BRIDGES project seeks to discover the regional potential for research-to-business collaboration in regions and between regions. The process is reinforced by the results of Interregional Working Group 2 and GP theme 2 contributions. Following this approach the regional potential related to the EUREKA and Eurostars programmes was investigated and as a result the creation of interregional innovation partnerships was proposed to apply to the above mentioned initiatives. Lubelskie took the opportunity and got involved in this initiative.
On 12 December 2017 the meeting was organised with the companies from Lubelskie Region who applied to the Regional Operational Programme and proved to have an innovative approach to their business activities. There were presented programmes and tools dedicated to the support for international cooperation in research and innovation (Horizon 2020 Programme). The representative of the National Centre for Research and Development encouraged invited companies and research institutes to get involved in Eurostars -2 project cooperation – one of the key programmes EUREKA network. The participating entrepreneurs were also surveyed in terms of their innovation needs specifying research themes they want to address in international cooperation. After the meeting five companies expressed their interest in participating in the Eurostars -2 programme and realising research topics in international partnerships: SIM engineers company (telecommunications and IT), EkoGarden (green areas management), Mining tools factory (products for mining industry), ACCREA Engineering (designing & prototyping of robotic and control systems in medicine) and PZ Cormay S.A (high quality diagnostic reagents and advanced laboratory equipment). Moreover, the process of managing the results of scientific research and development works was also presented , in particular in the field of commercialisation.
In the follow-up meeting with the companies, Spomlek – a dairy company expressed the interest in the Eureka programme. Recently, in the end of February 2018 the call for applications for projects implemented under the EUREKA Initiative was opened in Poland.
