Italian EUREKA
The rotating EUREKA chairmanship moved to Italy on 1 July, following the highly successful Czech chairmanship, which continued to move EUREKA towards greater cooperation with the European Commission's Framework Programme. EUREKA funds small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) conducting research. The funding - usually around €2 million per project, is given without restrictions, although the research has to be market-oriented, and there must be collaboration with companies in other EUREKA member countries. 'Underlining the strong commitment that the new Italian Government will assume in promoting and fostering research, I'm pleased to underline the deeply innovative nature of the EUREKA initiative,' said the Honourable Nando Dalla Chiesa, Italian Under Secretary of State for University and Research. 'In fact, EUREKA has innovative scientific and technological contents and ability of creating competitiveness and it also represents an example for Europe and for the international community. In fact, EUREKA anticipated European Union enlargement and with its 37 member countries, connects the entire continent. EUREKA, moreover, is one of the major actors within Lisbon Strategy and can play a strong synergic role with the Framework Programme,' continued Mr Dalla Chiesa. EUREKA's role under the Italian chairmanship will be to redouble its focus on innovation, which should bring dividends in the first six months, as the incoming Finnish Presidency of the EU will also have a strong innovation agenda. 'EUREKA can contribute to strengthen the culture of innovation in Europe, including greater attention to the creation of value for European companies and European citizens. The innovation that has traditionally sparked Europe's competitiveness is crucial to success. Building on the cooperation with the European Commission already established and developed by the French, Dutch and Czech chairmanships, is a cornerstone of the Italian programme,' said Fabio Pistella, president of the CNR (Italian National Research Council), and High-Level Group Chair of the incoming Italian EUREKA Chairmanship. The incoming Italian chairmanship brings with it two new EUREKA members - Malta and Ukraine - and a major new initiative - EUROSTARS, as well as closer cooperation between European Technology Platforms (ETPs) and Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs), and EUREKA Clusters. EUROSTARS is a new funding stream, designed to harmonise the way money comes from individual EUREKA Member States, and is part-funded under the EU Framework Programme. The initiative is unique in that it requires EUREKA Member States to revise their funding strategies, and provide dedicated streams to EUREKA projects. The initiative has some red tape to cut through before the launch, but the individual EUREKA Member States have given broad support to the initiative, and funding is likely to begin somewhere towards the end of the Italian Chairmanship, which runs until 30 June 2007. EUREKA Clusters, which have 42 per cent SME participation, have been created in areas of research with marked similarities to those of ETPs, with several clusters and ETPs having clear thematic cross-over. The Italian chair is keen to increase cooperation between specific clusters and ETPs. This would benefit the ETPs because they could tap into highly innovative and responsive networks, run under EUREKA, and also increase their quotient of SME participation - the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) will have specific targets for SME participation. For EUREKA projects, the cooperation will give participants more projects and therefore more funding, essential for SMEs to grow and develop - a win-win situation. 'Having a EUREKA label has a strong and very positive impact for innovating SMEs seeking to raise private funds to support their R&D,' said Miroslav Janecek, Chairman of the National Project Coordinators group from the outgoing Czech chairmanship. 'The Czech Chair is delighted to have been instrumental in further strengthening the value of the EUREKA label through the dialogue established with the European Commission on Eurostars and JTIs.'
Countries
Czechia, Italy