The proposed EXPRESS CA responds to ICT-2013.3.3-b (iv) 'Supporting the development of an ecosystem for smart systems integration in Europe'. In this context, ecosystem is defined as a sustaining environment to promote economic growth, skills growth, and growth in industrial capability and global competitiveness, fuelled by the extension of knowledge, the ambitions of innovators and the business and societal needs of the community at large. The ultimate aim is to accelerate the adoption and thereby bring forward the rewards of Smart Systems Integration.Partial eco-systems exist in the form of national and regional groupings of business and public research actors, special interest groups, knowledge transfer networks, research collaborations, and the tiered supply chains of major industrial players. These groupings, although many of their members have relevant resources, are not yet marshalled to push EU capabilities in what is becoming a dominant and global industrial arena in the run-up to 2020.EXPRESS willi. identify the existing strands of capability in groupings and value chain players from research to the marketplace,ii. examine the gaps to be bridged andiii. create strategies and tools to complete the eco-cycles of skills>research>investment>innovation>exploitation>re-investment that are vital if the economic opportunities and societal benefits of Smart Systems Integration are to be realised.EXPRESS will also ally itself to other programmes aligned with ICT-2013.3.3-b and apply the experience of the extensive EPoSS membership, which has been translated into actions such as the Erasmus Mundus on Smart Systems Integration. This experience and capability will be deployed in tandem with the outputs of the CSA IRISS, which include a description of the activities and scope of players along the value chain; a Strategic Research Agenda; evidence of global capabilities; and an understanding of the valuable contributions to be made by SMEs.