Food-N-Co

Italy
APRE

Agency for the Promotion of European Research

Website: http://www.apre.it/

APRE is a non-profit organisation based in Italy that provides information, assistance and training in order to promote Italian participation in European research, development and technological innovation.

APRE was created upon the joint initiative of the Italian Ministry of Research and the European Commission in 1989 and is supported by approximately 80 member organisations, which comprise public and private research centres, industries, industrial associations, chambers of commerce, science parks and 37 universities.

APRE’s head office is situated in Rome and can count on a network of regional helpdesks located throughout Italy. Our free of charge services include: a help line, organisation of info-days, partner search, web-based information, publications and training sessions. APRE has been active in this sector since 1990.

Activities

APRE’s activities consist of providing information, assistance and training, and in particular:

  • information on EU research programmes - through various channels such as a help line for information by telephone, an Internet site, a periodic newsletter and a series of thematic dossiers, collaboration with numerous national and regional magazines, etc.;
  • individual assistance and consultancy to potential participants on how to present research proposals;
  • organisation of workshops, info-days and seminars;
  • training courses.

During its 15 years of experience, APRE has established numerous contacts with the most prominent research organisations in Italy, and has a sound network of contacts with enterprises. APRE can help proponents to identify suitable partners and establish contact with research organisations in Italy, in order to submit transnational proposals to FP6.

Role vis à vis the Commission

APRE is National Contact Point for the IST, Nanotech, Ecotech, Citizens and governance, SMEs, INCO and Science&Society programmes within FP6. APRE provides the same assistance also concerning all the other Thematic Priorities and activities of the Framework Programme.

The role of National Contact Point is not a new activity for APRE. In the Third and Forth Programme APRE was identified as the National Focal Point for SMEs while in the Fifth Programme APRE was National Contact Point for the following programmes: Quality of Life, Information Society, Competitive and Sustainable Growth, Improving Human Potential and the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base.

International experience

APRE has acquired over 8 years of practical experience in support activities to DG Research and DG INF-SO of the European Commission, as partner in a successive series of international projects. These projects were funded under Framework Programmes 4 and 5 under the “Innovation and SMEs” programme. The majority of these projects were aimed at increasing SME participation ,in various sectors, such as life sciences, ICT, industrial technologies, fashion, etc. within the Framework Programme.

In 2001 APRE received the Quality Certification for its Project Activity Training, Promotion Activity and Information & Assistance Services regarding research programmes. APRE also has an ISO EN 9001:2000 certified quality system.

APRE has participated and won various types of projects co-financed by the European Commission (DG Research and DG Enterprise) such as the following: 15 Economic Technological Intelligence (ETI) and 2 Accompanying Measure in FP5, 7 Specific Support Action and 9 ETI in FP6 and one call for  tender.

APRE is a member of the Center Italy Innovation Relais Center (IRC) CIRCE, and member of the IRC Agro-food Thematic Group. IRC CIRCE  belongs to the Innovation Relay Centre Network (IRC) (<http://irc.cordis.lu/>) set up in 1995 to support transnational technology co-operation in Europe with a range of specialised business support services. It is the largest network of this kind in Europe with its 72 IRCs and 250 offices employing over 1.000 people; this, combined with the network’s geographic spread across 31 countries, make of IRC network the perfect partner to deal with the exploitation of the project results.

As experts of the Technology Life Cycle (Research - Development - Product - Manufacture - Sales) and of the methodologies of technology transfer, the IRC CIRCE will follow in parallel with the “Plan for using and disseminating knowledge” the evolution made in the research activities and intervene when necessary to perform the Evaluation of the Technology:

  • Technology produced:
    • Scientific and developmental aspects and potential commercial applications.
  • its Patentability: Legal requirement of innovation and any disclosures that may preclude patenting.
  • its Marketability: Whether the technology fits into the marketplace, commercial partners interest, end
    users’ interest
  • its Commercialization Potential: Whether a sound commercial plan can be developed and whether it is financially
    • viable.
  • Once the technology has been evaluated as mature for being transferred, the IRC will provide all the assistance necessary to reach this goal.

Description of staff involved in the project

Mrs. Diassina Di Maggio is a trained biologist with 18 years of experience in research. She joined APRE in 1993. At present, Mrs. Di Maggio is the Director of APRE and will be the coordinator for this project within APRE. She has been appointed as national expert for the programme “Research and Innovation” and she is member of the SME High level expert group of the European Commission.

Mrs. Di Maggio has coordinated and taken an active part in all of the above mentioned projects.  In addition, she has gained many years of experience in dealing with SMEs and related matters. Mrs. Di Maggio was formerly National Contact Point for the Quality of Life programme within FP5. She has been the Focal Point for SMEs in Italy for the entire duration of the Fourth Framework Programme.

Mrs. Anca Nicolescu is a trained economist and joined APRE in 2002. At the present she is involved in providing assistance and consultancy within the 1st “Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health” and the 5th “Food quality and safety” FP6 Priorities and also is carrying out the partner search activity. In FP5 she was involved as senior officer in the European project “Partners for Life”. In FP6 she is involved as project officer in the following European projects: “SMEsforFOOD”, “SMEsgoLifeSciences” and “QUALITYMEAT”, ensuring correct execution of the project activities and preparing all necessary reports and support documents for the project coordinators. The sustained activities are: reports writing, project’s activities and events preparation.

100% of staff involved in the project are women. Indeed, over 80% of APRE staff are women.

Publications

  • Dossier n. 1 – The Fifth Framework Programme for Research, Development and Innovation: new aspects, contents and procedures;
  • Dossier n. 2 – The model contract: comments to the main clauses;
    Dossier n. 3  – The "Marie Curie" research training fellowships: legal, fiscal and social security aspects;
  • Dossier n. 4 – Cost calculation and reporting for research projects of the European Union;
  • Dossier n. 5 – Research and technological innovation: new opportunities for SMEs;
  • Dossier n. 6 – From project idea to contract: how to take part in a Community research programme.
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