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Call: Polymer Value Chain Projects 2012

24 January 2012

Polymer Value Chain Projects are an initiative launched by DPI and DPI Value Centre as part of the Polymer Innovation Programme (PIP) to promote innovation in the value chain. Companies are invited to set up innovation projects in which different parties in the value chain collaborate. The collaboration will involve transfer of valuable knowledge for the benefit of the results of the project. DPI Value Centre will actively assist the participating companies in establishing the collaboration. To broaden the scope of a project and to facilitate its implementation, contributions are available from the PIP scheme for companies taking part in these chain projects.

The projects must be compatible with the objectives of DPI and DPI Value Centre. Accordingly, proposals must clearly show that the projects will generate innovation that contributes to economic growth and to sustainability and/or the quality of life. International partners are allowed to participate, but the development activities and most of the anticipated economic benefits (more than 50%) must be realised in the Netherlands.

 

The role of DPI and DPI Value Centre

DPI and DPI Value Centre are implementing this element of the PIP scheme. They will also:

  • provide assistance in designing projects;
  • provide support in finding the right value chain partners and/or knowledge institutes.

The content of the project

The projects involve collaboration in innovation between companies in the polymer value chain, which includes plastics, thermoplastics and thermo hardeners, but also products such as coatings and adhesives. The innovation must be aimed at development; in other words, projects should generate economic activity within the foreseeable future, i.e. no later than two to four years after completion of the project. The programme is for collaborative projects, which means that the partners in the project must play a role in the value chain from polymer to product or provide an additional service for the chain. The project must represent a highly innovative advance for the companies involved. The programme does not cover optimisation of proven technologies.

The scheme only provides funding for the costs actually incurred (on the basis of subsequent calculation) for research and development. These costs fall under the following categories:

  • Generation of knowledge:
    • which can be used directly for the development of new products, processes or services;
    • which contributes to a substantial improvement in existing products, processes or services.
  • Advances in plastics and/or plastic products, such as:
    • the manufacture of the first prototype of a device;
    • the conceptual design of alternative production processes;
    • the construction of a small pilot plant for test purposes;
    • the testing of a new formula;
    • the production of a first batch of demonstration/model products.

Comments and restrictions:

  • Any income generated by the commercial use of demonstration or pilot projects will be deducted from the costs that qualify for a subsidy.
  • The scheme does not cover routine or periodic improvements to existing products, production lines, manufacturing processes, services and other current activities.
  • The technical advances could start with the development of a new polymer. Activities to develop new monomers may only account for a small part of the project. However, the scheme is ideal for developments based on new combinations of existing monomers and the production of new compounds with fillers, additives, fibres etc.

 

The partners

The partners in the collaboration must represent at least three different levels in a value chain, for example a polymer producer, a compounder, an injection moulder and an OEM. Other parties that could join a project include machine builders, product developers or the end users of the final product. There must be at least four parties in the collaboration, including at least one SME. A knowledge institute can join the project, but is not regarded as part of the value chain. Research organisations cannot make up more than half of the total number of partners. One of the participating industrial partners in the collaboration is the applicant.

There must be genuine cooperation between the partners in a Polymer Value Chain Project. Accordingly, the application must clearly demonstrate how the collaboration will be organised, the role and input of each of the partners and how the results of the activities will be divided among the partners.

 

Intellectual property

If necessary, the parties will lay down specific arrangements concerning intellectual property in a separate agreement. The basic principle is that the knowledge created in the course of the project is the property of the inventors. Any knowledge contributed to the project will remain the property of the party that provided it. Other parties will have access to the knowledge contributed and/or generated during the project, but only to the extent necessary for developments in the project. Specific agreements will be made for commercial application of the knowledge outside the project.

DPI and DPI Value Centre can provide models of such agreements as well as offering further assistance.

Financing

The maximum contribution from DPI/ DPI Value Centre for projects under this scheme is 25 % of the costs of the project. Costs that can be declared are:

  • Hours devoted by employees to development (at a fixed hourly rate of € 70);
  • Costs for the use of machines and equipment (at a usual hourly rate);
  • Outsourced work and materials used (on the basis of a purchase invoice),
  • Travel and accommodation costs.

Not covered are investment costs not specifically related to the project, the use of software, certification and all sales efforts. The scale of the project to be carried out by the consortium must be large enough to require an investment by DPI / DPI Value Centre of at least € 50,000 but not more than € 300,000. The maximum duration of a project is 18 months.

 

Publicity

Publicity for Polymer Value Chain Projects will have a great effect on other companies. You are therefore asked to cooperate with activities designed to promote the project (limited to non-confidential information and results). The application must be accompanied by a summary that can be published. Naturally, this summary should only contain general information that will not harm your commercial interests but does give an impression of what you wish to accomplish.

 

Application

The scheme closes on 30 March 2012. We recommend that you first submit a brief proposal, which you can do until 15 February, 5.00 p.m. to DPI Value Centre, P. O. Box 902, 5600AX Eindhoven or by e-mail to info@dpivaluecentre.nl'+'@'+'info@dpivaluecentre.nl. You will receive feedback on your proposal, which you can use to write your final application. The final proposals must be submitted before 30 March, 5.00 p.m. They will be assessed on the basis of the quality of the plans and the degree to which they meet the criteria: projects must be innovative and contribute to economic growth and to sustainability and/or quality of life. The project proposals will be assessed by staff of DPI / DPI Value Centre in consultation with external experts.

The total budget available for the co-financing of projects in 2012 and 2013 is € 2,000,000.

 

More information

If you intend to submit a project proposal, present your innovative idea to one of our advisers in advance, preferably after completing the project assessment form. For more information, you can call Martin van Dord, Louis Jetten or Jos Lobée at 040-2474414.

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