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 (1)
(Part I : EC Treaty)
Competitiveness and sustainability are the keys to the long term future of the Union's economy: creation of wealth and employment opportunities, enhancement of the quality of life of Europe's citizens, and preservation of the environment and the natural resource base. Competitiveness depends on the capacity of enterprises, regions and nations to produce and use the science and technology of tomorrow, in high quality, innovative goods and services, and in new and more efficient organisations. Research is clearly crucial in generating a more competitive technological base for European industry and in fostering the transition to a sustainable world, which will involve both a transformation of working practices and an optimised use of resources.
Competitiveness and sustainability can no longer be considered a matter for individual organisations or sectors alone. In the context of an increasingly interlinked and globalising economy a "systems approach" is necessary, in which research activities support the development of coherent, interconnected and eco-efficient industrial and social systems, responding not only to market but also to societal needs. At the heart of these systems will be efficient and quality-based production systems, embedded in agile organisations and producing high-quality eco-friendly products and services. These wealth creating activities should be, in turn, supported by key services and products, including efficient transport systems, clean and safe vehicles and energy supplies. Material and immaterial infrastructures, i.e. the built environment and the research and training communities, complement the critical factors for long term competitiveness. Such a holistic approach will be most effective in improving the long-term efficiency and sustainability of Europe's economic system in the face of worldwide evolving market constraints and socio-environmental responsibility.
Strategic objective of the Programme
The goal would be to link economic growth, citizen needs and the environment through a systemic, multidisciplinary and integrated RTD approach. The Programme would support activities contributing to competitiveness and sustainability, particularly where these two objectives interact, by addressing key technological bottlenecks. Support to the development of new concepts such as eco-industry, intermodality, new generation aircraft and sustainable management and use of marine resources, integration of renewable energy sources, and to new approaches to urban living would help to prepare industrial sectors for the challenges of the new millennium, and to generate a strategic approach to research throughout European industry. In this context, industry's role will not only be in identifying areas for collaboration but also in bringing together and integrating projects, especially cross-sectoral projects along the value chain so that technology uptake and innovation are more efficiently ensured across Europe.
The need to master complex interdisciplinary problems within complex systems demands an innovative approach, comprising three elements: (i) a set of six key actions, each of which is targeted on tangible and measurable socio-economic objectives, and brings together complementary resources from a variety of disciplines. They have been selected and designed to address the major problems and challenges related to the achievement of long term balanced growth, reconciling competitiveness and sustainability; (ii) research on generic technologies, to develop the scientific and technological base to support innovation across a range of application areas related to competitive and sustainable growth. By definition generic research would mainly be of a medium and long term nature and would be characterised by multiple possible applications. However, the research would focus on identifiable areas of need which arise from the objectives of this thematic programme and the Framework Programme as a whole; (iii) support for the more efficient development and utilisation of research infrastructures at European level, in order to provide an attractive, networked environment for leading edge research activities, related in particular to the development of international standards and codes of good practice.
Socio-economic needs. By strengthening the innovative capacity of the existing European industrial system and by fostering the creation of businesses and services built on emerging technologies and opportunities the programme would help face the major challenge of employment. In parallel, research into new and environmentally-friendly processes, products and services, would contribute to improving quality of life. Both objectives are jointly pursued by the activities of the programme. The key action "city of tomorrow" exemplifies how combined efforts in various research areas (e.g. building, energy, transport, environment) would converge to achieve such socio-economic goals.
European added value. The critical mass to attain concrete and visible results in cost-intensive technologies, such as those involved in the key actions "new perspectives for aeronautics", "marine technologies", "advanced energy systems and services", would necessitate mobilising national and Community resources (public and private). Activities to develop norms and standards in support of Community policies have a clear European dimension, as do the cross-border problems, relating to transport issues, addressed in the key action "sustainable mobility and intermodality".
European competitiveness. Europe has a strong science base but suffers from a recognised "gap" compared with its major competitors inasmuch as Europe is less able to translate this scientific knowledge into innovation. Research into new types of industrial applications (e.g. eco-industries), new production systems, new organisational concepts should be fostered to boost competitiveness. This objective in particular is central to the key action " products, processes and organisation".
LINKS WITH OTHER PROGRAMMES
Coordination with the thematic programme on "creating a user-friendly information society" is based on the following principle : activities concerned with the development of information society technologies as such (which include application, demonstration and take up actions) will be concentrated in the "information society" programme; activities concerned with the integration and adaptation of information society technologies in applications relating to competitive and sustainable growth would be conducted in this programme.
This principle would apply in particular to work in the areas of (i) Products, processes and organisation, (ii) Sustainable mobility and intermodality, (iii) New perspectives in aeronautics, (iv) Marine technologies, and (v) City of tomorrow. These activities would be closely coordinated with related work in programme 2, in particular on New methods of work and electronic commerce, Systems and services for the citizen (transport), Multimedia content and tools (digital heritage and cultural content) and Essential technologies and infrastructures.
- Many of the problems addressed by this programme would only be tackled effectively in a broader international context : this is clearly the case for energy, transport and standardisation related issues, where world-wide competition is strong, and where major geo-economic challenges and significant export opportunities are at stake; it is also the case for "intelligent manufacturing systems" and other production oriented activities, where collaboration with international initiatives would bring added value to European research work.
- In view of the increasing need to bridge the gap between research results and their potential applications, and of the large number of companies which could be interested by the potential results, particular attention would be given to activities related to innovation and participation of SMEs.
- The improvement of European know-how, competences and skills in the fields covered by the programme would considerably enhance its capability to produce tangible and lasting impacts; for this reason training measures would represent an integral part of the programme.
Appropriate links would be ensured for these activities with the relevant horizontal programmes. Activities should be integrated and coordinated as necessary, within and between the different key actions and Programmes, as well as with the JRC. This should provide mechanisms by which industry, public authorities and the research community can work jointly, in response to common problems, particularly in fields such as business organisation, microsystems, traffic management, rational use of energy and "digital cities".
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