How do Strategic Centres work?

The Strategic Centres for Science Technology and Innovation are multidisciplinary and involve different sectors of industry and society. Research of a high standard plays an important part in Strategic Centres. It is an essential requirement for new technology, innovations and other applications.

Each Centre consists of the coordinating function, a non-profit limited company, jointly owned by the shareholders, and a virtual research organisation.  The company's shareholders include relevant companies, universities and research institutions.

Research programmes form the core of the centre's research activity.

Centres provide a permanent cooperation and interaction forum for companies and research organisations. Technology, service providers and end-users cooperate in the research programmes, which promote demand and user orientation of innovation processes. Centres will also act as gateways to international cooperation and as avenues for training and recruitment.

In their research programmes, it is possible to generate sufficient critical mass and combine versatile competences for achieving world-class expertise and global breakthroughs. They facilitate long term strategic research and contribute to speeding up the innovation process.

In addition to Centres' shareholders, which include relevant companies, universities and research institutes, public funding organisations have made a commitment to providing funding for the centres in the long term.

Within each Strategic Centre, some €40-60 million annually are invested in research.