Norway takes practical steps towards Barcelona target
In a new white paper entitled 'Commitment to Research', the Norwegian government has outlined the practical measures it will take to raise total investments in research to three per cent of GDP by 2010. The government recognises that the first step in this process will be to raise public research investments to one per cent of GDP, as specified by the Barcelona objectives. In this context, the white paper reveals that an extra 16 billion NOK (1.7 billion euro) will be added to the Norwegian Fund for Research and Innovation in 2006, raising the total capital of the fund to 50 billion NOK (6 billion euro). In order to encourage increased private funding of research meanwhile, the white paper reveals that allocations for basic research by companies or individuals of more than 5 million NOK (600,000 euro) will be granted an additional 25 per cent of their total in public funding. Further measures designed to promote industrial research investment include the establishment of centres for research-driven innovation, the creation of a scheme whereby industrial scientists work towards doctorates, entrepreneurial grants for researchers wishing to commercialise their ideas, and the setting up of new regional innovation centres. The white paper also outlines three general priority areas for Norwegian research up to 2010: internationalisation, basic research and innovation. Under the first of these, the government says that national research efforts will be evaluated in light of international developments, and research cooperation with the EU will 'continue to be of key importance'. Areas of national research expertise and world-class infrastructures will be used as the platform for international collaboration, as well as to attract more foreign scientists to Norway. Basic research will be strengthened with increased resources and funding mechanisms that foster quality, and research in mathematics, natural sciences and technology will be given special priority. Finally, the government will pursue measures designed to boost innovation, notably by using public funding in such a way as to trigger increased efforts on the part of industry. In addition to these general priority areas, the government will also focus research efforts towards energy and the environment, health, oceans, food, and three areas of technology: materials and nanotechnology, biotechnology and information and communications technology (ICT). This largely represents a continuation of the current priorities in Norwegian research, states the white paper. Kristin Clemet, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research, said that the report 'sets the ambitious goal of making Norway a leading research nation. Reaching these goals will require the efforts of researchers and research environments, of the authorities and of industry and society at large.'
Countries
Norway