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In keeping with its scope, the BIA programme seeks to promote the greatest possible value creation in Norwegian trade and industry through research-based innovation in companies and the R&D groups with which they cooperate. To achieve this objective, the activities of the programme will be focused on producing the following main outcomes:
• More research-based innovation in trade and industry;
• A higher level of aspiration and expertise in the companies’ own R&D activity;
• Higher quality in the national R&D groups used to generate innovation in trade and industry.
• Promote new or greatly improved processes, products, services and business models;
• Encourage greater cooperation between companies and R&D institutions as well as among companies, both nationally and internationally;
• Attract new contractual partners, participants and collaborators within projects and consortia;
• Increase awareness among companies about R&D as a strategic tool;
• Develop new, innovation-oriented R&D expertise in trade and industry;
• Develop new expertise relevant to trade and industry within the R&D institutions.
The BIA programme provides funding for the best research-based innovation projects across a broad spectrum of Norwegian trade and industry. The programme’s open focus ensures that funding is distributed in an open competitive arena and promotes learning across different branches of industry and thematic areas. When awarding funding, emphasis is placed on the degree to which the projects entail innovation, the quality of the research, the presumed economic value, the presumed relevance and benefit to society and the level of international cooperation. It is expected that funding from the Research Council will trigger further R&D investments within the company. The BIA programme complements the Research Council’s other industry-oriented funding instruments and provides support to projects that cannot be realised under the SkatteFUNN tax deduction scheme or other activities under the Research Council.
The BIA programme provides funding to the best projects regardless of branch of industry, with the exception of those areas covered by the thematically oriented programmes under the Research Council. Grant proposals covered under thematically oriented programmes will be referred to the relevant programme. Examples of sectors for which there is no thematically oriented programme are the building and construction sector, segments of the ICT sector, the process industry sector, the manufacturing sector, the biomedical and industry-oriented biotechnology sector, and segments of the service sector, including the trade in goods.
The BIA programme provides funding for research that will result in new products, processes and services in or across a variety of sectors. Relevant thematic areas for the projects include environmental technology for a more sustainable business sector, new business models, and management and organisation, also in combination with technology, to name a few.
For more information about other industry-oriented funding initiatives administered by the Research Council, please see: http://www.forskningsradet.no/en/For+Industry/1252498540515
* Companies that collaborate with other companies and/or R&D groups at higher education institutions and/or independent research institutes.
* R&D groups (higher education institutions and/or independent research institutes) with an internationally competitive competency base and extensive involvement in industry-oriented projects.
Open-ended since 2006.
The total budget for 2011 is approximately NOK 375 million. The budget for 2012 is expected to be at the same level.