Innovation in the Nordic marine sector 1. Call for proposals in module 2 Meeting future challenges The Nordic Innovation Centre on behalf of the Nordic partners of the programme Innovation in the Nordic marine sector invites to submit project applications to module 2 of the programme. Module 2 in the innovation programme shall embrace issues that are important for future challenges and of relevance for the marine sector as a whole. Projects in this module shall contribute to: 1) New and innovative ways of recruitment, 2) New and innovative solution(s) for safer and better working conditions, 3) Harmonisation and increased transparency in the Nordic market for marine products and related services. Furthermore, the projects shall primarily focus on creation of new and multi-disciplinary cooperation and user driven innovation. The total Nordic financial amount for this call is NOK 6 000 000, but can be extended in case of national co-financing of projects. The Nordic financial contribution is not divided up front between these three themes defined above. Funding decisions will be made based on evaluation of all incoming projects according to defined criteria. Deadline for project proposals within all three themes is August 8 th 2011 at 15:00 Norwegian time. 2. Background The Nordic innovation program in the marine sector was launched in 2010. The programme is a joint Nordic effort for enhancing innovation in the Nordic marine sector and thereby its competitiveness and profitability. The innovation programme is divided in three modules. The first module, Dialog and networking, was mostly carried out in 2010 and findings from that module is the foundation for this call announced here as part of module 2. Another call will be published as a part of activities in module 3. The partners in the marine innovation program represent Nordic and national funding agencies for innovation. These are from Norway, Innovation Norway, from Iceland, Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture and AVS R&D Fund of Ministry of Fisheries in Iceland, from Denmark, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Danish Directorate of Fisheries, from Faroe Islands, Ministry of Fisheries, and Fiskivinnu Gransking, from the Nordic cooperation, Nordic Fisheries Cooperation (NFC), North Atlantic Cooperation (NORA), and Nordic Innovation Centre. Furthermore, an open dialog is between the program and other national funding agencies such as in Sweden the Swedish Board of Fisheries and in Finland the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. For more information about the Nordic marine innovation program please visit the program home page at www.marineinnovation.net
3. Target groups and requirements to project consortium In this call for projects the marine innovation programme primarily targets innovative cooperation between Nordic marine businesses and other relevant stakeholders and expertise concerning recruitment, safety and harmonisation of framework. User driven innovation is the cornerstone of applied projects, requiring participation from user(s) and/or expertise of the user, together with other essential know how for the project. Examples of participants in a project consortium are: Nordic marine enterprises, suppliers to the marine sector (supplying technology, services and/or know-how), industry federations, innovation and research organisations, national and regional public bodies, and businesses with marketing and PR expertise. The overall aim of the programme is to: Contribute to more innovative business cooperation (B2B), focusing on market oriented Nordic value chains Create arenas for multi-disciplinary cooperation between the marine sector and other industry sectors or other sources of know-how in order to raise the innovation capability in the marine sector Create cooperation platforms for the industry and other stakeholders working to improve framework conditions in the marine sector The needs and participation of the marine industry is central in projects funded in module 2 of the programme. 4. Definition of innovation and the marine sector The project funded by the programme shall adhere to the following definition of innovation: Innovation is a new product, service, process or organisational form that creates economical success or other social value through market acceptance. A research result or an invention can only be an innovation through interaction with commercial actors. In this call the following definition is applied for the marine sector: The marine sector in the context of this call comprise the many value chains in the seafood sector, including technology and expertise suppliers and other commercial exploitation of living marine resources. 5. This call of module 2 in the marine programme addresses the following three themes: 1. 1. New and innovative ways of recruitment 2. New and innovative solution for safer and better working conditions 3. Harmonisation and increased transparency in the Nordic market 1. afety The projects that will be funded are expected to produce concrete results and solutions that will improve existing practices.
