INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Crossborder Cooperation

INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Crossborder Cooperation Programme 2007 -2013 Part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) The 2 Seas Trade Project (2 ST) Steve Samson Trade Development Manager Kent County Council steve. [email protected]. gov. uk

Project Partners www. 2 seastrade. eu

Project Objectives Þ To establish a cross-border trade support network Þ To help SMEs to do business in another 2 ST partner area Þ To promote the 2 Seas Trade area as a place to do business www. 2 seastrade. eu

Project Activities & Outputs

Communication www. 2 seastrade. eu

Who has benefited? www. 2 seastrade. eu

Cross-Border Added Value Þ A genuine cross-border issue Þ Trade cannot be achieved in isolation Þ Partner expertise & networks Þ Joint planning & delivery www. 2 seastrade. eu

Sustainability & Lasting Impact Þ Web-based resources available to businesses Þ Case studies & success stories Þ Great network of partners (future SME referrals) Þ Referrals to wider support services www. 2 seastrade. eu

Lessons Learnt & Next Steps Þ Interreg Projects are complex Þ Different levels of expertise Þ Clarity Þ Flexibility Þ Planning, planning! What next? Þ 14 months of project delivery Þ Future project? www. 2 seastrade. eu

A Lesson in International Marketing www. 2 seastrade. eu

INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Crossborder Cooperation Programme 2007 -2013 Part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Aim TIME should enable companies and technology providers to meet in order to: – develop skills and knowledge about challenges in 3 maritime sectors – enhance productivity thanks to innovation – identify cross border or national business opportunities

Objectives Doing so the TIME project has the objective to: – increase the competitiveness of the companies in the supply chain of 3 maritime sectors – help companies, not linked with maritime activities, to use their technologies in order to become suppliers of maritime activities – encourage maritime companies to use new technologies to create competitive advantages – help SME’s to expand into international maritime markets – define methodologies and tools to facilitate the cross border collaborations for technology transfer or to find new markets – strengthen the development of the maritime economy of the three participating regions.

Methodolody – desk research Preliminary desk research of 6 maritime sectors 1. Logistics 2. Sport / leisure and coastal tourism 3. Fishing / Aquaculture 4. Marine Renewable Energy 5. Shipping 6. Security Selected activity sectors for TIME 1. Security & Logistics 2. Maritime Renewable energy 3. Fishing/Aquaculture

Methodology – broad mapping survey 2 broad mapping approaches – face to face interviews – a supply chain mapping methodology identification of specific problems and opportunities in the 3 sectors For more details see downloadable document: Final Report www. time 2 seas. eu

Methodology – matching process – intensified company visits – ad hoc bilateral meetings – collaborative workshops – professional events for each sector – set up relations via professional clubs for each sector

Results on matching and cross border collaboration – 234 companies visited – 43 technology providers visited – 50 collaboration meetings organized – 20 collaborations initiated – both national and cross border – 8 cross boarder collaboration agreements

Results on communication and dissemination Communication – professional events • Serious gaming technology and use of access and video control systems in Security & Logistics (27 persons attended) – 26/05/11 – Ostend (B) • How reducing cost of logistics of off shore wind energy farms during construction and maintenance through optimisation? (31 persons attended) • Fishing for the good ideas from our fisheries! (30 persons attended) – 19/10/12 – Wimille (F) Dissemination – professional club meetings • Contact less technologies in port security and logistics – Ghent – July 5 th 2012 • Security & Logistics and Serious Gaming – Calais – July 11 th 2012 • Renewable Energy Professional club meeting – Wimille – October 18 th 2012 • Club Fishing sector – Calais – November 29 th 2012

Lessons learned Companies/Technology providers Difficulties – CEO’s open mindedness to cross border cooperation – Organisations rigidity to its own procedures and rules. – Companies’ business strategy and availability. – Business creation is time consuming an depends on the matching of the right people. Benefits – Crossing of different technologies, industries and sectors to generate innovation: Ø Contact less technologies vs. ports logistics Ø Contact less technologies vs. fishing industry Ø Game industry vs. ports security – Eye opener for companies and organizations not familiar with cross border projects – TIME delivered different positive side effects: Ø Expansion on Flanders for professional organizations such as CITC EURA RFID (FR) and Game Industry North (FR) Ø TIME allowed some organizations to acknowledge some similar activities which were taking place across the border

Lessons learned Project partners Difficulties – Keeping the same partners / staff on the whole duration of the project – Collaboration with the communication agency Benefits – Frequent interactions between the project partners accelerate the acquisition of knowledge and know-how. – Complementary Interreg projects should cooperate to create synergies

