1. Project information

• PLATON FREE events and services
  Read the full story.

• PLATON "Advanced" services for SMEs and SME groupings
  The project goes beyond simple awareness creation and dissemination of information, targeting concrete results in specific areas. The PLATON consortium provides intensive support of high value ("Advanced" services) to selected and highly motivated and competent SMEs and SME groupings . Read the full story.

• PLATON target groups
  PLATON targets both poles of socio-economic research: (a) the final beneficiaries of research results, i.e. SMEs groupings (Associations, Chambers, Networks / Clusters of SMEs, etc) and Innovative European SMEs from various sectors, such as Service, Manufacturing, Information Technologies, Tourism, Agro-food & forestry, etc., (b) organizations who conduct research in the area of Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH), e.g. universities, research institutes, etc. Read more

• I am NOT a researcher. What role can I have in a socio-economic research project?
  SMEs and SME groupings can be valuable partners in all stages of a research project: from the idea generation and proposal formation to post-project exploitation phase. Read more

2.PLATON News and Events

News

• Wish to participate in FP7? Join the Network.
  The PLATON consortium has developed an interactive web-based tool to facilitate search for potential partner(s) procedures of organizations willing to participate in European research projects. Read the full story.

• Need information regarding ongoing SSH research? Download PLATON reports
  To assist you in your participation in research projects under "the Socio-economic Sciences and the Humanities - SSH" field, the PLATON consortium has elaborated a number of publicly available reports covering a large spectrum of domains . Read the full story.

Events

• Upcoming: Info-day in Hannover, Germany
  Uni transfer will organise an info-day in Hannover, Germany on October 10th at their facilities (Bruhlstr.27, 30169 Hannover). If you are intersted in joining, just give us a phone call or write an E-Mail (abr@tt.uni-hannover.de). Find more Information here (programme, Leaflet)

• Upcoming: Infoday in Tallinn, Estonia
  At the end of October 2006 H&K will organize an info-day in Tallinn, Estonia . More information will soon be available on the project's website

• Upcoming:
  PLATON is presented at an evening meeting to introduce the European Seventh Framework Programme on Monday 16th October organised by Beta Technology. See more information on PLATON website ( www.platonproject.net ) .

• Past event: PLATON 3^rd project meeting
  Read the full story

• Past event: Info-day in Thessaloniki, Greece
  Q-PLAN Northern Greece organized an info-day in Thessaloniki, Greece on International socio-economic changes and the viability of Greek companies . The event was held at the Conference Hall of Thessaloniki Technological Park on May 31, 2006 . Read the full story.

3.Outwards opinion

• Interview with Mr Andrea Renda, coordinator of the European Network for Better Regulation (ENBR) project
  Read the full story

4. Understanding SSH research under FP7

• Thematic focus : Growth, employment and competitiveness in a knowledge society
  The new research framework programme will bring amendments in the workprogramme for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). PLATON wants to give in the following newsletters an overview about the seven research areas ("activities") the Commission has identified for SSH. starting with the first activity "Growth, employment and competitiveness in a knowledge society" Read the full text.

• Best Practices in SSH research
  The PLATON consortium with the collaboration of the EC CITIZENS Unit, has identified a number of research projects in the Socio-economic Sciences and the Humanities field under the FP65-CITIZENS program. These projects form indicative examples in all aspects of SSH research and provide useful and practical information on socio-economic trends and their impact in economic growth and stability. Read the full story.

5. European News and Opportunities

• National wide conferences to increase awareness on FP7
  Several conferences are scheduled for the next period in many European countries to activate organizations (in both public and private sectors) to participate in research under the 7 th Framework Program for R&D of the EU (2007-2013). Indicative list .

• Investigating research - how the Framework Programme works
  Once the policy, the scope and the specific areas for research have been defined, the Commission's role continues. It must timetable calls and start to assess incoming submissions. Read the full story.

• New ERAWATCH service will improve science policy making in Europe
  Later this year, a new service will be launched which will enable policy makers and researchers to directly compare the research systems, programmes and policies of different countries with the click of a mouse. Called ERAWATCH, the online service will be run jointly by DG Research and the Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with CORDIS. Read the full story .

• Commission publishes the updated version of the IPR guide for FP6 projects
  The European Commission recently published an updated version of the Guide to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) provisions for FP6 projects. This document, meant for participants in these projects, contains useful explanations related to the management of IPR. Read the full story .

• Study identifies barriers to SME participation in framework programme
  Barriers still remain to the full participation of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the framework programme (FP) in general and the Information Society Technologies (IST) programme in particular, according to a new policy paper by EFPConsulting and Empirica. Read the full story .

• PRO INNO event in London on 25.10.2006
  PRO INNO Europe is a new innovation policy initiative intended to become the focal point of innovation policy analysis and development throughout Europe. This half-day event is to bring together policy makers and key innovation players across the UK . See more information on PLATON website.

• International conference "The Integration of CSR into SME Business Practice"
  The conference "The Social Responsibility of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: The Integration of CSR into SME Business Practice" will be hosted by Copenhagen Business School on October 26, 2006 Copenhagen (DK).. Indicative list .

6. Highlights

• Commission sends its staff to SMEs to gain in-house experience
  Under the so-called "Enterprise Experience" programme the Commission will send out all of its senior staff (administrators) from the Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry to work for one week in a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME); this includes Gunther Verheugen and his office. Read the full story.

• A new publication on the knowledge-based economy in central and east European countries analyses growth issues in this region from the special perspective of the knowledge economy.
  The book "The Knowledge-based Economy in Central and East European Countries" by Slavo Radosevic and Krzysztof Piech asks a very important question in the context of the EU membership of the majority of the countries studied in the book: whether the central and eastern European countries will become a liability or an asset in the EU's efforts to become 'the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world'. Read the full story.

• News from SSH-project PILOT - new publication
  The PILOT project has put together a broad overview of a volume of reflections and research findings on the role of low-tech industries in a Knowledge Society. Read the full story.

• Guidelines for the translation of social sciences texts
  A new brochure produced by the American Council of Learned Societies in the framework of their Social Science Translation Project (SSTP) discusses problems arising from the translation of a variety of texts that employ social-scientific concepts. Read the full story.

• Suggestions for FP7-SSH thematic area
  The PLATON consortium contributed to the « Consultation on the draft research agenda for Theme 8 "Socio-economic Sciences and the Humanities" in the 7th Community RTD Framework Program (2007-2013) » with the elaboration of a position paper. Read the full story.

• SMEs welcome FP7
  UEAPME, the European small-to-medium enterprise (SME) employers' organisation, has welcomed the European Parliament's revisions to the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which sets a 15 per cent target for SME participation in FP7. But, UEAPME recommended tightening definitions to ensure money will end up with SMEs. Read the full story.

• SMART INNOVATION - a practical guide to evaluating innovation programmes
  The Smart Innovation Guide is designed to assist practitioners in the evaluation of innovation programmes, in particular, those at the regional and national and EU-wide levels. Read the full story.