Overview
The enhancement of R&D activities of the suppliers of the automotive sector in Romania can be achieved with the creation of an innovative, modern and functional network. This will eventually contribute to the added value of their products, to a better positioning on the international markets, to a better participation within European Research Projects and, finally, to Romania's integration into the European Research Area.
The objective of the project was to enhance research activities amongst the Romanian suppliers for the automotive industry, stimulate their international research cooperation and facilitate their participation to FP6 projects, by means of the following activities:
- the creation of a high quality innovative network of suppliers for the automotive industry;
- the creation of several research nuclei, which would approach current hot research issues in the automotive field, as defined within the 6th thematic priority;
- a series of regional workshops aimed at raising awareness about already achieved research results on European level and of the FP6 Programme in general;
- the organisation of South East European Conferences for Research and Innovation in Transport aimed at enhancing international research cooperation of the suppliers.
The target group of the project consisted of SMEs representing the automotive supplying sector in Romania.
Research activities were not developed autarchically, but by observing the already achieved results at the European level, by integrating and applying them, by finding complementarities and by strongly supporting international collaboration in research.
A special focus was put on the collaboration between suppliers in the Associate countries. The project helped to build a platform for further cooperation, exchange of experience, and common research projects between these countries, which led to the raise of their competitiveness in the automotive supplying sector, with regard to EU accession.
Funding
Results
The key project results are as follows:
- An in-depth analysis of the Romanian automotive supplying system was performed.
- The SPRINT network was officially founded on the 12th of July 2006 with 50 founding members. Until the 31st of August 2007 the number of members has already reached 80.
- The SPRINT portal was launched on the 1st of September 2006.
- 6 research nuclei have been established.
- Several regional workshops in Pitesti (9), Timisoara(2), Cluj (1), Bucharest (6).
- Visits to enterprises in Timisoara, Cluj, Bucharest.
- Partner mediation event in Sibiu and Timisoara.
- Participation in several automotive conferences in Prague, Brussels, Dresden.
- Participation in ZMesse Fair in Leipzig.
- Organizsation of the SEE Conference in Pitesti, June 2007.