Participation from Nordic marine enterprises and/or relevance to the marine industry is a prerequisite for the project applied for. 6. The process of the call The call is published April 12 th 2011. Applications can be submitted to Nordic InnovationCentre until August 8 th 2011 at 15:00 Norwegian time. Decisions concerning funding will be taken by the board of Nordic InnovationCentre and the funding consortium for the innovation programme late September 2011. Applicants will get information regarding funding or no funding the first days in October 2011. 7. Contact information For further information about the call, please contact: Sigridur Thormodsdottir, senior innovation advisor, e-mail s.thormodsdottir@nordicinnovation.org, telephone +47 915 76 577 Haukur Stefansson, project coordinator, e-mail h.stefansson@nordicinnovation.org, telephone +47 930 55 131 Eili V Berge, senior innovation advisor, e-mail e.berge@nordicinnovation.org, telephone +47 414 63 434
1. Recruitment Recruitment has been defined as one of the major issues for the future of the marine sector. Without competent work force the Nordic marine sector will not be able to meet future challenges and remain competitive in the global context. The overall aim of the first theme of the call in module 2 is to contribute to new and interesting educational/training offers for existing and future work force at Nordic level and to make the marine sector visible and attractive as a career choice. The project applied for should approach one or more of the following: The project results New type of know- how and expertise Nordic marine enterprises need to have access to different know-how and/or expertise to meet global challenges and new requirements from the markets in which they operate. Training and education of existing and/or future workforce has to address these challenges. Furthermore, the industry has to be made aware of know-how from different disciplines and sectors that may be essential in order to be innovative, competitive and profitable. The project applied for shall establish and/or strengthen Nordic cooperation between actors in the educational sector, the marine industry and other stakeholders in order to learn and design innovative study offers/programmes that will enable existing and/or future workforce to meet the needs of the marine industry. Image building A good image of the marine sector is essential in order to attract and maintain a competent work-force. The project applied for shall find new and innovative ways to present the marine sector as lucrative and an attractive working place, especially engaging young people in the sector. New ways of communicating the sector as an attractive working place - The recruitment process and communication towards the younger work force in particular, has changed in the last years. The project applied for shall find new and innovative ways to make use of interactive methods and multimedia in order to make the Nordic marine sector a more visible and interesting career choice. The project shall have concrete results and realisation strategy that describes by whom and how the solutions created will be used to strengthen competence and enhance interests and recruitment to the sector.
How to proceed Application Funding and activities eligible for funding The application process is a one step process, a full application is submitted before deadline announced in the call. Funding is 50% of the project total cost. In kind contribution from project participants is accepted (both from public and private participants). Total public funding for the project can be max 50% of total cost, including national and Nordic funding. In case the project applied for is linking national funded projects, creating a Nordic dimension and value, adding to these existing projects, the national funding is not considered as a part of this project budget applied for here. This must still be notified in the project application in text. Eligible cost is cost related to salaries, meetings, travelling, external services, communication and publications. Eligible applicants, requirements to the project consortium Eligible applicants for the projects are for example: Marine enterprises, industry associations, know-how institutes, organisations for education and other experts relevant to the project and that have experience from working in the marine sector. The project consortium shall include all necessary stakeholders and target groups, for example representatives from the industry, the educational sector, know-how institutions and experts in using interactive methods and marketing (creating and using multimedia). The project must include partners from at least three Nordic countries. Project period Evaluation Final technical report 1 2 year(s) The proposals submitted are evaluated by the funding consortium of the innovation programme and in some cases additionally by external evaluators. The main criteria for evaluation are: Compliance and relevance to the challenge described in the call text Innovation novelty Quality of the project process Composition and competence of the project consortium Nordic value of the project and Nordic profile of the project consortium Realisation strategy Communication plan of the result Coherence between project plan and budget The final technical report of the project result shall not be in a written form, but in a form applicable for use in multimedia for recruitment and promotion of the sector.
2. New and innovative solution(s) for better safety and improved working conditions Safer and better working conditions in the marine sector have been defined as an issue of priority in the Nordic countries by authorities and the industry. This issue does also influence the sector s attractiveness as a future working place. Today, there are considerable numbers of Nordic businesses supplying solutions both at Nordic and global level, enhancing better safety and working conditions along the whole marine value chain. The focus of the marine innovation programme is to enhance development and implementation of new and innovative solutions that will reduce risk and improve working conditions in the marine sector. The overall aim with theme 2 in this call is to support innovation and competitiveness of the industry sector, providing products and services related to safer and better working conditions in the marine sector. The project can either approach the marine sector as a whole or specific challenges or working areas. The project applied for should approach one or more of the following: The project results Create multi-disciplinary cooperation platform(s) enabling development of new solutions that can reduce risk and improve working conditions in the marine sector. The project shall contribute to innovation through introduction /implementation of technology and services new to the marine sector. Create cooperation platform(s) enabling dialog between stakeholders such as government, marine industry and suppliers to discuss policies, strategies, need and possible solutions lowering risk and improving working conditions in the marine sector. The dialog should result in better understanding of the future market for technology and services and thereby enhance user driven innovation. Enhance user driven innovation by establishing and/or strengthening cooperation between the marine industry and public/private suppliers of solutions lowering risk and improving working conditions in the marine sector. Create and/or implement/ communicate new and innovative concepts, e.g. innovative combinations of existing technology and/or services that have proven to reduce risk and improve working conditions in the marine sector as a whole or in specific areas. The project shall have concrete results and describe by whom and how the results of the project will be used to reduce risk and improve working conditions in the marine sector.
