Millions in support of new environment projects
The Board of Directors of the research programme ProEnviro has decided to finance four new projects for small- and medium-sized enterprises. All four projects focus on environmentally-adapted product development. The first project is expected to start in February, 2009.
Four companies will share 13 million Swedish Crowns (see below). “The projects address everything for optimizing solar cells to smart systems for reducing friction losses and wear. All of the projects involve collaboration between industry and academia," says Lars Frenning, ProEnviro´s Programme Director.
As with previous project proposals, these projects have been evaluated by both scientific and industrial advisory committees. “High scientific quality and innovative thinking were important criteria in the scientific evaluation. For the strategic and business evaluation, improved environmental performance and industry relevance were in focus," says Frenning.
A total of 18 proposals were submitted from small- and medium-sized companies in this third ProEnviro tender. Together with the results of the two previous tenders, twelve research projects are now underway with support from ProEnviro. “These types of companies often have an enormous potential, which we aim to stimulate. The group of companies is very important for Sweden´s economic development," says Lars Frenning.
The four new companies that were granted financing in December of 2008 are:
Heliospectra AB in Borås, which will develop a "smart" lighting system for plant cultivation, Applied Nano Surfaces Sweden AB in Stockholm, which will develop a new technology for reducing friction losses and wear, Midsummer AB in Järfälla, which will optimize sputtered CIGS solar cells, and Callo AB in Nässjö, which will develop a resource-efficient method of producing power-pressed components with complicated shapes.
