Most SMEs prefer innovation - CRAFT figures Participation of SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in CRAFT (cooperative research) projects in the Fifth Framework programme (FP5) largely concentrate on the innovation projects in the 'Competitive and sustainable growth' programme (Growth), according to the latest fig... Participation of SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in CRAFT (cooperative research) projects in the Fifth Framework programme (FP5) largely concentrate on the innovation projects in the 'Competitive and sustainable growth' programme (Growth), according to the latest figures available. More than half of projects (55 per cent) involving SMEs, who under the conditions of participation can pick their own areas of interest for research projects, chose to participate in Growth projects and within this programme key action Grow-1, entitled 'Innovative products, processes and organisation' was the most popular, with 71 projects. The second most popular key action was also in Growth, being 'materials and their technologies', with 35 projects. The 'Quality of life' programme within FP5 was the second most popular to Growth, attracting 54 projects compared to Growth's 137. Within these 54, the most popular key action was QOL-5, entitled 'sustainable agriculture, fisheries and forestry', which was also the third most popular key action overall, with 20 projects participating The lowest number of projects was in the EESD (Energy, environment and sustainable development) programme, which attracted only 28 projects and had one key action which attracted no projects at all, 'RTD activities of a generic nature related to the environment'. Other key actions which failed to draw any interest were the Quality of life key action 'the ageing population and disabilities' and the Growth key action 'sustainable mobility and intermodality'. The figures cover the period April 1999 to April 2000.
