Small business innovation research for Transport and Smart Cities Mobility

The European transport sector must have the capacity to deliver the best products and services, in a time and cost efficient manner, in order to preserve its leadership and create new jobs, as well as to tackle the environmental and mobility defies. The role of SMEs to meet these challenges in all the areas of the Transport Specific Programme[[Council Decision of 3 December 2013 establishing the specific programme implementing Horizon 2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020), Part III – 4. Smart, green and integrated transport.]] is critical as they are key players in the supply chains. Enhancing the involvement of weaker players in innovation activities as well as facilitating the start-up and emergence of new high-tech SMEs is of paramount importance. SMEs are pivotal for delivering the innovations needed for greater sustainable and smarter mobility, better accessibility and logistics serving business and citizens, and thus higher economic growth, in a context where the majority of population lives in urban and urbanised areas. Actions to develop new services, products, processes, technologies, systems and combinations thereof that contribute to achieving the European transport and mobility goals defined in the 2011 Transport White Paper could be particularly suited for this call.