Shared pilot facilities finding synergies between ESIF and H2020

Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP), a not-for-profit pilot and demonstration infrastructure, was build with ESIF-support (interreg and ERDF). The Interreg Flanders -the Netherlands Project ‘Bio Base Europe’ serves as a good exemple of a successful interregional collaboration through targeted investments . Due to this type of support BBEPP can function as a not-for-profit organisation with SME status. This type of governance allows BBEPP to stay independent from commercial organisations and thus guarantee real open access. It serves as an easily accessible player that assists SME’s as well as large companies to increase the TRL of their innovation, in a short timeframe and with minimum investment costs. For the same reasons, BBEPP is an attractive partner in H2020 programs, where BBEPP provides similar services to research institutes, start-ups, small and large companies. The infrastructure and capabilities are also put to service in interreg projects such as the awared winning project ‘Bio Base NEW’ to support SME’s in their innovation by using voucher schemes.
As such BBEPP shows good practice in finding synergies between ESIF and H2020 in accordance with the «stairway of excellence» as described within the « Enabling synergies between European Structural and Investment Funds’, Horizon 2020 and other research, innovation and competitiveness-related Union programmes Guidance for policy-makers and implementing bodies.