FP7 ushers in new era for European research policy, hears conference
Representatives from the German Government and the European Commission have expressed high hopes for the future of European research following the launch of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). With FP7 now in full swing, the European Commission says it will turn its attention to reviewing progress on the European Research Area (ERA). 'FP7 is the start of a new chapter in EU research and innovation policy,' said Annette Schavan, German Federal Minister of Education, speaking at the opening plenary of the country's official FP7 launch event on 15 January, in Bonn. Germany took over the Presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2007. Thanks to a larger budget and a longer time frame than any of its predecessors, the new framework programme will provide the European research community with access to an unprecedented level of funding and continuity in terms of themes and procedures, said the minister. FP7 also sees the introduction of new European strategies in important areas such as security, which Ms Schavan said were in line with, and provided added-value to national programmes. 'What is important is that we, the 27 Member States, have developed a joint strategy and are providing a platform for research as a basis for innovation that goes beyond national borders,' said the minister. The new programme also heralds the start of a new era for basic research in Europe, with the establishment of the European Research Council (ERC), which Ms Schavan described as a 'wonderful development'. 'What is behind [the establishment of the ERC] is the conviction that we have to promote strong basic research as a basis for technological development and as a basis for progress in the field of applied research,' she said. Getting the ERC off to a good start is one of the top priorities of the German EU Presidency. In light of growing global competition, Ms Schavan said it was particularly important for Europe to create stronger links between basic research and applied research in order to translate new ideas into products and services, and to innovate. 'This will be one of the main themes to be addressed in FP7 and the ERC,' she said. By boosting Europe's basic and applied research activities, FP7 will in turn contribute to the Lisbon goal of creating the world's most dynamic knowledge economy by 2010, said the minister: 'To have a strong European economy, we also need to have a strong research area - the two can no longer be separate.' With this goal in mind, the German EU Presidency has said that it will see to it that the financing deficits in FP7, which were identified during the mid-term evaluation, are adequately taken into account in the second half of the Financial Perspectives. FP7 as an instrument for economic growth was highlighted by Janez Potocnik, Commissioner for Science and Research at the opening plenary session. 'The next seven years will not only see a bigger, bolder Framework Programme. They will also see an increasing dependence on research as Europe continues to build a knowledge society,' said the Commissioner. He called on governments and industry to take the lead from FP7 and put more resources into research to improve the framework conditions for innovation in Europe. But the ideas do not stop at FP7, he noted. 'Now that FP7 is up and running, it is time to look again at how research is organised and carried out in the ERA,' he told participants. Over the course of the next year, the Commissioner said that he would be reviewing how the ERA was working. Among the aspects to be reviewed will be how easy it is for researchers to move between facilities and organisations; to have their qualifications recognised; to take their benefits with them; to maintain their career development; to find new opportunities in both the public and private sector; to access funding sources; and to use the most advanced infrastructures. 'In short, I want to see how many internal research walls we have knocked down since the European Research Area was first suggested seven years ago,' said Mr Potocnik. He noted that much progress had been made on the ERA in previous framework programmes. 'But this year, I want to come forward with new ideas about making the ERA stronger. It will, in effect, be 'a new era for the ERA',' he said. One of the Commissioner's ideas is the creation of a 'United States of Research'. 'Here I don't mean 'states' just in the sense of countries of nation states or Member States. I mean 'states' as in 'states of development', 'states of cooperation', 'states of innovation' - in short, states of the future, united and working together,' he said The Commissioner concluded by emphasising the need to act immediately. The debate about the new EU constitution is moving back up the political agenda. And the EU will look at its budget again in 2009. 'These two events are about more than just institutional reform or money. They are about the future direction and shape of the EU. We cannot let research be neglected. We need to show research's importance for all of Europe, and beyond.' A Communication on progress towards an ERA will be published by the European Commission in the spring.
Countries
Germany