The Maltese company Ateknea Solutions provided support to Quipu - a company from Pisa,  Italy - to apply for a H2020 SME Instrument Phase 1 Call which was submitted for evaluation on the 15th of February 2017.  The Call is SMEInst-01-2016-2017: Open Disruptive Innovation Scheme [Societal Challenges - Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies (LEITs)].

Ateknea Solutions has collaborated with Quipu on the assignment to write the proposal for SMEI with information provided by Quipu’s team, and together they have shaped and presented a solid project. Over the course of proposal preparation, they have scheduled weekly meetings via skype to discuss the objectives of their project. Quipu introduces the concept of an app-store for ultrasound scanners. Through their system, hospitals can make use of lower to mid-range scanners to get the diagnostic functionality of high end scanners. On the completion of a successful phase 1 project, they aim to extend their established collaboration and apply for funding for a Phase 2 project. This will enable Quipu to bring the service they offer from prototype up to commercialisation.

Ateknea Solutions specialises in providing SMEs with information on H2020 funding with particular focus on the dedicated instrument for SMEs. Their team of specialised writers works in close collaboration with the SMEs for idea evaluation and proposal preparation. They also offer support during implementation stage and ensure that the SME is executing the project in line with the detailed objectives in the application form and within the stipulated timeframes.

The companies met at the ‘Meet in Italy for Life Science’ event (created in 2014 by Confindustria Toscana - Tuscan EEN contact point, together with the Tuscan Cluster for Lifescience) at its third edition held in Rome on the 26th and 28th of October 2016, and organised by Research to Business and the Network.  Quipu is a company founded in 2011 as a spin-off of the Italian National Research Council and the University of Pisa, Italy. The team includes engineers and doctors who share 20 years work experience in the field of medical ultrasound. Ateknea Solutions, on the other hand, is a multinational company that offers support to SMEs who wish to obtain funds from H2020, with particular focus on SME instrument. A meeting was held between the two companies at the above-mentioned event and continued their collaboration and communication via email and skype.

The companies worked together and Quipu submitted a Phase 1 SME Instrument proposal on the 15th of February 2017. The Proposal ID is 774469 and the project title is ‘A suite of software applications for medical ultrasound diagnosis [Quipu Cloud].   The companies plan to continue evolving their business relationship, and in the event of a successful Phase 1 there are plans to proceed to phase 2 submissions.