Thoughts turn to new vision for EUREKA after two decades of success
At a forum organised to mark the 20th anniversary of EUREKA - the pan-European network for market-oriented research and development - participants spoke of the need to outline a new vision for the network in order to ensure its continued success. According to various stakeholders connected to the initiative, EUREKA should forge closer links with EU and national research programmes, deliver more solutions of relevance to Europe's citizens, and make efforts to increase the awareness and support of policy makers for the initiative. Addressing the EUREKA Forum in the Czech capital Prague on 21 October, Ezio Andreta, Director for Industrial Technologies and the Commission's Research DG, said: 'EUREKA fits perfectly with the EU's [knowledge for growth] strategy, occupying a position between the market and research. It has achieved much success to date, but we need even more in the future. One of the keys to ensuring continued results lies in increasing the synergies between EUREKA and EU research initiatives, according to Dr Andreta, who added: 'I think this is certainly possible, as Technology Platforms, Joint Technology Initiatives and Article 169 can support more integration now.' Dr Andreta's conviction was supported by EUREKA's high level representative for Greece, Konstantin Bouzakis. 'EUREKA is targeting closer policy collaboration with the EU, for instance with more Technology Platforms emerging from industrial clusters. EUREKA's ability to generate 40 per cent participation levels by SMEs [small and medium sized enterprises] is also likely to be a key asset for future Technology Platforms.' Professor Bouzakis added: 'The results already achieved within EUREKA have made a marked difference to European industrial competitiveness. [...] By working in synergy with the EU's framework programmes, EUREKA can continue to lead the way in market-relevant innovation in the future.' Given the obvious synergies between certain EU initiatives and EUREKA, CORDIS News asked Dr Andreta whether there is also a risk of duplication between the two. In reply, he said: 'There are not enough EU resources available to fund both EUREKA clusters and Joint Technology Initiatives [JTIs] in the area. What the Commission has in mind is that many EUREKA clusters can become JTIs, in the same way that others have already contributed to the visions behind Technology Platforms.' The major advantage of JTIs over EUREKA clusters is their stability and levels of funding, Dr Andreta added. The head of the EUREKA Secretariat, Michel Vieillefosse, revealed that progress had been made during the forum meeting in building synergies between EU programmes. 'Together with the Commission, we have agreed to look into the definition of common roadmaps for EUREKA clusters and Technology Platforms and JTIs,' he said. Another crucial element for the future of EUREKA lies in increasing its visibility across Europe, according to the office director of the MEDEA+ industrial cluster Gérard Matheron. 'We aren't doing enough to convince policy makers to support EUREKA,' he said. 'Everyone likes it, yet it is in danger of stagnating through a lack of adequate finance. We must convince national governments to improve their support.' Industrial participants would appreciate more transparency and less uncertainty in the funding mechanisms for EUREKA. Participants called on the nations involved in the initiative to 'let go of the purely national view and become more EUREKA-friendly'. Mr Matheron also feels that in the coming years EUREKA initiatives should do more to deliver solutions for the benefit of the wider European population. 'In areas such as the environment we should focus on transforming knowledge into products that can be used directly by citizens,' he said. By taking such steps, most people involved with the initiative believe that EUREKA can continue to meet the needs of Europe's industry, but they stressed that the process of elaborating a new vision is still in the early stages. 'Don't forget, one of EUREKA's great strengths is that it has a bottom-up approach, but the result is that we have as many visions as we do participants,' concluded Mr Vieillefosse. But by continuing to do what it has always done so well - listening and responding to the needs and wishes of European industry itself - he is confident that EUREKA can look forward to the next 20 years with confidence.