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Transcription sponsored by RenaissanceRe

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Small and medium-sized enterprises play a crucial role in European competitiveness and job creation

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due to the potential to develop new products and services across all business activities.

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The overwhelming majority of firms in the European Union are SMEs.

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They currently generate 63% of gross domestic product.

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In the same manner as large firms, a growing number of SMEs are faced with increasing competition

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within the internal market and globally.

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Currently many SMEs need to outsource their research activities in order to innovate, grow and solve technological problems.

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The European Union supports transnational SME research activity under two SME-specific funding schemes.

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Cooperative research projects, which support small groups of SMEs to solve a common technological problem

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and collective research projects, which targets large groups of SMEs in specific sectors via their trade associations.

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We now present four examples of SME research projects from the 5th and 6th Framework Programmes,

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where SMEs have successfully cooperated with universities or research organisations

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to expand their business operations and their knowledge base in fields of endeavour such as

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the environment, medicine, agriculture, food and engineering.