing the BreathSpec project - with the attendees. Upon his return to RedKnight HQ, Matteo said, "It was an amazing experience and I really enjoyed it. The class was very receptive and engaging and there were some very interesting discussions going on throughout both days. Also, having a representative from the European Commission provided incredible added value. I believe Communication and Dissemination activities deserve much more recognition amongst all research and innovation projects, as they are of utmost importance in letting European taxpayers know how the EC is investing in innovative ideas for the future." Talking more in depth about the course, Matteo went on saying, "The course is designed to give participants a thorough overview of what the EC is expecting from project participants and how to best deliver it; from the legal boundaries, to the most effective storytelling techniques and how to better engage with social media. It's packed of information and the participants loved it!"
For any news about this course and all the other RedKnight masterclasses, visit our website www.redknightconsultancy.co.uk.
2822 SMEs applied for funding under the SME Instrument phase 1
According to the latest report from the European Commission, 2822 proposals for the SME Instrument Phase 1 have been submitted before the latest cut-off date on 13 February 2019, to compete for a chance to win a lump sum funding of €50,000 to carry out a concept and feasibility study.
Overall, SMEs from 39 countries submitted proposals, with Spanish applicants sitting at the top of the charts with the biggest number of proposals for this batch (428), followed closely by Italian (384) and Swedish applicants (160).
The most popular areas of activity for applicants were ICT, health and engineering. Since 2018, the SME Instrument is part of the European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot. A novelty under the EIC pilot is that applications are fully bottom-up. Therefore as there are no longer set topics, proposals are classified according to keywords introduced by applicants. The top keywords introduced were, ICT, health and engineering and technology.
Stay tuned – results will come out in late March 2019.
Source: EASME
We at RedKnight wish to thank all the participants who entrusted us with their proposals and we wish all our clients the best of luck!! The next round of calls for this competitions will start from 7 May 2019. If you are interested in competing for the SME Instrument (Phase 1 or Phase 2), but you are not sure where to begin, contact RedKnight for a free consultancy.
A "flexible" Horizon Europe amid UK and Switzerland fear for exclusion
According to the European Commission research chief Jean-Eric Paquet, Horizon Europe will offer more "flexibility" to foreign countries that wish to join the new EU’s biggest ever R&D programme, which will run for seven years from 2021. The idea, said Jan -Eric Paquet, is to offer association membership that would allow former Third countries to participate in EU research under the same conditions as member states. This is indeed a proposal that already has stirred some interest from important partners (such as Canada) and it is expected to induce more foreign partners - at least between 20/30 - to seek association. However, although this is looks like a very promising development to the "open door" policy issued by the European Commission, internal disagreement and, a legal framework that still makes any EU programme too bureaucracy-intensive and, therefore, less appealing to major countries such as the US. On top of that, the most ambitious R&D programme ever, might risk losing two of the most influential countries.
As a matter of fact, Horizon Europe includes in its preliminary legal text a category of countries that may be barred from programmes designed to encourage innovation. The proposal still needs to be approved by member states yet, if the text is not amended, the whole programme is indeed destined to kick-off in 2021 amid serious uncertainties around the status both the UK and Switzerland will hold in the programme.
Swiss fears
With regards to the Alpine country, Swiss researchers have already experienced the effect of an exclusion from EU R&D funding when, in 2014, Switzerland was temporary relegated to third country status, with no access at all to important opportunities, such as the SME Instrument. The decision, due to an issue of migration quotas, caused the country to fall rapidly from a 3.9% to just 0.3% of all project coordination between 2014 -2016.
When it comes to the new programme, instead, Switzerland has been classified in category 4 of non-EU states. Strictly speaking, this new classification should not affect funding of Swiss research projects however, the heads of Switzerland’s two Federal Institutes of Technology, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) and and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) have recently voiced their concerns that funding restrictions could apply anyway, unless a political settlement between Swiss and EU politicians is reached.
UK Research between a "no deal" and pledges to "fully associate"
If talks between Swiss and the EU politicians have been going on since 2014 to reach a political agreement that might safeguard the “cake-and-eat-it” model granted to Switzerland, Britain’s research institutions have been trying to fill the recently increased political gap by engaging in alliances and agreements with other European counterparts. the idea behind this diplomatic effort is that “If the UK is left out of any part of Horizon Europe, it makes the programme less appealing [and] it lowers the level of competition, and probably lowers the value of the grant.” (Jessica Cole, head of policy at the Russell Group). For as bold as this statement can appear, it cannot be denied that in the much feared event of a no-deal Brexit, the new Horizon Europe will lose a net contributor that currently weights for the 14.3% of the total funding awarded by H2020 to date (€5.1bn) and counts the highest number of successful projects. These are all things that are very well taken into consideration in Europe as well and, although “A lot of people are thinking that ERC grants would become easier to win without the involvement of Cambridge and Oxford, [...] we need to defend the continent against the big money being spent on research in the US, Japan and China. We need our strongest team, so we should find a way to keep UK in the game.” (Olivier Küttel, EPFL head of European public affairs).