Later this year, the Smart Flash project, created by Netun Solutions , will receive the European Commission's "Seal of Excellence," a quality award granted to promising proposals within the framework of Horizon 2020, the European Union's research and innovation program.
Smart Flash
The rise of IoT in the automotive sector is unstoppable . The current trend is toward vehicle connectivity with roads, cities, and each other. In the field of road safety, vehicle signage is incomplete without its subsequent connectivity. Organizations such as the DGT (Directorate-General for Traffic) are evolving toward connecting all types of vehicles for continuous monitoring of the road network through the DGT 3.0 platform.
The original Help Flash project, based on vehicle signaling in the event of a breakdown or accident, evolved into the Smart Flash device, which represents a step towards connected assistance service.
Through a mobile application that is activated when the Smart Flash device is turned on, using a chatbot with cognitive artificial intelligence, the application interacts with the user using natural language, helping them in the process of contacting emergency services or insurance company assistance services by sending relevant user data (location, basic vehicle data, medical data, etc.) that facilitates better assistance by reducing response times.
The "Seal of Excellence"
The Seal of Excellence is a quality certificate awarded to project proposals submitted to Horizon 2020 , the European Union 's framework program for research and innovation, to help these proposals find alternative funding. The certificate guarantees compliance with the criteria of excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency in implementation , which are valid for obtaining funding within the Horizon 2020 budget.
This is a very interesting initiative conceived by the European Commission to create synergies between Horizon 2020 funding and other sources of funding, which only receive around 10% of the companies applying for this program.
The director of business innovation at the Finnova Foundation , Adrián Noheda , states that this recognition "is of great importance for the international expansion of Netun Solutions , and positions it as an innovative company in today's competitive landscape." Furthermore, the company is eligible for the next call for proposals from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator , the main tool for the internationalization of innovative companies and services in the European Union, which finances up to two and a half million euros for international expansion. Its selection process is highly competitive, with less than 6% of projects being approved.
SME Instrument
The Seal of Excellence obtained by Netun Solutions under the SME Instrument call will be continued in the Horizon 2027 program, which provides €115 billion for innovation. In the case of Netun, sources at Finnova report that it may be eligible to apply for the European Innovation Council (EIC) program, where the European Commission provides €2.5 million in subsidies to innovative companies, as well as providing financing of up to €15 million in a participatory loan.
