Dawn of an ERA

1. Dawn of an ERA European Commission Research DG

2. Barcelona and RTDI • Council pushed EP for FP6- 600 changes • Reaffirmed importance of R&D-I • Set target of 3% of GDP for RTDI Investment • Reaffirmed Lisbon Targets • Urges removal of mobility barriers • Emphasises Frontier Technologies

3. The European Research Area • A blueprint for the future of research in Europe • Large support at the highest political, scientific and industrial levels • Being implemented >70 actions, review of progress soon. European Research Area National programmes European Research Policy «Open Coordination» Framework programme European organisations

4. Budgets of the EU Framework Programmes 3% of GDP = 240 B€ annually, so EU = 6% or target!

5. ERA must address a gamut of issues • Networking of existing centres of excellence in Europe and the creation of virtual centres by the use of interactive communication tools. • A common approach to the needs and means of financing large research facilities in Europe. • More coherent implementation of national and European research activities and relations between the various organisations of scientific and technological cooperation in Europe. • Better use of instruments and resources to encourage investment in research and innovation: • Improved Systems of indirect aid (within Community rules on State aid), patents, risk capital) • Establishment of a common system of scientific and technical reference for policies. • More abundant and more mobile S&T related human resources: • Greater mobility of researchers and introduction of a European dimension to scientific careers. • More prominence to the place and role of women in research • Stimulating young people’s taste for research and careers in science. • Greater European cohesion in research based on the best experiences of knowledge transfer at regional and local levels and on the role of the regions in the European research efforts • Bringing together the scientific communities and researchers of Western and Eastern Europe. • Improving the attraction of Europe for researchers from the rest of the world. • Promotion of common social and ethical values in scientific and technological matters."

6. EU research:changing priorities

7. Sixth Framework Programme- Main components - STRENGTHENING the foundations of the European Research Area FOCUSING and INTEGRATING European research STRUCTURING the European Research Area • BASIC PRINCIPLES Structuring effect : through a stronger link with national, regional and other European initiatives Coordination - Simplification Concentration: on selected priority research areas

8. Sixth Framework Programme

9. « Integrating research »:Specific activities covering a wider field of research • 7 thematic priorities • Specific activities covering a wider field of research : • Supporting policies and anticipating scientific and technological needs: activities in support of EU policies and research responding to new and emerging needs (annual programming) • Horizontal research activities involving SMEs: to boost technological capacities of SMEs in traditional or new areas and develop their ability to operate internationally (co-operative and collective research) • Specific measures in support of international co-operation: developing countries, Mediterranean countries including the Western Balkans; Russia and the CIS

10. Sixth Framework Programme

11. « Structuring the ERA »: 4 categories of activities • Research and innovation • Networking the players and users • Encouraging trans-regional co-operation • New tools and approaches concerning technological innovation • Putting services in place and consolidating them (CORDIS) • Economic and technological intelligence • Analysing innovation in EU-funded research projects • Human resources and mobility - Marie Curie • Host-driven actions: MC research training networks, MC host fellows for early stage training and for transfer of knowledge, Conferences/Training • Individual-driven: MC intra-European & outgoing/incoming internat. fellowships, • Excellence promotion and recognition: excellence grants & awards, MC chairs • Return and reintegration mechanisms

12. « Structuring the ERA »: 4 categories of activities • Research infrastructures • Transnational access to research infrastructures • Integrating activities • Communication network development • Design studies • Development of new infrastructures • Science/society • Bringing research closer to society: science and governance, scientific advice and reference systems • Responsible research and application of science and technology: ethics, uncertainty, risk, precautionary principle • Stepping up the science/society dialogue, Gender: public understanding, young people’s & scientific careers, women in science

13. Sixth Framework Programme

14. « Strengthening the foundations of ERA »: 2 categories of activities • Support for the co-ordination of activities • Co-ordination of national activitiesin areas such as: • Health: major diseases, diseases linked to poverty, development of European databases, co-ordination of clinical trials etc. • Biotechnology: non-health and non-food applications • Environment: urban environment, marine environment, seismic risk • Energy: new generation of power plants, energy storage etc. • Co-ordination at European level • Other co-operation frameworks (COST. EUREKA etc) • Joint initiatives of specialised European scientific organisations (CERN, ESA? ESO, EMBL etc)

15. « Strengthening the foundations of ERA »: 2 categories of activities • Coherent development of research and innovation policies in Europe • Analyses and studies (foresight, indicators etc.) • Benchmarking of research and innovation policies • Mapping excellence in Europe • Regulatory and administrative environment for research and innovation

