Finding Partners
The ethos of the EU Research and Development programmes is collaboration. The European Commission will generally only fund projects which are proposed by a consortium of partners from different European countries, and with complimentary expertise.
Finding good partners is essential. Each partner should add value to the project in a clearly defined way. There is particular emphasis from the EC on the commercialisation of the results of a project rather research being undertaken for the sake of research. Consortiums which include commercial partners who can take a resulting product or service to market, or partners who will create demand for a commercial product, such as municipal authorities, have a stronger proposition than those which include only academic institutions, for example.
The EC runs a Partner Search service which you can access via the
Cordis Home Page.The Price Partnership can help you work out the type of partners you ideally seek. This may be the first time you have considered carrying out research and development collaboratively. If you choose the right partners there is much to be gained. Find a complimentary partner in a EC country in which your organisation would like to expand, for example, and you will gain a sound understanding of how the market works in that country. We can help you find suitable partners, and develop your proposal with them. Contact
Simon.Price@PricePartnership.com tel +44 (UK) 1564 742681, fax +44 1564 742887.