On 8 June 2016, the European Commission awarded nearly €36 million to 16 innovative projects under the fourth round of the Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) scheme, run under the EU's research and innovation programme Horizon 2020. The projects include advanced composite material technology for wind turbine blades, a laser robot that detects weld defects in ship hulls, a perfected reperfusion device used for resuscitation, ocean energy technologies and a new faster test for antibiotic susceptibility testing in bacteria. The 16 projects involve 72 partners in 16 countries to help bring their innovation on the market faster. The FTI scheme was launched in January 2015. The FTI is a fully bottom up measure promoting innovation activities at the close-to-the-market stage. It supports mature innovative concepts that have already been tested.
