European exhibition showcases Franco-German cooperation
Germany was made this year's guest of honour at the European Research and Innovation Exhibition which opened its doors in Paris, France, on 8 June. At the stand of Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), visitors attending the four-day event were able to learn more about the country's unique research and innovation ties with France. Germany and France have had a long history of cooperation, dating back to the signature by French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of the Elysée treaty in 1963. Since then the two countries have forged links in a whole host of spheres, and no more so than in research, for which the inventory of joint initiatives is long and varied. Their cooperation began in the area of neutron science with the establishment of the Laue-Langevin Research Institute in Grenoble in 1963. Funded jointly by the founding countries and the UK, the institute operates the world's most intense neutron source and offers scientists unique neutron facilities. Other joint initiatives include those in the field of transport, such as the DEUFRANKO rail transport programme. Launched in 1978, it opened the way for the development of a European level railway traffic and management system. More recent initiatives include those undertaken in the field of nanotechnologies by the Universities of Karlsruhe and Strasbourg. This led to the establishment of two joint organisations, the Institute of Nanotechnology (1998), situated in Karlsruhe, and the Institute of Science and Supramolecular Engineering (2001), in Strasbourg. Today, both countries' research organisations are linked more strongly with each other's than is the case for any other two countries in Europe. This is especially true for higher education. In 2003, the German academic exchange service (DAAD) reported that more than 40,000 German students and 30,000 French students had benefited from exchange programmes between the two countries. But how do such bilateral partnerships fit into the larger European research context? According to François Goulard, French Minister for Higher Education and Research, joint initiatives between individual Member States are integral components of the European landscape: 'Europe comprises large EU funded research projects in which all Member States can participate,' he told CORDIS News. 'But it is also made up of trilateral national collaborations, which are multiplying and this is very important for European research and innovation.' Anja Köhler of the International Bureau of the BMBF agrees: 'I would say that Germany and France see themselves as the drivers for innovation and research in Europe. 'There are many EU initiatives which have had a nucleus in a French-German cooperation and have since expanded,' she added. Franco-German collaborative work in plant genomics pays testament to this assumption. Responding to a joint call from both countries' ministries, GABI (genome analysis of the plant biological system), a German nationally funded public-private partnership programme, and Genoplante, its French counterpart , started work in 2001. They are analysing the mouse-ear cress, a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard, a model for studying plant organisms. The aim of the ongoing joint programme is to give greater insight into how plants are organised on a molecular level, while at the same time applying this knowledge to improve crop plants such as rape seed, sugar beet, potato and wheat. In the first five-year phase of the programme, a total of 100 projects received funding of approximately EUR 20 million from both the German and French research ministries. Bringing together a total of 500 scientists and 70 public and private partners from across two countries, the programme did suffer from some initial teething problems. 'There were some difficulties at the beginning because people from businesses and researchers talk different languages, but after a few years of running the programme, researchers are now better understanding the needs of industry and vice-versa,' Dr Jens Freitig, Coordinator of GABI, told CORDIS News. 'This is what living partnerships are all about.' So successful has the programme been that it has expanded to include a partnering initiative from Spain. The cooperation between France, Germany and Spain is also at the core of the European Research Area network (ERA-NET) for Plant Genomics (ERA-PG). Established in 2004 with a total budget of EUR 30 million, the network is led by the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research, and brings together partners from 13 different countries. 'Our long term vision is to help overcome the splintering of European research in this field and at the same time keep our own national activities, explained Mr Freitig. He added that the work of GABI and Genoplant may be an example that could help to further international synergies in plant genomics, making the field one of the pillars of European teamwork. Also announced on 8 June was a new Franco-German funding programme for cancer research. The programme will cover all aspects of cancer research, and will cover all costs incurred as a result of researcher mobility between the two countries. This includes lab visits, guest stays, conferences and stipends for doctorates and post-doctorates. Each project will be entitled to a maximum of EUR 50,000 in funding. 'This German-French initiative in cancer research is an important impulse for the European Research Area,' said German State Secretary Frieder Meyer-Krahmer.
Countries
Germany, France