IST in FP6 to make Europe more competitive and innovative?
Closing the IST 2001 conference in Düsseldorf, Germany, on 5 December, Peter Zangl, deputy director general of the Information Society DG, outlined how the Commission's proposals for the Sixth Framework programme (FP6) will strengthen the EU's competitiveness, foster innovation and offer more flexibility than the Fifth Framework programme (FP5). Mr Zangl said the principles behind the FP6 proposals were designed following regular consultation with the IST research and industrial community, and emphasised the value of this relationship. 'IST in FP6 will only succeed if this interaction continues and if the supported activities provide the right framework for consensus building and for developing shared visions for the future. What is at stake is immense.[...] Research and development [R&D] in IST is essential not only for the IST industry but for all industries, for addressing major societal challenges and for supporting all science and research fields,' said Mr Zangl. Further concentration in FP6 is intended to build critical mass, thus strengthening European competitiveness and building a knowledge society for all, explained Mr Zangl. He said the three technology fields emphasised in the proposals - communication and computing infrastructures, components and microsystems and knowledge and interface technologies - will reinforce Europe's strengths whilst helping to overcome critical weaknesses. He added that this clear shift towards research in the core technologies will prepare Europe for the next-generation IST. An emphasis on forward-looking and high-risk research in FP6 will encourage creativity and innovation, said Mr Zangl. He said that both the industrial and academic communities are principally interested in collaborative research to explore new ideas and paradigm shifts. 'This is where risk needs to be shared and where public support can be effective,' he said. He added that such research will require a shift towards medium and longer term research. Finally, FP6 will be simpler, more efficient and more flexible in terms of implementation mechanisms and practices, said Mr Zangl. He revealed that the average time to contract after proposal submission peaked at around 250 days in the first two years of FP5. Since then the Commission has made a commitment to cut this period to 150 days and to simplify the procedure. Mr Zangl expressed hope that the Research Council reach a common political position on 10 December, enabling a common decision between Parliament and Council in spring 2002. 'This will enable us to launch FP6 as planned,' he said.