GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT

ID: 101074868
NAME: “Level 1 Accelerator for Defence Sector”
ACRONYM: LEVIATAD
PROGRAMME: Single Market Programme
CALL: SMP-COSME-2021-CLUSTER
OBJECTIVE: Creating the first European cluster of excellence in the naval and aeronaval defence sector
PERIOD: 01/09/2022 – 31/08/2024
BUDGET: €1.392.402,77 (75% dedicated to the financial support of small and medium-sized enterprises)
PARTNERS: 6 organizations from 4 different European countries

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

LEVIATAD aims to create the first Eurocluster of excellence in naval defence through cooperation, in terms of synergies and integration, among project partners. The goal will be achieved by following a three-step action plan:

  • Mapping the value chain of the naval and aeronaval defence sector after the pandemic crisis to better understand the structure of the European ecosystem and possible synergies and complementarities at transnational level. This will enable the Consortium to drawlessons concerning the sector’s disruptions and dependencies and develop a more efficient industrial strategy that incorporates the principles of green and digital transitions, and increases resilience and competitiveness in a long-term European strategic approach.
  • Put in place actions to support SMEs in their up-skillingtowards strategic technological innovation, seen as the starting point of their path of resilience towards autonomy, while strengthening European sovereignty in the defence sector. Supporting measures include thematic training workshops and financial support actions.
  • “Go-to-international,” i.e. additional supporting measures to help SMEs acquire skills in third-country markets. The aim is to promote action plans to improve the European position in the value chain by supporting innovation processes and pushing SMEs to strengthen cooperation with key public and private groups in domestic, European and international markets.

THE PARTNERS

The LEVIATAD consortium brings together the expertise and value chains needed to successfully address the project’s key objectives, including stakeholders and and experts in marine and defense technologies, and maximizing the impact of joint actions at European level. The project partnership includes five clusters tasked with engaging SMEs that will benefit from the services put in place to foster their innovation and internationalization, and the Special Agency Riviere di Liguria (Chamber of Commerce Savona, Imperia and La Spezia) specialized in enhancing internationalization, and contact point with the European Enterprise Network (EEN).

Partners1

The Ligurian Cluster for Marine/Maritime Technologies (DLTM) promotes research, innovation and education, boosting a continuous interaction and synergy between research organisations and enterprises. The cluster is actually involving about 120 enterprises – of which 82 SMEs – the University of Genoa, three major national public research bodies having research centers in Liguria (CNR, ENEA, INGV) dealing with maritime and marine research and technological development, and big enterprises (Fincantieri, LEONARDO, Intermarine, Termomeccanica) engaged in production and development of marine/maritime technologies in both software and hardware. The cluster also includes medium and big enterprises working in information technologies. DLTM, represents the Liguria regional excellences on specific technologies while operating at national and international level in naval technologies both for the defence and the civil sectors, shipbuilding and pleasure craft technologies and monitoring, remediation and security of the marine ecosystems. DLTM has the role to promote collaboration between maritime industry and marine science supporting research, innovation and education and new synergism between public and private organisations.

Toulon Var Technologies (TVT) is an association created in 1988 by public and private actors, dedicated to supporting innovative ecosystems in the Southern France Region of Var, with more than 600 members including regional and local institutions, R & D centers, SMEs and large companies working for innovation. Serving innovative businesses, startups and entrepreneurs, TVT supports innovation in all its dimensions: products, services, new technologies, uses and organizational approaches. TVT has 2 business units: TVT Innovation and Pole Mer Méditerranée. In 2018, TVT Innovation became the new metropolitan Economic Development Agency of Toulon Provence Méditerranée (TPM). Its mission aims to boost the strategic entrepreneurial ecosystem, support startups & innovative companies and host entrepreneurs. TVT is also a member of the regional consortium for the EDIH Move2Digital with SCS PMM/TVT/SF. TVT/System Factory is the Cluster Defence Division of TVT, dedicated to the acceleration of the innovation integration inside Defence sector. TVT/System Factory has a dedicated convention with French MoD called “GIMNOTE” that allow to propose SME’s innovation to be sponsored by DGA, procurement agency of French MoD, to enhance the use of new technologies.

