FIFTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME for Research and Technological Development (1998-2002)
Commission Working Paper on the Specific Programmes:
Starting Points for Discussion
COM(97) 553
05-11-1997
Promoting competitive and sustainable growth (3)
(Part I : EC Treaty)
(ii) ACTIVITIES FOR GENERIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES
- New materials and their production and transformation
Rationale
Products and industrial processes in areas such as construction, transport, environment, energy, health and other services, are becoming increasingly complex, putting ever greater demands on the quality, durability, functionality and structural properties of materials. New and improved materials and related processes are essential in maintaining European competitiveness, not just in the 400 BECU materials markets, but throughout the entire fabric of European industry. Growth in the segment of new materials alone is estimated to be around 5% per year. Long term research is, however, increasingly under threat as the result of the current trend towards decentralisation in industry, and the high levels of cost competition, which are leading industry to focus on shorter term objectives. Moreover, environmental sustainability will require substantial reductions in resource utilisation, on a "lifecycle" basis, leading to the need to progressively introduce renewable raw materials, reutilise materials, and generate and integrate an increasing stream of "secondary" raw materials.
Objectives and RTD activities
Improved and new materials with wide applications. The aim would be to promote research on the most promising avenues for improving the functionality and performance of existing materials and the development of new materials with distinctly new or radically improved characteristics.
RTD priorities: innovative approaches such as nanostructured materials, supramolecular chemistry, colloidal systems and biomimetic chemistry; expanding the limits of materials properties and performance for extreme conditions; improving the understanding of deterioration mechanisms; new structural and functional materials with reproducible properties and reliable operation; improved and new biomaterials such as implants, tissue and body fluids, biosensors, drug delivery systems.
Materials production and transformation processes. Research would focus on technologies which can ensure quality, reliability and cost effectiveness of materials to allow optimum exploitation, especially in the context of the trend towards shorter production cycles.
RTD priorities: materials production technologies for high added value, SME-intensive industries, including fine chemistry, advanced polymers, metals and alloys, composites, ceramics; processing technologies for micro and nanopowders; surface, interfacial and coating technologies for advanced materials (e.g. composites, functional glasses, ceramics and polymers), and for functional applications (e.g. corrosion, environmental protection and reduction of wear).
Sustainable use of materials. Research would focus on the environmental impact of new materials and on materials reutilisation with the aim of increasing the flow of secondary raw materials with reliable material properties and reducing lifecycle impacts.
RTD priorities: research supporting the development of materials which are easy to recycle; recycling processes enabling guaranteed materials properties, fitness for purpose and cost-effectiveness; material waste minimisation and re-valorisation; renewable raw materials, in particular for production of organic chemicals.
- New materials and production technologies in the coal and steel fields
Rationale
Over many years, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) has created a framework for collaborative research and an effective network of researchers, promoting not only high quality scientific and technical results, but also effective technology transfer and rapid implementation of research results. However in view of the expiry of the ECSC treaty in 2002 and taking into account the conclusions of the Amsterdam European Council (June 1997), it is urgent to speed up the "phasing in" of coal and steel research into the Framework programme(5). This will benefit both the steel industry and suppliers, end-users and other research actors, by cost reduction, improved user satisfaction and higher added value.
Objectives and RTD activities
Coal research would be focused on production of metallurgical coke.
RTD priorities: research to reduce cost and improve quality of coke; improved production of reducing gases; reduced emissions and improvement of health and safety in industrial plants.
Steel research would be focused on the development of flexible and compact production lines, cleaner processes, innovative steel products, and development of recycling.
RTD priorities: iron and steel making technologies and processes for flexible, cost-effective production; technologies to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emission, improve steel cleanliness, increase recycling rates; casting, rolling and downstream treatment, including quality enhancement, tolerance, energy saving, coating and surface techniques, integrated process management and control; development of improved steel grades and high strength steels for higher performance and extreme conditions; "de-materialisation", recycling and upgrading of by-products.
