Application-oriented cooperative research (CR) is, for the sciences, an important element of their interaction with the economic sector. It also has a positive effect on the innovation behaviour of the participating companies (WR 2007). The benefits of pre-competitive forms of CR for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular have been clearly demonstrated (rwi 2009). The steel industry supports this kind of CR by engaging in research projects with companies from steel application sectors like the automotive, construction, mechanical engineering or shipbuilding industry. In these sectors and among their suppliers, there are often a significant number of SMEs whose active involvement in CR poses a considerable challenge.