A special session at Forum@Bilisim has been realized by the three Turkish partners; TAGES, TUBITAK, TBV of an EU funded EASIER Project. The session started with the speech of Leyla Arsan, the CEO of TAGES, and continued with the presentation of Selen Akçalı, the EU consultant of TAGES and Gökçe Vahapoğlu from TBV.
The session was organized in order to present the supports and facilities provided by the EASIER project which is a FP6 SSA project executed with 16 partners from 12 countries, aiming to increase the participation of ICT SMEs in the 6th and 7th Framework Programmes.
Leyla Arsan emphasized on the importance of the participation to the FP7 for the Turkish ICT sector, stating that the FP7 is an opportunity for the Turkish ICT SMEs to operate in Europe. ‘There is no difference between member states and candidate countries concerning the utilization of FP6 activities and tools. The FP6 is the world’s largest civil research programme, yearly funding sum attaining to 5 billion euros. After the accomplishment of the FP6 in 2006, FP7 will come into force; participation to which has a crucial importance for the Turkish ICT SMEs. We would like to know that awareness among the Turkish ICT sector has been rose which stipulates opening to the European ICT market passes by participation to the European Framework Programmes. In addition, we are expecting from the ICT SMEs to create business opportunities via partnership consortiums in Europe.’
Arsan also mentioned the importance of being aware of the novelties concerning the framework programmes and being in contact with European project developers. ‘The Turkish ICT companies must read the EU ICT strategies reports, participate to the technology and R&D networks. They must also present project ideas at the conferences, pursue partner searching projects in the framework programmes and be partner to several projects.’ At this point, Arsan gives the example of the EASIER project which has created the mentioned environment of collaboration and the opportunity of taking part in a framework project for the ICT SMEs in Turkey. ‘Workshops in İstanbul, Ankara and in İzmir have been organized yet. As being the Turkish partners of the EASIER -TAGES, TUBITAK and TBV- we will provide technical support to the Turkish ICT SMEs in order to ensure the participation of at least 44 ICT SMEs in Turkey to the FP7 and at least 16 projecct proposals to the FP7.’
The presentation of Selen Akçalı focused on EASIER project; the utilization of EASIER web site, registration to the EASIER database. She also presented examples of projects ideas looking for partners who are registered to the EASIER database. ‘Registration to the EASIER database provides the ICT SMEs to take a part within the European ICT SMEs’ database, which offers the opportunity to participate to projects in Europe, provides matching between SMEs having similar project ideas and activity field, and offers technical support to make the SMEs engage in the framework programmes. By registering to the EASIER database, SMEs reach to the opportunity to transform their project ideas to projects, to find partners, and to get informed on the FP6 and FP7. ‘
Gökçe Vahapoğlu informed the audience about the ‘European ICT Conference on Research and Development’ that will be organized in İstanbul with the collaboration of TAGES, TUBITAK and TBV on 29-30 January 2007. The conference aims to bring together 200 SMEs from Europe operating on ICT and to provide an opportunity to develop projects.
