Eureka eyes closer collaboration with the Commission
Discussions of ways to strengthen links between the European Commission and the industry initiative Eureka continued in Malaga this month during a meeting of Eureka's high level representatives. Closer cooperation 'holds the promise of great potential for the initiative and, in the longer term, for innovation and industry,' commented a spokesperson. Representatives from Eureka's 30 member countries agreed the initiative's recent progress has been encouraging with a 12 per cent rise in the number of projects generated during Spain's chairmanship; when compared with statistics for the same stage of the Germany's leadership last year. Funding has also increased by 14.5 per cent in the same period. Eureka takes this as an indication of its members' commitment to revitalisation. Eureka has also announced a new 'service sector task force', chaired by Antonio Rami Aló, a Spanish initiative to bring the innovative research and development aspects of the service sector within the scope of Eureka. And Eureka has two new applications for membership from the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Estonia. The high level group has already recommended their acceptance as members, which will be confirmed at Eureka's next ministerial conference in Madrid on 28 June 2001. Both countries have stressed the usefulness of Eureka for cross-border collaboration.