The European Commission has launched the third and final call for participation in the new Future Internet Public-Private Partnership funding round. Grants of 100 million euros are planned for around 1000 start-ups and other innovative enterprises for the development of apps and digital services in different sectors ranging from transport, health, smart manufacturing, energy and media.
The funds will be disbursed through 20 consortia including business accelerators, crowdfunding platforms. Venture capital firms, co-working spaces, regional funding bodies, SME associations and technology companies. Winning consortia will be chosen based on how they intend to maximize the economic impact of Internet ecosystem funds.
Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European Commission, underlines how "Europe needs more innovation and to focus more on the digital economy and this begins with a better ecosystem for start-ups".
This is the latest funding announcement calling for Future Internet proposals as part of a €500 million partnership launched in 2011 to help businesses and governments make the most of the mobile internet and the information revolution, stimulating innovation and jobs in the digital sector in Europe. According to the EU Commission, this program has already made it possible to develop unique European technologies and laid the foundations for new tools and services in sectors such as cloud computing, smart cities, big data and the Internet of Things. Five large-scale tests were launched in 2013 to validate the developed technologies in real-life contexts. The specific sectoral platforms developed by these tests will be made available to SMEs and web entrepreneurs for the development of services and applications.
The funding also comes under the initiative of the Commission StartUp Europeto accelerate, connect and celebrate European ecosystems for entrepreneurship, so that tech start-ups are born and stay in Europe.
Attachments: FNJvRpzJYnZnH5YrFtjXNVzppzzRyXHhDWFJGGn2vLtwWSyNWNT6!-915712745?callIdentifier