Navigo was established in Viareggio in 2007 as a strategic support center for the leisure boat enterprises in different segments of their markets: yachting production, refitting services, tourism on the sea and port organization. Navigo with these aims has started a wide range of business services: Certification, Design, Training, Innovation, Financing, International promotion, Communication. The company has about 100 members and 320 associated as a center of innovation PENTA. Navigo is the point of reference of Tuscany regional public administration to coordinate the network of local agencies in order to improve the leisure boat industry’s competitiveness promoting its innovation opportunities and the coordinator of PENTA (Innovation Center for Tuscany Leisure boat and Naval Technology). Navigo is in close contact with all the universities and research centers in Tuscany. In particular, the company is able to turn on analysis, research and development skills inside the following centers: University of Pisa, University of Siena, University of Florence, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa, ISTI CNR PISA.

The Blawer Cluster is a not-for-profit cluster organization grouping over 180 private businesses and 18 public partners, dedicated to the blue economy. The Blue Cluster is recognized by the Flemish government as a spearhead cluster. The Blue Cluster is focused on innovation trajectories to stimulate blue growth but acts also as a sector federation defending the stakes of a sustainable blue industry. It is an important networking organisation to bring together many companies that work (often partially) in a maritime context. By fully incorporating cutting-edge SMEs in the cluster organisation and the innovation projects, the Blue Cluster ensures that they can accelerate their growth. Besides its role in innovation, the cluster takes the lead in the development of a blue strategy for Flanders, and provides policy advice to the Flemish authorities to implement this strategy. Their thematic focus is on offshore renewable energy (bottom fixed and floating offshore wind, floating PV, offshore hydrogen production,…), clean and smart shipping, coastal defense with nature based solutions, marine aquaculture and blue biotech, sustainable coastal tourism and ocean health and waste solutions.

The Croatian Defense Industry Competitiveness Cluster HKKOI vision in the Croatian defense industry is to consistently boost and encourage the innovativeness of domestic science and production resources for defense and security, as well as to increase the share of research and development investments for the development of new defense and security products and services. During financial perspective 2014-2020, they have demonstrated their capacities and worthy projects and they have been recognized in several key strategic documents important for the development of the Republic of Croatia, such as Croatian Innovation Strategy 2014-2020, and Croatia Smart Specialization Strategies 2016-2020. One of their main goals is to serve as a constant platform for support and exchange of ideas between business entities dealing with defense-security production and scientific and state institutions in order to produce new products and services that address current and future security threats for society as a whole. It is also their goal to express a united standpoint of defense industry stakeholders in Croatia towards the relevant state institutions and policymakers on the issues of scientific research, technological development and modernization on the basis of their real capacities and interests of domestic industry stakeholders. Research and development collaboration and new innovative projects are key to achieving the technological progress of the overall industrial sector of the Republic of Croatia and they will especially encourage this type of investment and cooperation in the goal of strengthening the Croatian economy.

partners2

Riviere di Liguria is a Special Agency of Riviere di Liguria Chamber of Commerce, including the Provinces of Imperia, Savona and La Spezia, that works since October 1995, for the economic promotion of its territory, with particular reference to SMEs, consortium, clusters and local authorities. Riviere di Liguria is an independent Agency with its charter, board of governors, balance sheet and financial administration. The Agency is a partner of ALPS’s consortium since 2019, one of the five interregional consortiums in Italy responsible for the management of the Enterprise Europe Network (former EIC and then EEN contract with Unioncamere LIGURIA). Main Activity Sectors are Green and Blue Economy, Marine technologies, dual use activities, yacht building and shipbuilding, ICT, tourism, Agro-food industry and Environment. Local integrated development. Furthermore, it participates in many EU/interreg projects to support directly or indirectly (by means of new services) local SMEs, and developed a strong cooperation on events and activities with EDIC Provincia della Spezia, Eures and West Med Initiative – National Hub for Italy.

