Tag Archive: SMEs

  1. LEVA-EU and SBS Unveil LEV-Standardisation Briefing at Eurobike

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    At Eurobike, LEVA-EU and SBS joined forces to offer professional visitors comprehensive information on standards for electric (cargo) cycles, e-scooters, and self-balancing vehicles. The event’s highlight was a lunch meeting on Thursday, July 4th, where experts from LEVA-EU and SBS presented the latest developments in standardisation work and introduced an extensive briefing on LEV-standardisation.

    About LEVA-EU

    LEVA-EU is the European trade association dedicated to companies in the light electric vehicle (LEV) sector. Covering all LEVs both within and outside the scope of Regulation 168/2013, LEVA-EU is the only professional association in the EU exclusively focused on LEVs. These vehicles range from e-scooters and e(cargo)cycles to e-mopeds, e-motorcycles, and microcars. Currently, LEVA-EU represents around 70 companies active in all LEV segments, including component manufacturers and service suppliers.

    The trade organisation provides its members with critical information and guidance on LEV regulations and legislation. Additionally, LEVA-EU advocates for better legislation and regulations directly with European institutions.

    LEVA-EU’s Expert Involvement in Standards Development

    LEVA-EU has three experts actively participating in European and international technical committees (TC) on LEV standards:

    • Annick Roetynck, LEVA-EU Manager, focuses on CEN TC333 – cycles, actively participating in WG5-EPACs and WG9-(e) carrier cycles.
    • Bram Rotthier, LEVA-EU Technical Director, is heavily involved in IEC TC125, where he contributes to the development of standards for eTransporters. As the secretary of this TC, he plays a particularly prominent role.
    • Eddie Eccleston has been an SBS expert in CEN TC333 cycles for years, with a specific mandate from SBS to protect the interests of SMEs in the development of standards.

    LEVA-EU’s direct involvement in these committees ensures that the standards and regulations developed are practical and beneficial for the LEV sector.

    Strengthening SME Focus: LEVA-EU and Small Business Standards

    To bolster its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), LEVA-EU joined Small Business Standards (SBS) last year. SBS is a European non-profit association co-financed by the European Union and EFTA Member States. Its mission is to represent and defend SMEs’ interests in the standardisation process at both European and international levels. SBS also aims to raise SME awareness about the benefits of standards and to encourage their participation in the standardisation process. The establishment of SBS aligns with the European Union’s goal to make the standardisation system inclusive, transparent, and accessible.

    Successful Standardisation Information Meeting at Eurobike

    At Eurobike, LEVA-EU and SBS organised a highly successful information meeting on standardisation, attracting over 100 registrations. The purpose of the meeting was to familiarise participants with various aspects of standardisation, including:

    • How standards are developed and approved
    • The relationship between standards and legislation
    • Ways in which companies can be involved in the standardisation process, directly or indirectly

    LEVA-EU and SBS provided an extensive overview of the current standards for e-scooters, self-balancing vehicles, EPACs, and e-cargocycles. Key points covered included:

    • The new EU Machinery Regulation and Battery Regulation issued last year
    • The relationship between these regulations and the relevant standards
    • The European Commission’s mandate to CENELEC to develop new standards for batteries used in light means of transport
    • The latest amendment to the EN15194 standard for EPACs, which includes new battery requirements

    Extensive Briefing on Standardisation

    With the support of SBS, LEVA-EU has published a detailed briefing on standardisation. This comprehensive resource is now available for free, accessible via the following link: https://vqr.vc/Ejy0eaDbu.

    By joining forces with SBS and organising such informative events, LEVA-EU continues to empower SMEs in the LEV sector, ensuring they are well-informed and actively engaged in the standardisation process.

    Upcoming Webinars on Standardisation

    The information meeting on standardisation will repeated in the autumn with three webinars. The dates for these webinars will be announced at the end of August.

    For more information, please contact: Annick Roetynck, LEVA-EU Manager, annick@leva-eu.com.

  2. Eurostars calls for projects

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    Source: Eureka

    Eurostars is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The partnership is jointly funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe.

    Eurostars serves as a funding instrument specifically designed to support innovative SMEs and project partners (large corporations, universities, research institutions, and various other entities) by financially supporting collaborative international R&D and innovation projects. Participating entities gain access to public funding for diverse collaborative R&D endeavours spanning all sectors.

    For a successful application within the Eurostars framework, it’s essential to:

    1. Have a clearly defined project concept.
    2. Collaborate internationally, sharing expertise.
    3. Develop products, processes, or services with strong potential for commercialisation.

    Innovative SMEs interested in learning more are welcome to attend an interactive webinar hosted on 11 January 10.30 CET, where there will an opportunity to ask any questions. Register for the webinar here.

    The application for R&D and innovation projects is open to 37 countries and can be submitted between January 12, 2024, and March 14, 2024, at 14:00 CET (Brussels time) via the dedicated project platform at myeurekaproject.org. While an innovative SME should lead the project consortium, other entities such as large companies, universities, and research organizations are welcome to be part of the consortium.

  3. SBS to host conference on SMEs and smart manufacturing – Standards as accelerators of industry change

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    Small Business Standards (SBS) invites interested parties and stakeholders to join the online conference this November

    Closing the SBS Meeting Standards campaign, the conference, moderated by Jenny Baker, will focus on the opportunities and challenges smart manufacturing brings to SMEs and discuss the role of standards in the digitalisation of manufacturing and the adoption of new manufacturing technologies. Through the presentation of SME case studies, the aim is to discuss the policy and legal context, standardisation activities and developments in this area and how they can support the adoption by SMEs of smart manufacturing technologies so that SMEs remain competitive in this area.

    When: 21 November – 13.15 – 16.15H (Brussels time)
    Where: Online

    Visit the official website to find out more and register

    Small Business Standards (SBS) is a non-profit association representing and defending Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SMEs) interests in the standardisation system at European and international levels. Its 22 members are national and European sectoral and inter-professional associations representing SMEs in 32 European countries.

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