EU research policies still need fine tuning - expert group
Present EU policies and actions for research and technological development (RTD) and innovation may improve environmental performance, but will not foster the transformations in production that are required to achieve competitiveness within the framework of sustainability during the prospective period. This is the conclusion of a recent report by an expert group on sustainable production in the period to 2020. The report, prepared for the European Commission, was written by an independent working group composed of academics and representatives from non governmental organisations, research institutes and industry. The motivation was to address specific objectives and priorities for EU RTD and innovation policy, including actions to be supported at EU level, the combination of means needed to achieve these objectives and coordination between research policy and other policies, and between their instruments. The group developed a vision of a European system of production requiring a more integrated view of the arena of innovation. 'Innovations have to be designed by actors who know a specific production system, rather than by a small group of experts who met in Brussels during the year 2000,' states the report, which argues that this mindset is the necessary pre-requisite for new policies, actions and practices. The integrated vision should bring together economic, environmental, social and scientific concerns and requires solutions tailored to specific socio-technical systems and localities under the influence of national, European and global pressures. The report proposes the implementation of six processes to overcome current deficiencies, all of which should be flexible, durable and adaptable. The report authors state that ideas for innovative approaches should be generated through foresight forums, maximum encouragement for 'maverick or wild card' approaches to research and innovation through a continuously open call with the theme competitive and sustainable development and specific funds designated for innovations with merit, but which do not meet traditional criteria. The understanding of socio-technical systems should be encouraged through participative forums. Resolving the barriers to change should be tackled through addressing knowledge transfer problems and supporting inter-firm cooperation using information technology, knowledge management and logistics. The development and adoption of enabling technologies should be supported by emphasising basic science and research in technologies. Highlighted as particularly important are information and communication technologies (ICT), biotechnology and micro and nanotechnologies, as the expert group argues that these represent important enabling technologies in the areas of dematerialisation and resource productivity. Policymakers should seek to encourage a variety of actors to participate in the process of learning and change, says the report. This should be done by incorporating societal and environmental actors together with business managers in programme committees of the Framework programme. Socio-economic research into sustainability management and innovation management within competitive frameworks should also be introduced, along with a voucher system allowing societal groups to receive research grants if collaborating with others, states the report. To counteract current RTD policy deficiencies, processes and their outcomes should be demonstrated and disseminated to others, says the expert group. This could be done through the development of legislation that allows technical alternatives to be examined in advance of drafting directives, R&D in hard sciences in public sector areas, database and resource guides on good practices of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and socio-economic shadowing of the process of mainstream RTD and innovation research. The report also states that EU RTD and innovation polices should support and foster innovation in a way that involves seeking and implementing new ways to meet human needs, rather simply repeating the way in which things have been done in the past. The expert group is aware that there are currently obstacles to this approach and to stronger collaboration. These include different cultures and management styles across Europe, a lack of coherence in incentives and other policies (including tax and subsidies), weak participation by the private sector, an absence of initiatives that bring together potential partners across sectors and interests and an aversion to risk. Other factors it identified included a lack of skills to support multi-actor, multi-disciplinary, multi-functional and multi-sectoral processes and poor mechanisms to diffuse good practice in learning and knowledge development. What is needed therefore is a shift towards broader and more flexible policy instruments. The expert groups has four proposals to make in this area: - 100 per cent funding of search exercises for key socio-technical systems; - Funding support for remodelling R&D infrastructure and the innovation system to reflect new demands for knowledge, the new context for interaction with industry and the requirements for new skills and competencies; - The establishment of international competence networks as a basis for research and the dissemination of research results; - The restructuring of RTD and innovation policy administration so that it reflects the participative processes that are being encouraged. Globalisation is as changing the way in which technological and social innovations are governed, the expert group concludes. This has also created a new responsibility - to ensure that future innovation is 'governed in ways that are responsive to global competitiveness and innovation, environmental concerns and social needs, while harmonising public policies and business strategies through collaboration and joint action.'