The project aims to strengthen small and medium-sized companies’ opportunities to compete in global markets, contribute to sustainable growth and create new jobs. This is to be achieved by 28 companies receiving up to SEK 250,000 each in support, an R & D cheque, in order to purchase research competence for development efforts. The companies themselves must account for at least half of the cost of the operation. In the longer term, the support will contribute to knowledge transfer and improved contact paths between smaller companies, academia and research institutes. This will, for example, make it easier for future investments when research needs to be involved and collaboration will provide new business opportunities and international competitiveness.