EUREKA strengthens the productivity and competitiveness of Europe in world markets through cooperation between enterprises and research installations in the area of advanced technology. EUREKA was founded in 1985 and today it has become an essential part of European and Swiss research, as well as technology politics. The cooperation between the current 37 member states and the EU commission is based on complete equality.One of the main points of the initiative consists of increasingly enabling the involvement of small and medium sized enterprises in EUREKA projects.
EUREKA has no means of promotion at its disposal. Financing occurs through participating nations according to the corresponding country's guidelines. In Switzerland, this task is implemented by the CTI. Switzerland is the only member country that gives funding directly to researchers.