Translation of "Development and Transfer Technology Series " (English → French) :

GEEREF will also broaden the range of instruments to effectively support the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies between developed and developing countries.

They are directed at strengthening the country's (i) economic competitiveness (development of technical and technological capabilities of SMEs, improvement of RD, technology transfer and cooperation among publicly promoted and non profit research facilities, development of information technologies and networks), (ii) human resources development (promoting public employment services, ensuring equal opportunities for disadvantaged pu ...[+++]pils in education, developing infrastructure, structure and contents of education and training, fostering lifelong education), (iii) environmental protection: improvement of the quality of drinking and ground water, flood management and utilisation of environmentally friendly energy sources, and (iv) regional development: improvement of the accessibility of disadvantaged regions, regeneration of urban areas and development of tourism attractions.

Aid for research and development for SMEs is of utmost importance, because one of the structural disadvantages of SMEs lies in the difficulty they may experience in gaining access to new technological developments and to technology transfer.

That gap is an inability to adequately, effectively, and consistently transfer technology from the research bodies, usually universities and governments in some cases, to the development industries in order to provide strategic technologies for manufacturing, service, and resource based sectors.

With a view, then, to making maximum use of the resources available, increasing the economic spin-offs and thus helping to make European industry more competitive and enhance the quality of life, this framework programme will give priority, in the light of the conclusions of the Edinburgh European Council, to ensuring: - greater integration between national and Community RTD activities, in particular by means of improved coordination of Member States' participation in major international projects and with the research conducted by various European organizations (ESA, CERN, etc.); - closer cooperation between Community RTD activities and those carried out under EUREKA, with particular emphasis on strategic projects which co ...[+++]mbine the development of key technologies with research which is close to the market; - greater concentration of RTD activity within each sector on a smaller number of problems and generic technologies with a multi-sector impact, particularly in the field of industrial technologies, but also in the field of life sciences and technologies. For the first time research will be conducted in a structured fashion on transport, the problems linked to evaluating technologies, and social issues; - improved dissemination of research findings, in particular to SMEs (networks, European infrastructure for technology transfer, etc.) in order to improve the record of European companies in translating scientific breakthroughs into commercial success.

- 2 - The "Eco-product Award" for products which have incorporated environmental considerations, especially recycling and waste reduction into the earliest stages of product planning and design Award dinner : Société Claude Blaizat, France, for Zeoroll, a refrigeration system without the use of CFCs Highly recommended : Volkswagen AG, FRG for a smoothly turbo-charged Diesel engine with catalyst; and Retiflex S.p.A., Italy, for a fibrillar net of polypropylene to replace asbestos reinforcing in cement The "Environmental Technology Transfer Award" for the ...[+++]development and transfer of environmentally sound technological innovation, specifically adapted to the needs of developing countries.