RESEARCH: EUREKA MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE.

The number of "labelled" projects approved in the Danish capital is close to the figure for last year: 171 projects were adopted a year ago in Salonika worth a total of Euro 410 million. Fourteen new "sub-projects" drawn from strategic projects, so-called "clusters", have been adopted involving an investment of Euro 458 million. "Clusters" involve the co-operation of selected industry groups responsible for their management in consultation with the administrations concerned, which lend their financial support. These "clusters" notably concern microelectronics (MEDEA Plus), software (ITEA) and microsystems (Eurismus). France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium contribute more than 85% of the sums committed to these projects though several countries, notably Spain and Portugal, are nevertheless increasing their involvement.

The Eureka Lynx prize, awarded to a small enterprise that has experiences exceptional growth as a result of a Eureka project, has been awarded to a small French company (turnover of Euro 2.2 million), Genolife, based in Clermont-Ferrand, which specialises in molecular biology applied to agri-food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The Eureka Lillehammer 2003 Prize recognising the contribution made by a project to improving Europe's environment has meanwhile been awarded to the Frech "Poladia" project developed by Magnet Marelli and a German...