AIDA-2020 Proof of Concept fund open for proposals
by David Mazur (CERN), 19/09/2016
Please see the selected proof-of-concept projects in Proof-of-Concept.
The AIDA-2020 project has launched a call for a new Proof-of-Concept fund. The fund aims to inject 200k€ of capital into breakthrough projects emerging from the general field of detector development and testing, with a focus on industry-oriented spin-off applications outside particle physics.
A total of 200k€ we be available to fund up to four projects based on a competitive selection process taking into account quality, impact and implementation. The projects will be selected for applications beyond high-energy physics, from medtech to aerospace, and extending to any other field in which innovative detector technology can be transferred.
The Proof-of-Concept fund will help bridge the gap between the pure R&D phase and market applications by reducing the technological and commercial risks for industrial partners, including companies and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
A work package dedicated to Innovation and Outreach (WP2) coordinated by CERN’s Knowledge Transfer Group is responsible for the implementation of the fund. WP2 was set up to identify key technology areas and foster links with relevant industrial partners, and aims to bring support to AIDA-2020 through technology landscaping, help in identifying industry partners, administering the Proof-of-Concept process, as well as with intellectual property matters.
ll AIDA-2020 members (beneficiaries or associated partners) can apply for the funding, and applications can involve partners, such as AIDA-2020 collaborating institutes. Applications with industrial partners, and who can contribute to product commercialisation and spin-offs are encouraged, in particular where the industrial partner is prepared to invest with matching funds.
“This is a unique opportunity to showcase how technologies originating from detector development and testing can have a positive impact on society outside the field of high-energy physics,” says Dr. Felix Sefkow, the Scientific Coordinator for AIDA-2020 and member of DESY, the German Electron Synchrotron.
The fund’s overall goal is to positively impact European industry, by delivering innovation to the market faster. “The European Commission Project Officer in charge of AIDA-2020 identified the Innovation and Outreach work package as highly important,” adds Dr. Felix Sefkow.
The new Proof-of-Concept fund benefits from experience collected with CERN’s successful Knowledge Transfer Fund, known as the “KT Fund”, dedicated to bridging the gap between CERN and society. The KT Fund has already funded 38 projects since its creation in 2011.
The AIDA-2020 fund will adopt a similar lean submission process as CERN’s KT fund, to ensure applications can focus on quality content rather than form.
Interested participants can contact the AIDA-2020 Proof-of-Concept fund team with any questions at AIDA-2020-PoC@cern.ch.
Read more:
For more information about the Innovation and Outreach group, contact WP coordinator David Mazur (david.mazur@cern.ch).
AIDA-2020 Proof-of-Concept Fund and application portal.
Current list of AIDA-2020 members.
CERN’s Knowledge Transfer website.
CERN’s Knowledge Transfer fund.
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As a company, how can you get involved with AIDA-2020? AIDA-2020, in particular through the Proof-of-Concept Fund, represents a business opportunity for European SME’s interested in commercialising technologies originating from detector R&D and testing. Detector R&D has already contributed to the success of many companies in fields as diverse as medicine, safety, material analysis or aerospace. In the traditional technology push model, research centers participating in AIDA-2020 who want to launch a technology transfer project with industry will identify and contact partners based on market research. However, we also want to encourage market pull – companies with technology challenges that are most readily addressed in collaboration with research centers are invited to contact the AIDA-2020 PoC Team (via AIDA-2020-PoC@cern.ch) to identify appropriate research teams for collaboration. Matching funds from industry may enhance the competitiveness of a particular proposal, and SME’s and start-ups stand to benefit by sharing both risks and research costs, the latter of which may be partially or fully covered by the PoC fund. |