ERA-IB: Towards an ERA in Industrial Biotechnology

In the ERANET Industrial Biotechnology (ERA-IB) 18 partners from 13 different countries are working together to streamline Industrial Biology research in Europe and to reduce the fragmentation in the national research funding.

Industrial Biotechnology (IB) is the application of biotechnology for the environmentally-friendly production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, materials and bioenergy. Research in the area of Industrial Biotechnology is still in its infancy. More in-depth research, both fundamental and applied, is needed to utilise all possibilities. Many countries are currently formulating their national strategy and are on the verge of implementing their activities. So this is the right moment for effective cooperation and coordination within Europe. Research funding and programme management organisations from 13 different countries have therefore decided to set up the ERA-NET Industrial Biology. The partners aim to reduce the fragmentation in the national research and to achieve sufficient critical mass and better use of scarce resources in the area of Industrial Biotechnology.

To realise these objectives, the partners are focusing on the following four steps:

• Systematic exchange of information and best practices resulting in a status quo of IB research in Europe;
• Development of joint strategies for IB research;
• Cooperation between national and regional research programmes; 
• Development of new transnational research programmes in the area of Industrial Biotechnology.

ACTS, NWO's platform for Advanced Chemical Technologies for Sustainability, is coordinating this European network. The other partners are organisations and government bodies from Belgium, Croatia. Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom.

When can be applied

• Deadline for submission of preliminary proposals is 31 March 2010
• Deadline for submitting full proposals is 30 June 2010 (by invitation only)

Extra Information

The 1st call led to the submission of 32 preproposals. Of these, 19 applicants were invited to write a full proposal. In the end 8 proposals were granted.The kick-off meeting was held in Helsinki, Finland. Each consortium presented its project.

A 2nd ERA-IB joint call was launched in December 2009. Research councils of the following countries cooperate: Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Netherlands and Spain.

Criteria

Information about the 2nd ERA-IB joint call and about the application and evaluation periods is available on the ERA-IB website.

Financiers

• Programme management: European Commission, FP6
• Funding of research projects: participating national research organisations

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