Introduction

The intention of this section “How to Form an MTP Initiaitve” is to explain the new "fast track"  method to prepare an IMS MTP project proposal. It includes helpful information for preparing your two-page project proposal, the eligibility and approval criteria, and contact information should you need additional assistance. You may also download proposal and agreement templates.

WHAT IS IMS?

IMS is an industry-led, international research and development (R&D) program established in 1995 to help develop next generation of manufacturing/process technologies. With more than 1,000 research stakeholders in IMS consortia, IMS is a proven scheme.

Companies and research institutions from the European Union and Norway, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America participate in it. IMS Regional Secretariats  support and advise IMS participants in the respective IMS member countries. If you are interested in IMS, you should contact your local IMS Regional Secretariat in your area.

Regional Secretariats typically can help:

  • inform you about IMS, its objectives and operations;
  • inform you about any ongoing projects;
  • assist in identification of sources of R&D funding;
  • assist in MTP research preparation;
  • look for potential partners, both in your region and internationally; and
  • register you on a list of potential IMS participants.

You can request support from your IMS Regional Secretariat for contacting potential partners , particularly in regions other than your own through the IMS global network.

COLLABORATION AS WIN-WIN
In many cases it can be more advantageous to collaborate than to “go it alone”. Some research and development activities are of such a scale that no single country can provide the necessary resources and expertise. Collaborative R&D projects can help achieve the required “critical mass”, while lowering commercial risk for participants and generating a leverage effect on private investment. International IMS consortia bring together resources and expertise from many countries and various research actors. Typical shared-cost projects have budgets of around 2-4 million USD and involve on average 10 participants from 6 countries [figures need to be x-checked with IMS statistics]. They bring together universities, public research centres, SMEs and large enterprises.

Participation in collaborative research offers access to a wider network of knowledge. This enables participants to increase their know-how by being exposed to different methods, and to develop new or improved tools. Being part of an international consortium of highly qualified researchers triggers spill-over effects that are more important than the monetary investment. The experience from the European framework programs shows that while all participating countries enjoy knowledge multiplier effects, the size of these effects is related to the country’s total number of participations in the program.

LEVERAGING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT
Another feature of collaborative research is that public R&D funding carried out by enterprises leads to what is called a “crowding-in” effect on investment. In other words, it stimulates firms to invest more of their own money in R&D than they would otherwise have done. A recent study conducted in Europe  estimates that a € 1 increase in public R&D investment induces € 0.93 of additional private sector investment. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the attractiveness of collaborative research induces firms to invest more of their own funds than they would under national funding programs.

International R&D projects enable participants to access a much wider pool of firms in their own industry than would be possible at purely national level. This mechanism offers clear advantages to enterprises compared with national level schemes. It broadens the scope of research, and allows for a division of work according to each participant’s field of specialisation.

It also considerably reduces the commercial risk, because involving key industry players helps ensure that research results and solutions are applicable globally, enables the development of international standards and offers the potential for exploitation world-wide.

IMPROVING INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE
Many projects lead to patents, pointing to an intention to exploit research results commercially. Firms that participate in such a type of research, irrespective of their size, tend to be more innovative than those that do not participate. Participating enterprises are also more likely to apply for patents than non-participants. A wide range of ex-post evaluation studies show that as a result of framework program participation firms are able to realise increased turnover and profitability, enhanced productivity, improved market shares, access to new markets, reorientation of a company’s commercial strategy, enhanced competitiveness, enhanced reputation and image, and reduced commercial risks.

Results of econometric modelling indicate that international collaborative research generates strong benefits for industry. A recent study in the UK used an econometric model developed at the OECD to predict international collaborative program effects on total factor productivity . It was found that such research generated a manifold return on the UK government's investment in it.