Convinced of the enormous innovation potential of embedded systems and of their benefits to the public at large, the European Union set up the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking (JU) in 2008.
The ARTEMIS-JU is there to provide funding to industry, universities and research institutes to pursue R&D on embedded systems and for projects that follow the ARTEMIS strategy and research agenda. This agenda looks more towards downstream (closer to market) industry driven R&D that will fuel innovation and get results to market swiftly. The research funding is provided by the EC (as part of its Framework 7 programme) and by a set of 22 European countries, in which the UK has been an early and enthusiastic contributor.
ARTEMIS is more than 'just another funding scheme'; it has a different 'footprint' – technically, strategically and geographically – which both complements existing schemes and allows it to embrace companies and institutes in countries which have not historically participated in, for example, the Eureka clusters.
In terms of impact, the applications of embedded systems are so ubiquitous, transcending traditional boundaries between different industry sectors, that the effect of a relatively small financial stimulus, coupled with a focus on downstream innovation, can be enormous – ergo the interest of the EC and the participating countries. This opens a whole new playing field of opportunity for companies, including those in the UK, to enjoy the benefits of collaborative, publicly funded R&D.
ARTEMIS closed the first Call for Proposals in September 2008 and, of the 27 proposals, 12 projects concluded funding contracts before the end of December. These are now up and running in record time with a total budget of €200million, of which €100million is from public funds. The UK invested €3million in the 2008 call and this has been increased by 30% to €4million for the 2009 Call (for more information about the 2009 Call for Proposals and how to apply for funding, see https://www.artemis-ju.eu/call_2009 ).