The RespiceSME project aims to reinforce the innovative capacity of Europe's photonics 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:
1. evaluating and stimulating the innovation potential in order to strengthen the innovation capacity of high-tech photonics SMEs.
2. enhancing the global technological exploitation of photonics innovation capacity by analysing different value chains valuable for high-tech photonics SMEs - allowing 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.
3. 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.