COIN Cooperation & Innovation - Overview

COIN (Cooperation & Innovation) aims to improve Austria's innovation performance through better and broader implementation of knowledge in innovation.

The focus is on increasing the research, technology and innovation performance of Austrian SMEs, in particular triggering innovations that are new to the market or to companies, and on improving and strengthening the RTI structures of research institutions and universities of applied sciences, also taking into account their core function vis-à-vis companies. The aim is also to strengthen cooperation between companies and university and non-university research institutions and to promote and accelerate the conversion of knowledge into innovation.

These objectives are being implemented comprehensively in two funding lines:

• Establishment of ‘FH - Research for the Economy’: Structural development and expansion of human resources and R&D infrastructure at application-oriented RTI institutions
• SME innovation networks: Establishment of innovation networks comprising several consortium partners (companies, especially SMEs, research and knowledge dissemination institutions and other non-economic institutions) in which innovative products, processes or services are newly developed through technology and knowledge transfer.

On the basis of COIN SME innovation networks, the FFG also conducts transnational calls for proposals in cooperation with other European funding agencies within the framework of IraSME (formerly EraSME).