Photonics for advanced manufacturing call for projects

Deadline: Jul 25, 2019  
CALL EXPIRED

Participating countries:

• Austria
• France
• Germany
• Israel
• Poland
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

The participating funding bodies from the above mentioned countries intend to fund joint research and development in the area of photonics. Applicants are expected to undertake research aiming at market-able products, services or technologies with high market potential in the participating countries and/or Europe. This call will be administered under the regulations of the intergovernmental EUREKA network.
This initiative continues the cooperation within the Photonics21 Mirror Group comprising research funders in the field of photonics in Europe (including associated countries) who jointly implemented a number of transnational calls under the ERA-Net / Cofund scheme of the EC research framework programmes.

Scope

Interested parties are invited to submit R&D&I project proposals addressing photonics for advanced manufacturing. Advanced (industrial) manufacturing is commonly defined as the use and/or integration of innovative technologies – here: photonics – in order to improve both products and processes. Proposals for R&D&I projects sought to be funded under this call should therefore:

1. address at least one of the technologies and one of the industries mentioned below;
2. focus on photonic technologies and their integration in specific manufacturing processes and/or products;
3. demonstrate the potential to significantly improve the related processes and/or products.

Photonic technologies to be investigated particularly include (but are not limited to):

• Laser machining, additive manufacturing, selective laser sintering, photonic curing, optical process control / process analytical technology (PAT), 3D optical sensing and imaging incl. spectral and hyperspectral imaging, millimeter wave imaging and lidar, lithography (photo-, stereo-, laser-based).

Industry sectors addressed particularly include (but are not limited to):

• Electronic and computer components, electro-mechanical engineering, transportation and automotive manufacturing including for sport competition, aviation/aerospace, material, chemical and pharma- ceutical industry, food control industries, safety and quality engineering and manufacturing technologies.
• The participating funding bodies consider that proposals resulting in total implementation costs of between EUR 0.75 and 2 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requiring higher or lower amounts.
• Consortia composed of partners from the participating countries and regions are invited to present joint proposals for R&D&I projects until 25 July 2019 according to the rules and procedures described below.

Eligibility criteria

Expected project results will have to contribute to the development of commercial products, applications and / or technology-based services. The project proposals have to comply with the following guidelines:

• The project consortia must consist of at least two independent organisations from at least two of the participating countries.

(Information on the national eligibility of participants and on applicable national funding rules can be found in section 5 of this call document and in the relevant national funding guidelines.)

• The project proposal must be in scope according to section 2 and clearly address the call topic.
• The project proposal should demonstrate an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the technological cooperation between the participants (e.g. increased knowledge base, commercial leads, access to R&D infrastructure etc.).
• The proposed project must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved.
• The project proposal must clearly demonstrate a plan to exploit, apply and/or commercialise the results of the project.
• The project proposal should demonstrate the contribution of all the partners from the participating countries on an equal base, and the project must be equally significant to them. At least, not more than 75% of the total eligible project costs shall be incurred by any single partner or by all partners from a single participating country collectively.
• The project must aim at civilian use.
• Organisations from other countries may also participate, but they will not receive funding under the terms of this call. Moreover, the necessity of the involvement of such third country participants as well as their financing must be set out clearly.
• Project duration shall be limited to a maximum of 36 months.

Any consortium whose cooperative R&D&I project is consistent with the above criteria can apply to the present announcement in accordance with the national laws, rules, regulations and procedures applicable to the individual consortium members.

Submission and approval procedures

• The consortium partners jointly have to complete the EUREKA Project Application Form
• Early consultation with the respective national funding bodies and with the respective national EUREKA offices is strongly advised (for contact details see section 5).

Please note that in some countries a registration of the participants prior to the proposal submission and/or the completion of additional national forms is mandatory.

• The completed EUREKA Project Application Form should be submitted electronically by the main participant / co-ordinator (on behalf of the consortium) before the submission deadline (25 July 2019 – date of receipt / CET) to projects@eurekanetwork.org with reference to “EUREKA photonics call 2019” in the subject line.
• Participants are obliged to ensure that they provide all mandatory forms and information in time and that their project proposal complies with the applicable national eligibility criteria (see 5. National funding details and eligibility criteria). It is strongly recommended to consult with the responsible national contacts.
• The EUREKA Project Application Form will be checked on completeness and eligibility by the national EUREKA offices and by the EUREKA secretariat according to a joint assessment methodology. In parallel, the EUREKA Project Application Form and the additional national forms (if any) will be reviewed and assessed by the National Funding Bodies (NFBs), respectively by (technical) experts acting on their behalf, according to the applicable national procedural rules.
• A selection panel consisting of representatives from the participating national funding bodies will decide on the projects to be recommended for funding. The selection will be based on the results of the assessments (EUREKA and NFBs), while taking into account the availability of funds on the part of the respective NFBs,
• Participants of the projects being recommended for funding will be invited to enter into the national funding procedures. A project can start once all of its participants have received their respective grant agreements/contracts, which will be issued nationally for each individual partner (see 5. National funding details and eligibility criteria).
• The project participants are required to sign a consortium agreement in due time.

Funding details

National funding details and eligibility criteria:

• Austria
• France
• Germany
• Israel
• Poland
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom