The European Commission has today selected 189 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 26 countries for a total of €8.7 million of funding under the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument. The funding – €50,000 per recipient – will finance feasibility studies for new products.
The SMEs can also ask for up to three days of free business coaching. Among the projects receiving funding are a technology to turn residue from the wheat milling process into biodegradable packaging, a robotic inspection and cleaning system for solar panels, a low energy technology to capture CO2 from gasses , and a cost-reducing train maintenance system for early detection of wheel defects. Since its launch on 1 January 2014, 1473 SMEs have benefited from funding for feasibility studies under the SME instrument, which is financed by the Horizon 2020 programme under the responsibility of Commissioner Carlos Moedas.