How to proceed Application Funding and activities eligible for funding The application process is a one step process, a full application is submitted before deadline announced in the call. Funding is 50% of the project total cost. In kind contribution from project participants is accepted (both from public and private participants). Total public funding for the project can be max 50% of total cost, including national and Nordic funding. In case the project applied for is linking national funded projects, creating a Nordic dimension and value, adding to these existing projects, the national funding is not considered as a part of this project budget applied for here. This must still be notified in the project application in text. Eligible cost is cost related to salaries, meetings, travelling, external services, communication and publications. Eligible applicants, requirements to the project consortium Project period Evaluation Final technical report Eligible applicants for the studies are for example: Marine enterprises, suppliers of products and services, industry associations, private and/or public know-how institutes/organisation and governmental bodies. The project consortium shall include all necessary stakeholders and target groups representing among others the user, producer and buyers. The project must include partners from at least three Nordic countries. 1 2 year(s) The proposals submitted are evaluated by the funding consortium and in some cases additionally by external evaluators. The main criteria for evaluation are: Compliance and relevance to the challenge described in the call text Innovation novelty Quality of the project process Composition and competence of the project consortium Nordic value of the project and Nordic profile of the project consortium Communication plan of the result Coherence between project plan and budget The final technical report of the project result shall be in a written form. NB! Projects that are marketing or selling one solution are not funded.
3. Harmonisation and increased transparency in the Nordic market Framework conditions, defined by rules and regulations and/or by the market, influence the innovation process in the marine sector and the marketing of marine products and marine related services. Harmonised and transparent framework conditions in the Nordic region for the marine sector will contribute to a larger home market for marine based products and related services that will strengthen growth of Nordic businesses in the sector. Furthermore, a common Nordic approach to these framework conditions and cooperation will strengthen the Nordic voice in both European and global forums. The overall goal with the third theme of this call is to create Nordic platform(s) and support Nordic cooperation concerning harmonisation and transparency of the sector s framework conditions. Thereby, contribute to a common Nordic home market as a test bed for product development and product diversification that will enhance future growth and profitability of the marine industry. The project applied for should approach one or more of the following: The project results Establish and/or strengthen Nordic cooperation platform(s) and/or working groups that will contribute to better understanding and knowledge about rules and regulations of the Nordic market for seafood and other marine based products. Furthermore the project shall appoint how a more harmonised and transparent Nordic home market for seafood and other marine based products can act as a test bed for diversified product development resulting in increased consumption in the region. Establish and/or strengthen Nordic cooperation platform(s) and/or working groups that will facilitate export of marine products and services to the EU and global market. The cooperation shall contribute to establishing Nordic consensus regarding interpretation and implementation of international rules and regulations and communication of the consensus. Initiate or strengthen Nordic cooperation platform(s) for harmonisation, transparency and understanding of sustainable development in the marine sector. This includes e.g. energy consumption, waste management, environmental labelling, traceability, etc. The project shall have concrete results and describe by whom and how the results of the project will be used to create and communicate Nordic consensus, strengthen the Nordic home market and facilitate export.
How to proceed Application Funding and activities eligible for funding The application process is a one step process, a full application is submitted before deadline announced in the call. Funding is 50% of the project total cost. In kind contribution from project participants is accepted (both from public and private participants). Total public funding for the project can be max 50% of total cost, including national and Nordic funding. In case the project applied for is linking national funded projects, creating a Nordic dimension and value, adding to these existing projects, the national funding is not considered as a part of this project budget applied for here. This must still be notified in the project application in text. Eligible cost is cost related to salaries, meetings, travelling, external services, communication and publications. Eligible applicants, requirements to the project consortium Project period Evaluation Final technical report Eligible applicants for the studies are for example: Marine enterprises, suppliers of products and services, industry associations, private and/or public know-how institutes/organisation and governmental bodies. The project consortium shall include all necessary stakeholders and target groups representing e.g. industry, industry association and government. The project must include partners from at least three Nordic countries. 1 2 year(s) The proposals submitted are evaluated by the funding consortium and in some cases additionally by external evaluators. The main criteria for evaluation are: Compliance and relevance to the challenge described in the call text Innovation novelty Quality of the project process Composition and competence of the project consortium Nordic value of the project and Nordic profile of the project consortium Communication plan of the result Coherence between project plan and budget The final technical report of the project result shall be in a written form.