Glossary - S

Secondment period (FP7)

in FP7 Marie Curie actions, means a period spent by a researcher at a beneficiary’s premises (other than the beneficiary which has appointed him/her under the project) or at an associated partner's premises.

Secondment period (Horizon 2020)

in Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, means a period spent by a researcher at a beneficiary’s premises (other than the beneficiary which has recruited the researcher under the project) or a partner organisation’s premises.

Sideground

results (including IPRs) that have been created in parallel to the project, but are not part of the project or project-related.

SMEs

refers to enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million.

Specific Groups

means, in the context of FP7, the beneficiaries of ”research for specific groups” identified in the specific programme and/or work programme.

Spin-off

a new, separate and independent company created from an existing company or organisation. The creation of spin-off is also one of the technology transfer mechanisms through which knowledge and/or intellectual property are transferred and commercially exploited.

Standard Essential Patents (SEPs)

patents on technologies that are comprised in an industry standard and that would be necessarily infringed by implementing standard specifications.

State of the art

see Prior art

Supplementary protection certificate (SPC)

is the extension of the duration of a patent right after its expiration date, applicable to some biologically active agents such as medicinal products. SPCs usually last for a maximum of 5 years; furthermore, the total market exclusivity duration of the patent and the SPC cannot together exceed 15 years. SPCs are justified by the long waiting time for regulatory approval of these products, which delays their introduction on the market.