Austria

Kplus programme
Kplus aims to build up long-term cooperative initiatives between public and private research at an advanced level. Kplus sets up and promotes competence centres, thus improving the interaction between the business sector and research, which, in turn, enables research excellence on an international and competitive level.

ProtecNETplus                                                                                                                                       The programme protec-NETplus plus promotes technology transfer within cooperative initiatives between enterprises. The main emphasis of protecNETplus lies in the development, testing and execution of innovative technology transfer projects which aim to increase the level of innovation among companies, particularly small and medium sized enterprises. With the support of R & D cooperative initiatives comprising at least three partner companies and where possible involving research institutions and other strategic partners, the innovative output of SMEs as well as their R & D performance should be increased by way of technology transfer. The innovation should be principally targeted at new products, product lines and new market ideas.

The Austrian Program on Technologies for Sustainable Development                                                                This five-year research and technology program has been developed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). It initiates and supports trendsetting research and development projects and the implementation of exemplary pilot projets. The program pursues clearly defined emphases, selects projects by means of tendering procedures and is characterized by networking between individual research projects and by accompanying project management. The Ministry invites tenders in three subprograms: "Building of Tomorrow"; "Energy Systems of Tomorrow"  and "Factory of Tomorrow". Individual subprograms are being attended by "working groups".    

The AplusB Impulse Programme                                                                                                         AplusB funds innovative, technology-oriented spin-offs from the academic sector. AplusB provides professional support for scientists in the difficult process of turning a good idea into a viable business. This involves both: not only counselling and assistance during the actual start-up phase and but also establishing the idea of entrepreneurship more firmly in academic theory and practice. In a first step five AplusB-Centres were established in which start-ups are qualified, counselled and coached.

The FHplus Programme                                                                                                                         The FHplus Programme is aimed at creating and enhancing R&D capacity and competence at Fachhochschulen (FH). Its objectives are: 1. to increase the number of FHs with suitable structures and a capacity for long-term, application-oriented R&D, and 2. to increase and intensify R&D cooperation between the FH sector on the one hand, and industry and other R&D partners on the other.

The REGplus-Programme                                                                                                            Strengthening regional innovation systems relative to their respective starting position; contributing to the socio-economic stability of the region (labour market, start-up activity, reduced migration from the region, skills level of the workforce, etc.); increasing the innovative potential of small and medium-sized enterprises in the region; strengthening Impulse Centres as actors in and initiators of regional innovation projects; intensifying the co-operation between existing Impulse Centres; co-operating with relevant educational, research and similar institutions; providing a technology-based focus for regional innovation activity.

Belgium

Belgian Interdisciplinary Platform for Industrial Biotechnology (BIPIB)                                                 The Belgian Interdisciplinary Platform for Industrial Biotechnology is made up by three working groups such as biomass supply, bioprocesses and bioproducts, bio-energy. In this context, a long-term strategy for developing industrial biotechnology in Belgium has been defined. The following document sums up the recommendations on both policy as well as research aspects: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/home/actua/2006_03_30_BIPIB_en.pdf

Royal Belgian Academy Council of Applied Science (BACAS)
The Royal Belgian Academy Council of Applied Science is a steering committee created by the Belgian academies of science (the Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique and the Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten). In January 2004, the BACAS published a report showing how biological production processes (white biotechnology) can create the sustainable products that are good for people, planet and profit. The report says white biotechnology is becoming a main contributor to green chemistry, where renewable resources such as sugars or vegetable oils are converted into a wide variety of fine and bulk chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biocolorants, solvents, bioplastics, vitamins, food additives, biopesticides, enzymes and biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel.

Finland

NeoBio Technology Programme                                                                                                              Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation launched the NeoBio technology programme in October 2001. The goal of the programme was to advance the development and application of modern biotechnological methods in product R&D across industry sectors, as well as the emerging of new, internationally competitive businesses.

France

Agriculture for Chemicals and Energy (AGRICE)
The scientific interest group AGRICE, Agriculture for Chemicals and Energy, focuses on new uses and enhanced value for agricultural products and byproducts as energy, chemical and materials feedstocks. AGRICE is committed to coordinating, funding, monitoring and evaluating research and development programmes that further these goals. AGRICE was founded in 1994 by the French government ministries for Agriculture, Environment, Industry and Research, in collaboration with ADEME, the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management. The initial six-year term came to an end in 2000. After an evaluation process the ministries which sponsor AGRICE have decided to renew the group's charter for another six years.

Competitiveness Clusters (Poles de Compétitivité)                                                                                    In response to the changes in the global economy and their impact on the French economy, France has launched a wide-ranging industrial strategy focusing on the key factors of industrial competitiveness, particularly R&D-led innovation. France’s national policy reflects broader European support for competitiveness aimed to turn towards sustainable economic development.

Italy

Industrial Biotechnology Working Group                                                                                                 The Industrial Biotechnology Working Group has been set up by the National Committee for Biosecurity and Biotechnology (C.N.N.B.). Its aim is to study the current biotech applications used for industrial processes. The main focus is given to the new biotech applications for the traditional industry sectors, such as chemistry, textile and food.     

The Netherlands

Bio-based Sustainable Industrial Chemistry (B-BASIC)
B-Basic is a consortium of universities, research institutions and industry. The programme focuses on the development of new bio-based production concepts for the chemical (and energy) industry which are rooted in the current explosive increase in fundamental insights in molecular biology through the genomics revolution, combined with advanced bioprocess technology and existing chemical knowledge.  

The Kluyver Centre                                                                                                                                The Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation is a consortium of Universities. It employs microbial genomics to improve microorganisms for use in industrial fermentation processes. Fermentation is used in the production, from renewable feedstocks, of food products and ingredients, beverages, pharmaceutical compounds, nutraceuticals, and fine and bulk chemicals. The research covers six programmes: yeast fermentation, fungal fermentation, lactic acid fermentation, biocatalysis, genomics tools including bioinformatics and society and genomics.

The Netherlands Institute for Industrial Biotechnology (NIIB)
The Netherlands have historically a strong position in the science and application of fermentation technology, which forms the basis for modern IB. To secure this leading position the initiative was born to establish the Netherlands Institute for Industrial Biotechnology (NIIB), a national Centre of Excellence. Within NIIB public and private partners will join forces to carry out a common research programme that builds on results of genomics research and aims at establishing real innovations and new sustainable economic activity. 

United Kingdom

Bioscience for Business Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN)                                                                   This new Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) covers the use of biotechnology throughout the manufacture of industrial and consumer goods. The Bioscience for Business KTN has three partner organisations: the Pro-Bio Faraday Partnership, specialising in industrial biotechnology, is incorporated fully into the KTN; the National Non-Food Crops Centre will provide plant and crop-based expertise into the KTN, whilst continuing its wider remit as a commercial company; BlueMicrobe is the conduit to the UK marine biotechnology community. Through combining the white, green and blue sectors, the purpose of the KTN is to generate new multidisciplinary opportunities, offering new benefits for industry and new ideas for biorenewable supply chains.

CoEBio3                                                                                                                                                 The Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre at the University of Manchester set up a Research Group in Biocatalysis, Biotransformation and Biomanufacturing (CoEBio3). This initiative undertakes cutting edge research in biocatalysis and metabolic engineering and serves to enhance UK competitiveness in R&D and manufacturing in biocatalysis.