MARIE CURIE INDUSTRY-ACADEMIA PARTNERSHIPS AND PATHWAYS (IAPP)

Description:                                                                      Max. budget: EUR 81 Million

This action seeks to enhance industry-academia cooperation in terms of research training, career development and knowledge sharing, in particular with SMEs, and including traditional manufacturing industries. It is based on longer term cooperation programmes with a high potential for increasing mutual understanding of the different cultural settings and skill requirements of both the industrial and academic sectors. The IAPP action supports the 'Innovation Union' flagship initiative by strengthening research and business performance and by promoting innovation and knowledge transfer throughout the EU. Stronger cooperation between universities and business via staff exchange will encourage entrepreneurship and help to turn creative ideas into innovative products and processes that can efficiently address European and global societal challenges.

The action will be implemented through targeted and flexible support for human resources interactions within cooperation programmes between at least two organisations, one from each sector and from at least two different Member States or associated countries.

Eligibility:

Participants under this action are one or more research organisations, universities, research centres and one or more commercial enterprises, in particular SMEs, that propose a research project based on a joint cooperation programme. Within this action, the commercial partners shall be research-performing companies gaining the majority of their revenue through competitive means with exposure to commercial markets, and will include incubators, start-ups and spin-offs, venture capital companies, etc. There shall be at least one participant from each of the two sectors and from at least two different Member States or associated countries. Above this minimum, the participation of other third countries and of international organisations is possible under the conditions provided by the FP7 Rules for Participation. The participants recruit and/or host eligible researchers and contribute directly to the implementation of longer-term cooperation programmes established between them in line with the objectives of this action.

Deadline: 16 January 2013

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