European Commission invests €8.7 million in 189 innovative businesses

The European Commission has today selected 189 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 26 countries for a total of €8.7 million of funding under the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument. The funding – €50,000 per recipient – will finance feasibility studies for new products. The SMEs can also ask for up to three days of free business coaching. Among the projects receiving funding are a technology to turn residue from the wheat milling process into biodegradable packaging, a robotic inspection and cleaning system for solar panels, a low energy technology to capture CO2 from gasses , and a cost-reducing train maintenance system for early detection of wheel defects. Since its launch on 1 January 2014, 1473 SMEs have benefited from funding for feasibility studies under the SME instrument, which is financed by the Horizon 2020 programme under the responsibility of Commissioner Carlos Moedas. For more information, please see here.