The Association for Competitive Technology (‘ACT’) is an international trade association for the technology industry. ACT represents nearly 3,000 software developers, systems integrators, IT consulting and training firms and e-businesses from around the world. Almost all ACT’s members are small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’) such as entrepreneurial technology companies, for whom research, innovation and protection of intellectual property rights are key to developing high-impact, technologically-advanced solutions.

ACT supports the objectives of the Seventh Framework Programme, and believes that research and innovation are key for Europe to develop a positive and competitive economic environment.

ACT welcomes the draft report proposed by Jerzy Buzek MEP, the “rapporteur”, in particular with reference to:

  • the provisions in support of SMEs and to facilitate their access to the FP7;
  • the need to adopt a consistent approach, to define an accessible and clear framework for research and to avoid the overlapping of programmes and initiatives. This point is crucial for ACT, since fragmentation leads to particularly burdensome difficulties for SMEs to interpret and concretely benefit from the programme;
  • the relevance attributed to the ICT as a policy area whose formulation, implementation and assessment should be underpinned by research.

In this context, ACT would like to submit to your attention some amendments to the current proposal, aiming at further strengthen the role of SMEs as engine of European competitiveness, particularly in the ICT sector.

ACT would be eager to support the European Institutions to implement the policy guidelines that will be set out to fulfill the objectives of the new Framework Programme.

At this purpose, ACT is working to implement some concrete measures that can facilitate the access to EU research programmes for SMEs. In particularly, ACT is working on:

  • the implementation of an integrated on-line resource to guide SMEs in their research through all the opportunities available at EU level (including research funds, state aid programs, networks);
  • the development of a usability study on research and other programmes for SMEs, which takes into account the accessibility of the resources, the impact on SMEs objectives and their suggestions for improvement.

ACT would be pleased to share its point of view with you, and remains at your disposal to further discuss and cooperate with you on this dossier.