See the Light inside

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 687961
Project Duration: 01.01.2016 - 31.12.2017

RespiceSME in a nutshell

The RespiceSME project aims to reinforce the innovative capacity of Europe’s photonics Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), clusters and national platforms by stimulating targeted collaborations in and beyond photonics. RespiceSME proposes new approaches for stronger innovative effectiveness using a 3-dimensional approach. In the first dimension, RespiceSME will evaluate and stimulate the innovation potential in order to strengthen the innovation capacity of high-tech photonics SMEs. In the second dimension, RespiceSME will enhance the global technological exploitation of photonics innovation capacity by analysing different value chains valuable for high-tech photonics SMEs.

This will allow significant leveraging of non-photonic sectors such as Environment / Energy, Transport, and Manufacturing, thereby, enabling the penetration of new markets and/or new application areas close to markets. The third dimension focuses on creating a bridge over the ‘Valley of Death’ to increase the competitiveness of the European photonics sector by developing Best Practices for enabling photonics SMEs access to European and regional Research Technology Organisations, harnessing educational and training programmes aligned with their specific needs, determining next generation regional innovative smart specialisation strategies and providing access to public and private financial supports.

impacts and benefits

  • Are easily identified and can increase their visibility.
  • Improve their innovation potential through coaching by cluster management/staff or through cooperation with RTOs or education facilities.
  • Meet other photonics experts and establish business collaborations through trade opportunities, know-how and technology transfer.
  • Establish stronger links with their innovation clusters and national platforms.
  • Cooperate with non-photonics experts from different value chains and application sectors who are interested in photonics sector and their businesses.
  • Obtain access to financial resources and research infrastructures and thereby, overcome the ‘Valley of Death’.

RespiceSME supports the promotion of optical technologies as key enabling technologies in research, development application, education and training.

RespiceSME increases the awareness of policy makers on photonics in defining general conditions and priorities to increase the efficiency of innovation in the field of photonics.

RespiceSME creates a sustainable photonics community with close co-operations between companies and research institutes in order to promote innovation.

RespiceSME helps SMEs in finding new investment opportunities, tailored to their technology portfolio and company dynamics while efficiently targeting market needs.

RespiceSME reveals, generates and exploits all tools available for bridging the ‘Valley of Death’ for new-born photonics SMEs.

RespiceSME brings SMEs closer to end-user companies through common activities of non-photonics sectors.

RespiceSME scales up and down collaboration and networking activities with emphasis in SME cases, starting from B2B while progressing to Cluster 2Cluster collaborations in national and European level.

RespiceSME increases the contribution of SMEs to the economic development of the relevant region and country, while catalysing synergies in regional level considering optimised value chains and existing smart specialisation strategies.