Europe's regions will benefit from the ERA, says Busquin
Speaking at a round table on supporting research and innovation held in Liège, Belgium, on 15 January, Philippe Busquin, European Commissioner for Research, highlighted the important role that the regions have to play and stressed the importance of financial support. The round table took place against the background of the completed Prometheus project, which studied the unfolding of the scientific revolution from the centre of Europe to the peripheries in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The results of this study will be helpful as Europe faces the challenge of how to proceed with the 'third technological revolution'. The key to the creation of a sustainable political dialogue on coherent and long-term support for research and innovation is the creation of a European Research Area (ERA), according to Mr Busquin. The objective of the ERA is to confront the challenges with which Europe and its regions are faced, in a coherent, concerned and long-term manner. All of Europe's regions are called out to by the ERA because they are the bearers of speed, efficiency and coherence. They will be associated through structural actions, targeted RTD actions and actions targeting infrastructure, networks of excellence and researcher mobility. Various forms of cooperation are envisaged to assist enterprising actions by dynamic regions, including inter-regional networks of excellence, where experiences and good practices can be exchanged, for example in the area of technological transfer. The regions will certainly be able to play a constructive role, said Mr Busquin. Mr Busquin reminded participants of the Commission's role, as enshrined in the treaties, to reinforce the scientific and technological base of the Community's industry and to further the development of its international competitiveness. The Commission's objective is also to maximise the impact of European public financing, added the Commissioner. This is one of the reasons why the ERA will give priority to large projects, a European network of excellence, targeted projects and structural actions. Questioned about the comparative advantages of state aids and fiscal measures to support research, Mr Busquin replied that both are indispensable. Whereas direct aid can, for example, facilitate exploratory high-risk research, tax breaks constitute an indirect measure, which encourages investment.