IRDAC Opinion on scientific and technological cooperation with non-European industrialized countries
The European Commission's Industrial Research and Development Advisory Committee (IRDAC) has issued an opinion on scientific and technological cooperation with non-European industrialized countries. The opinion is based on the conclusions of a round table, organized in October 1995, to determine the following: - The rationale for European industry to develop research and technological development (RTD) activities with and in non-European industrialized countries, in particular the United States and Japan; - The role the European Union should play in this respect; - The appropriateness of opening up participation in specific Community RTD programmes to organizations from non-European industrialized countries; - The appropriateness of establishing specific cooperation programmes with non-European industrialized countries. The round table recognized that European companies increasingly operate on global markets to reduce costs, gain access to new human and financial resources and to avoid restrictive legislation. However, it is not only the market which is increasingly global, but RTD as well. The Committee, therefore, considers that Community RTD programmes should be opened up to organizations from non-European industrialized countries where the latter permit European firms to participate in their own publicly-funded RTD programmes. In this context, European industry itself should determine whether it wishes to cooperate with a partner from a non-European country in a Community RTD project. On the other hand, to avoid an outflow of European know-how to third countries, the European Commission should determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether the involvement of a non-European industrial partner in a specific project would really contribute to strengthening Europe's competitiveness. The Committee recommends that the Community's specific programme on International Cooperation (INCO) should become more oriented towards dissemination of results, technology transfer and the creation of networks. In addition, it considers that the programme on Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) should take account of the globalization trend by encouraging international exchanges on themes of interest to European industry.