Research and Innovation News from the Italian Presidency
cordis.europa.eu/italy

Brussels, 18 July 2003

The EU research and innovation portal CORDIS launched today a new service (cordis.europa.eu/italy) that will enable users to follow the Italian Presidency's priorities and initiatives for enhancing EU innovation and competitiveness. The service also puts Italian research and innovation players in the spotlight, providing statistics, case studies and contacts, as well as exploitable technologies from Italian involvement in EU research programmes.

The new CORDIS Italian Presidency Information Service highlights the Presidency's programme and priorities, and features interviews with Italian ministers chairing the EU Competitiveness Council during the Italian Presidency term (July - December 2003). It offers the latest news, plus in-depth coverage of key high-level events designed to give impetus to the building of a European Research Area and knowledge-based economy.

Developed jointly by the Italian Ministry for Education, Universities and Research and the European Commission's research and innovation portal CORDIS, the service is part of a larger gateway to national research, which uses the Internet to make EU research policy more transparent and participatory.

"Together we must continue to drive forward efforts to make a reality of our vision of a genuine European Research Area, where scientific excellence is given the support and prominence it deserves, contributing to making the Union the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world", said the EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin, introducing the European Commission's research priorities under the Italian Presidency. These focus on:

• "More research for Europe": the 3% objective;
• New policy initiatives for a genuine European research employment market;
• Discussions on the European candidacy for the international thermonuclear reactor (ITER),
• Advancing European Space Policy,
• Seeking agreement on the EU funding for stem cells research
• Extending the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure to the accession countries

The new CORDIS service will provide timely information on the various conferences, illustrating these priorities, such as:

• "The career of researcher in the European Research Area", 16-18 July 2003, Florence
• The IST Event, 2-4 October 2003, Milan
• "Industrial Property - Quo Vadis?", 6-7 October 2003, Ischia
• The INTRA/ERA conference on research infrastructures, 21 November 2003, Trieste
• Women in Science: Mainstreaming gender equality in the European Research Area, 3 December 2003, Rome

It will offer news, interviews and documents on the three meetings of the EU Competitiveness Council, scheduled for September and November 2003.

The service also features a press section with background information and links to Italian science and technology media sources. It represents a unique resource for statistics, examples and background stories on Italian technological achievements, with details on more than 1500 EU-funded projects co-ordinated by Italian organisations, as well as more than 100 technology offers. Nearly 500 potential Italian partners for EU research funding, as well as details on the national contact points for the Sixth Framework Programme can be found on this new CORDIS service. A dedicated section on Italian technology transfer organisations and innovation relay centres offers practical insight into the role that local organisations can play in promoting entrepreneurship and fostering EU competitiveness.

The new CORDIS Italian Presidency Information Service will not only be useful for researchers and policy makers, but also for small companies seeking understanding and opportunities from the emerging internal market for knowledge and new technologies. It is updated in both English and Italian.

To visit the service: cordis.europa.eu/italy

For further information on CORDIS:
CORDIS press contact
Tel: + 32 2 238 17 36
Fax: + 32 2 238 17 98
E-mail: CORDIS Press Service
Web-site: cordis.europa.eu/press-service/about.htm