Future approaches - opportunities Companies / Technology providers – Specific supplier gaps and innovation potentials could be tackled. – Creation of innovation minded companies and technology resource centers databases. – Creation of a qualitative evidence base for justifying future collaborations between companies or technology providers – Build further on organizational relationships started in the project Use Rampion meet-the-buyer and other events for further develop relationships Project Partners – Sharing of culture on SMEs innovation support between the project partners and the regions in general – Input to regional innovation strategies and Common Strategic Framework for future structural funds – Opportunities for inter- cluster partnering: f. e. MSE and Flanders Marine Cluster – Stimulate ideas on regional ‘smart’ specialization

INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Crossborder Cooperation Programme 2007 -2013 Part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) IDEA : Improving Drugs Efficacy and Availability F. AFFOUARD University Lille 1 - Frederic. [email protected] 1. fr http: //idea. univ-lille 1. fr

Motivations • The vast majority (80%) of drugs shows prepared as solid products (powders, tablets , capsules) • These solids exist in different forms (crystals & amorphous) which behave differently in the human body • Strong impact on therapeutic efficacy, safety and product stability

‘ 2 seas’ opportunity IDEA project • Major bottleneck: 80% of drugs show poor water solubility • Current awareness in industry for research and training reorientation so as to incorporate understanding of the solid state of drugs • Presence in the 2 -seas EU region of recognized researchers in the challenging field of solid state pharmaceutical science: in physics, chemistry and pharmacy

IDEA Partners FRANCE • • University Lille 1 (M. Descamps / F. Affouard) University Lille 2 (J. Siepmann) BELGIUM • • University of Ghent (C. Vervaet) SME SEPS Pharma in Ghent (Y. Gonissen) UK • • University of Cambridge (W. Jones) University of East Anglia (D. Craig / S. Qi)

Activity 1 • Trans-disciplinary technological platform (physics, chemistry, pharmacy) • dedicated to: Ø Material synthesis Ø Advanced characterisation Ø Formulation of pharmaceutical materials

Mutualised rich and complementary know-how and equipments bases • Preparation: solvent evaporation and freeze-drying (Cambridge, Lille 2), hotmelt extrusion and spray-drying (Ghent, Lille 2, Norfolk), co-grinding (Cambridge, Lille 1) • Characterization: Raman, Infra-red and terahertz and relaxational spectroscopies( Cambridge, Lille 1), thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction (Cambridge, Norwich, Lille 1), drug dissolution and particle size analysis (Lille 2, Ghent), Electron Microscopy (Cambridge, Lille 1, Ghent), Molecular modelling (Cambridge, Lille 1) • Formulation: tablets, implants, micro- and nano-particles (Lille 2, Ghent, Norwich).

Activity 2 • Research activity programme with technical applications to the design of new solid state pharmaceuticals • Facilitate the development of both new and existing drugs with improved properties • Use of nanoparticle technologies, amorphous forms and molecular complexations • Fast and efficient validation provided by the SME SEPS-PHARMA

How to increase drug solubility ? • Transform the drug into the amorphous state (disordered) • Stabilize the amorphous drugs using polymeric matrices MILLING EXTRUSION

IDEA partnership: • • Optimized protocoles & best Drugs/Polymers Upscaled at the SME SEPS PHARM site Prototypes of drug products Communications: Ø Leading scientific journals Ø International conferences Ø Workshops and seminars to industries & academics

Activity 3 • Training centre for a new trade dedicated to the optimization of the solid-state drug manufacturing processes • Training provided by the members of the partnership • Meet the need of pharmaceutical firms • Targets: students and personnel from industries undertaking continuing professional development

Training centre • Students formed on this project so far: Ø 2 Ph. D students & 2 postdoc (Lille 1) Ø 3 Ph. D & 2 master students (Cambridge) Ø 5 Ph. D & 3 master students (Lille 2) Ø 2 Ph. D & 1 Erasmus student (Ghent) Ø 2 Ph. D students & 1 postdoc (East Anglia) Ø 1 Ph. D & 1 Master student (SEPS Pharma) • “Training Days” at partner sites (Lille, Ghent, Cambridge, Norwich) • Lectures and MASTER courses • Training seminars at industries sites

Conclusion & perspective • IDEA partnership (Lille, Ghent, Cambridge, Norwich): Research activity + Training centre + technological platform • Training : Ø University Ghent & Lille (1+2): Joint Master “solid state pharmaceutical science” Ø ERASMUS Mundus proposal Ø Marie-Curie (Network, Industrial Doctorates) • Strengthening of the links with industries • Cluster initiative? ? ? INTERREG 5 ? ? ?