SMARD – European Support Framework on Networked Media R&D for SMEs
SMARD is an EU funded project that aims at supporting SMEs in the creative industries to better translate their research and development (R&D) activities, particularly in the field of networked media, into innovative products and services.
SMARD pursues three main activities. In a first step it conducts a Europe-wide survey analysing the R&D needs of SMEs in the creative industries. The results of this survey allow decision makers to better assess the responsiveness of current FP7 initiatives and projects to those needs. Secondly the project develops guidelines and identifies hands-on experiences for promoting the transfer of R&D activities into innovative and commercial products and services. Finally SMARD develops recommendations towards a future European Support Framework for fostering the R&D activities of SMEs.
The SMARD Consortium is led by MFG Baden-Württemberg and comprises European partners from Salzburg (Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH), Flanders (Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband Technology – IBBT) and Piemonte (CSP Innovazione nelle ICT). The project started in September 2011 and will end in February 2013.
