Collaborating R&D gets roadmap to industry
The importance of a unified research programme that spans across Europe and involves the research developments of all respective consortiums, interests and universities is probably self evident. Such collaborative efforts gathered into a streamlined and effective tool would benefit research enormously by preventing overlapping grounds of study, reducing costs and increasing research efforts. Understanding the imperative nature for such is one thing, making it happen is altogether a different issue. Thus, the EC-funded PV-EC-NET thematic network sought to develop a roadmap that would capitalise on the effort and identify the steps required. Part of their findings suggests that the initial step would be at policy level. Policy makers would generate their own targets for renewable energy options. However, a large emphasis was found necessary for the exchange of information and the necessary tools this would require. Therefore the roadmap makes strong suggestions for the development of networking tools encouraged at a grass-roots level by the programmes themselves. The recommendation stresses that programmes should allow for the exchange of information, resources (including human resources) as well as for infrastructures. Some examples of the close collaborative requirements would be for national programme managers to communicate experiences and to learn from peer examples of good practices. Finally the EC should stimulate the growth and development of information exchange networks that bridges the divide between R&D and industry.