Who can benefit from PLATON?

PLATON targets both poles of socio-economic research:

• the final beneficiaries of research results, i.e.
  • SMEs groupings (Associations, Chambers, Networks / Clusters of SMEs, etc)
  • Innovative European SMEs from various sectors, such as Service, Manufacturing, Information Technologies, Tourism and Agro-food & forestry
• organisations, who conduct research in the area of Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH), e.g. universities, research institutes, etc.

Though, based on PLATON partners' experience and on the interviews carried out during the first semester of the project, the targeted SMEs have been distinguished in two categories:

• The "SSH-related" SMEs which are directly interested in SSH research, that is SMEs mainly from the service sector (e.g. market survey companies, business consultants, IT consultants, etc.), which may use SSH research results to provide better and/or new services to their clients. In this case both the SMEs and their groupings would be interested to participate as partners in SSH research projects
• The "non-SSH related" SMEs, that is SMEs that are indirectly interested in SSH (e.g. manufacturing enterprises, hotels, etc.). These SMEs may use SSH research results to better respond to their changing business environment. In this case mainly their Groupings (associations, chambers, etc.) would be interested to participate as partners in SSH research projects and disseminate the results to their member SMEs.

These two types of companies have different needs, goals and vision from their participation in research projects. Thus, PLATON Advanced Services differ in scope and target

PLATON addresses SMEs, SME Groupings and researchers' needs from all Europe. However most of its events and activities will primarily take place in 6 countries: Greece, Italy, Germany, Poland, UK and Estonia.

All PLATON activities and services are FREE of CHARGE.