16. Instruments • Action Areas: Priority thematic areas: • Networks of excellence + Integrated projects • Specific targeted research projects + Specific research projects for SMEs • Specific targeted research and innovation projects • Integrated infrastructure initiatives • Actions to promote human resources and mobility • Throughout the FP: • Specific support actions • Co-ordination actions • Participation of the Community in programmes implemented jointly by several MS (Article 169) (Variable Geometry)

17. 3 “new” instruments • Networks of excellence • Integrated projects • Programmes implemented jointly In priority thematic areas, the new instruments: • Will be used from the start of FP6 • As a priority means, while maintaining the use of specific targeted projects and co-ordination actions • Will be assessed in 2004

18. 3 new instruments-I • Networks of excellence: • Lasting integration of research capacities • Long-term and multidisciplinary objectives • Implemented by a joint programme of activities • Genuine ‘virtual centres of excellence’ • High level of management autonomy • Gradual integration of work programmes • Selected on the basis of calls for proposals • Integrated projects • Programmes implemented jointly

19. 3 new instruments-II/III • Integrated Projects: • To boost competitiveness or to address major societal needs • To provide results applicable to products, processes or services • Research activities complemented by demonstration, innovation activities • High level of management autonomy • Implemented through overall financing plans • Selected on the basis of calls for proposals • Programmes ImplementedJointly - Article 169 • Joint implementation of national/regional programmes (article 169 of the Treaty) via harmonised work programmes, common, jt or co-ordinated CfPs • Specific implementation structure • May be used in all FP activities

20. Other Instruments • Specific Targeted Research or Innovation Projects: • Specific targeted research projects: to improve competitiveness; need to be sharply focussed; either a RTD project (to gain knowledge) or a demonstration project (to prove the viability of new technologies which cannot be commercialised directly) • Specific targeted innovation projects:test,validate,disseminate new concepts,methods • Specific research projects (for SMEs) • Co-operative projects for the benefit of numbers of SMEs on common interest • Collective research projects for industrial associations or industry groupings in sectors where SMEs are prominent • Actions to promote and develop human resources and mobility • Promote training, development of expertise or transfer of knowledge • Support actions by individuals, host structures, training networks, European teams • Co-ordination actions • Specific support actions • Integrated infrastructure initiatives

21. Other instruments (bis) • Coordination actions • To support co-ordinated initiatives undertaken by a range of stakeholders involved in research and innovation (with the aim of improving integration) • Actions: conferences, meetings, studies, exchange of personnel, exchange of good practices, information systems, expert groups etc • Specific support actions • To complement FP6 implementation • To prepare future RTD activities (monitoring, assessment, etc) • Actions: conferences, meetings, studies, awards, information and communication activities, support of research infrastructures, feasibility • Integrated infrastructure initiatives • To develop research infrastructures in order to provide services at European level • Combine networking activities with support or research (eg. improve performance) • Financing for new infrastructures is excluded (see ‘Specific support actions’)

22. Evaluation - much as FP5! • Transparency - Equity - Impartiality Core criteria & for new instruments: • to be specified and complemented in work programmes according to instrument and activity Exclusion criteria: • Violation of fundamental ethical principles • Financial irregularities

23. Financing: Grants to Budget,Integration & Flat-rate

24. Financing -Modalities • Periodical (yearly) advances • Participants’ own accounting rules • Audit certificate by external auditor • Marginal cost • Possibility of average rates by type of expenditure

25. Where are we NOW? • Political Portends Positive • 8000+ People at Launch Event Nov02 • Momentum gathering, WP out 17Dec • ERA framework policies developing • Expression of Interest VERY helpful • Continuity assured! • New Instruments being spread • Accession bringing good science in • ERA is being built around by others

26. ERA will not stand alone Euro Innovation Area NoE Flow of Knowledge NoE ERA NoE Flow of Human Capital NoE Euro Educ Area

27. ERA aims to • consolidate EU R&D 15+2->25+2-> 1 • allow MS to function “together” • offer a better GLUE to R&D • manage overlaps, duplication • enable a policy space to emerge • offer systemic support to strategy • allow systematic future thinking

28. Information-The Start • General information on research: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research • General information on 6FP: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp.html • Programmes and projects : http://www.cordis.lu • Information requests: research@cec.eu.int CORDIS is the Gateway to all Areas!