Rationale
The assurance of quality and sustainability of industrial and agricultural products, associated services and commodities is critical in strengthening the functioning of the EU internal market and responding to society's needs. New and improved technologies and methodologies are needed for measurement and testing, to support the development of clean and efficient products, processes and services taking into account the changes in technology and legislation. Harmonised and validated methods across the EU and the establishment of international traceability of measurements would help to remove barriers to trade, promote environmentally-friendly products and facilitate the conclusion of mutual recognition agreements with third countries. New methods are also needed in order to combat fraud, which is very costly for national and Community budgets. Development of efficient instrumentation to meet industrial and societal needs would also stimulate market opportunities for instrument manufacturers, particularly SME's. Novel approaches need to be implemented in this area to increase SME access and include SME related objectives in research activities.
Objectives and RTD activities
Prenormative research and technical support to standardisation. Research would focus on development of measurement and testing methods and the production of scientific and metrological data.
RTD priorities: development of new standards over the range of industrial requirements; improvement of existing standards; support to the development of performance standards and directives to facilitate trade, to protect consumers and the environment and to favour mutual recognition agreements.
The fight against fraud. Research would focus on the development and improvement of measurement and testing techniques aiming at fighting dishonesty in society in order to detect misrepresentation of materials, components, goods, services or persons.
RTD priorities: techniques to combat deceit of consumers through counterfeit or falsely labelled industrial and agricultural products; avoidance of circumvention of trade regulations or E.U. legislation, including customs tariffs, quotas, waste disposal; avoidance of deceit of legal authorities including detection of drugs, doping, and identification of the provenance of cultural artifacts.
Improvement of quality. Research would support the development of techniques and tools to enable industry, associated services and agriculture to identify, quantify and measure the attributes that consumers perceive to be present in a quality product.
Research priorities: improved quality measurements and test methods; new methods and principles, including measuring the effectiveness of the ISO 9000 & 14000 series of standards; support for the development of instrumentation for reference and field measurement and testing, including novel sensors and sensing techniques, with emphasis on robust portable and in-situ instruments; development of certified reference materials to ensure reliability and traceability of measurements.
(iii) SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES
Rationale
Industrial research in Europe is widely recognised for its excellence, with well established strongholds at national level. To bring competitive advantages, scientific and technological results must however be converted into successful applications. This requires testing new materials processes or prototypes for which highly specialised and costly infrastructures are needed. However, new findings generate new data, in increasing quantities. Collecting, storing, organising them, at European level, would benefit industry and the whole user community. Not only would efficiency be improved by reducing duplication but more importantly focusing the whole fabric of research infrastructure in Europe towards common goals would enable a strategic approach to be put in place. Action is needed to encourage the optimum utilisation of the existing research infrastructures and large installations, with attention to the situation in the less favoured regions; to identify common needs and coordinated strategies for their enhancement and to integrate the existing facilities as far as possible to avoid duplication of work and ensure interoperability of data exchanges. As the stages of development of the national institutions vary in the Community, there is also a need to reinforce collaboration, in areas such as conformity assessments, training activities, transfer of know-how.
Objective and activities
Following the objectives of this Programme, activities would aim at the optimum utilisation of distributed research capabilities, and medium and large scale research facilities, and rapid transfer of existing and complementary RTD results to industrial applications. Amongst the areas of interest would be computing centres for industrial research, industrial high power lasers, transport test facilities, high quality wind tunnels, oceanographic vessels, materials and structures test facilities.
Virtual institutes. Using the development of Information Society Technologies and by the creation of a new kind of networked institute "without walls", research centres, especially smaller ones, would be encouraged to come together to make use of their individual potential to achieve synergy and reap wider benefits to support industry and society, in particular around objectives related to the key actions and generic technologies.
The European metrological infrastructure for quality products, processes and services (including reference materials) would continue to be supported to build upon the extensive network that is responsible for ensuring the equivalence of standards in the field of measurement and testing across Europe and beyond.
Reference data bases have been identified as a mean to support the development of the European research fabric in particular in the field of materials engineering. Activities would help to catalogue and compare research actions at national and international level and the output of different research facilities. They would focus on ensuring that the data generated is of acceptable quality and comparability and on bringing together sectorial and local activities in support of research at EU level. Such activities would preserve the property rights of individual organisations.
(5) Communication of the Commission to the Council on Expiry of the ECSC Treaty - financial activities COM(97)506, 8.10.97
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