PROJECT’S WORK PLAN AND RESULTS

The entire project is divided into a series of  interconnected work packages (WPs) that aim to guide partners’ action towards the achievement of project’s main objectives. The whole structure has a sequential character and WPs are divided in three categories: 

  • knowledge creation (WP1)
  • supporting measures (WP 2, 3 e 4)
  • cross-cutting to all project activities (WP 1,5,6)

WP1 – MAPPING THE DEFENCE VALUE CHAIN AND CROSS-SECTORAL LINKAGES

WP2 – INNOVATE: ADOPTION OF NEW PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGIES, TRAINING

WP3 – NETWORKING, TRAINING E GO-TO-INTERNATIONAL

WP4 – SUPPORTING ACTIONS TO SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

WP5 – COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION

WP6 – MANAGEMENT

ACTIONS DEDICATED SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

 

On-line co-creating session (29/06/2023)

The workshop is the first in a series of actions dedicated to SMEs, to which is reserved a specific call aiming at finacially supporting their innovation and internationalization activities. The objective of the session is to make synergies among PMI emerge, identify eventual collaborations and publicize the main features of the call for proposals envisaged by the project

For more information about the on-line co-creating session and the thematic workshop series please visit the following link.

To signal your interest towards LEVIATAD’s activities you can register here.

Alternatively, to directly receive the call for proposals dedicated to financially support SME, please register here your contact.

Call for proposals “Supporting the innovation and internationalizations of small and medium-sized European small and medium-sized enterprises in the defence sector” (03/07/2023 – 04/09/2023)

The call is the project’s leading activity, providing direct and non-repayable financial support to innovation and internationalization projects of 50 European SMEs and startups operating (or willing to operate) in the naval and aeronaval defence sector.

Through a maximum €20.000 grant, the call funds projects that fall within the thematic areas (investment priorities) identified following the implementation of WP1, and that aim to foster:

  • innovation, green transition and digitalization;
  • the presence of European SMEs within international value chains.

The opening period of the call is 03/07/2023 – 04/09/2023. Awarded projects shall be implemented during a 8-months-period since the signature of the Grant agreement, not exceeding August 1st, 2024.

For more information about the call please visit the inherent page in our website.

Alternatively, to download the call and the necessary documents to apply, visit the project’s official webpage at https://www.navigotoscana.it/leviatad/.

Webinar series about the opportunities in the naval and aeronaval defense sector – 20/09, 27/09 and 04/10/2023 LINK

CALL FOR PROPOSALS – SUPPORTING THE INNOVATION AND INTERNATIONALIZATION OF EUROPEAN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN THE DEFENCE SECTOR

NEWS & EVENTS

08/06/2023
SEAFUTURE 2023

19/05/2023
CALL FOR SUPPLIERS

03/05/2023
ASDA 2023

CONTACTS

 

DLTM Davide Marini Project Manager davide.marini@dltm.it
DLTM Davide Ritarossi Project Manager davide.ritarossi@dltm.it
DLTM Anna Mori Project Manager anna_mori@hotmail.it
DLTM Chiara Tenca Communication Manager chiara.tenca@dltm.it
DLTM Valeria De Rosa Administrative valeria.derosa@dltm.it
TVT Stéphane Claisse Director claisse@tvt.fr
TVT Pierre Robineau Chief Architect
TVT Magali Gebelin Project Manager gebelin@tvt.fr
TVT Damian Perisse damien.perisse@crpm.org
RIVLIG Beatrice Casini Project Manager beatrice.casini@rivlig.camcom.it
RIVLIG Ilario Agata Project Officer ilario.agata@rivlig.camcom.it
HKKOI Goran Barasac Project Manager goran.basarac@gmail.com
NAVIGO Pietro Angelini Project Manager pietro.angelini@navigotoscana.it
NAVIGO Nicola Rossi Project Manager nicola.rossi@navigotoscana.it
NAVIGO Paolo Casini Project Manager paolo.casini@navigotoscana.it
NAVIGO Ilaria Piccini Project Officer ilaria.piccinini@navigotoscana.it
NAVIGO Elena Fontana Events and Marketing Manager elena.fontana@navigotoscana.it
NAVIGO Fabio Batini Administrative fabio.batini@navigotoscana.it
BC Marie Vandewalle Project manager marie.vandewalle@blauwecluster.be
BC Ann Overmeire Chief Operational Officer ann.overmeire@blauwecluster.be
BC Eveline Buyck Innovation Manager eveline.buyck@blauwecluster.be