Coordination: VDI/VDE-IT, Germany
Project partners:
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ICT Technological Area: 3. IT and Telematics Technology
Sectors of ICT Implementation: 9. Services
Project duration: 24 months
Project start: 01/09/2004
EC funding: 0.8 M EUR
Project aim:
Ambient Assisted Living aims at prolongating the time, people can live in a decent way in their own home by increasing their autonomy and self-confidence, the discharge of monotonously everyday activities, to monitor and care for the elderly or ill person, to enhance the security and to save resources.
This vision shall be realised via a new European technology funding programme AAL169 "bridging" technology programmes and markets in the field of information technologies as enabling technologies for the project's vision.
The joint programme aims at integrating existing national technology funding programmes, e.g.
- Microsystems Technologies in Germany
- FIT IT in Austria
- Materials research, Italy
- EUREKA cluster in France
for which a common work programme AAL169 would be elaborated. Thus, AAL169 would be something new, not existing in the national contexts so far. The joint programme aims at creating added-value through integrating existing national technology funding programmes, for which a common work programme AAL169 would be elaborated. New projects to be funded under AAL169 would be centrally administered by the newly created management unit. Part of the funds could still be administered by national funding agencies.
Contacts and Website:
http://www.aal169.org/
huch@vdivde-it.de
VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
Mr Michael Huch
Steinplatz 1, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 310078-193
Fax: +49 30 310078-225
Further information:
The activities of the joint programmes are:
- Announcement of two calls for proposals per year
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- A 2 stage submission procedure will be applied
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Research projects would be small STREP-like research projects, with a 2 to 3 years duration
- 3 countries minimum (of AAL169 member states)
- Cost-shared funding
- Important criteria:
- Application orientation (strong user involvement)
- SME participation
- Accompanying measures:
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- Innovation stimulation, promotion, studies, development of business models, etc.
- Funding up to 100% - Funding would be given to AAL169 member countries only
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- Partners from 3rd countries may participate without funding
Organisational issues (governance, dedicated structure, …)
AAL169 will be governed by two functional bodies:
- a management unit responsible for the operation of AAL169 and
- a body supervising the management unit and meeting final decisions.
Management unit
The management unit will be responsible for the operation of the new European Programme AAL169.
The following terms of reference (non exhaustive) regarding the maintenance of the programme management are currently envisaged:
- preparation and handling of calls and call specific documents,
- organisation of information days,
- evaluation of proposals,
- activity reporting and financial controlling,
- organisation of meetings of the supervising body (twice a year)
Supervision
The supervising body will be mandated to take final decisions on the AAL169 programme level. The supervising body will consist of representatives of the member states, directly representing or being authorised by programme owners (i.e. ministries providing the national funds) and the European Commission. Meetings will take place twice a year. Among many issues to be defined, the voting model and the number of votes for each representative will be of crucial importance.
Legal body of the AAL169 management body
The governance of a new European funding programme needs to be legally fixed. E.g., the legal form of AAL169 is of importance regarding the liability of the AAL169 budget. Currently, no decision regarding any legal form has been taken. The EEIG – model has been looked into already in more detail.
Duration
The new European technology funding programme is intended to issue calls over a period of 7 years (2007 to 2013), starting I parallel to FP7. Factually, the duration of this new funding programme would be 2 to 3 years longer (up to 2016), to administer projects called for in the final year of its first duration (2013). Prolongation is intended, but subject to later decision.
Budget
Before finalising the budget of the new funding programme AAL169, the consortium should calculate the demand for funding in the defined area on the European level. The final commitment too, depends on the first draft of the work programme, i.e. the description of the first calls.
Estimated budget (excluding EC contribution):
The AAL consortium is currently investigating the member state contributions, which are aimed to be “fresh” money to be allocated for projects to be funded under AAL169. The discussions are not finalised yet, but, adding the already given financial commitments, the final yearly budget could reach funds in the range of 15 to 25 M EUR. This would lead to an overall budget - from members states only - in the range of 105 to 175 M EUR over the 7 years duration. A more concrete budget figure should be achieved at the forthcoming project meeting in Leuven, 24 May 2005.
In parallel, “contributions in kind” are investigated at this moment. Via this approach, the final members of AAL169 identify national funding in strongly related areas to AAL169. Through this, the member states contributions should be possible to be doubled at least. Beyond mere arithmetic, the identified national projects are foreseen to be networked with future AAL169 projects, to create a European added-value here as well.