Assessing progress through research impact assessment
One of the EU's backbones and a raison d'être for its existence is the synergy represented by common goals in research, technological development and innovation (RTDI). Crucial in advancing RTDI is measuring how it has progressed through impact assessment (IA), a key activity of the European Commission in almost every field it is involved in. Assessment is considered pivotal for optimised RTDI, and harmonising IA policy would ensure success in this area. This is the aim of the EU-funded project, 'Optimising the policy mix by the development of a common methodology for the assessment of (socio-) economic impacts of RTDI public funding' (CIA4OPM). As IA becomes increasingly useful, the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and 14 project partners focussed on assessment of the socioeconomic impacts of public funding for RTDI. They looked at how to enhance private research and development (R&D) investment, improve industry-science linkages and bolster research in public research institutions and universities. The project has thus increased the usefulness of IA in the context of RTDI policy formulation, i.e. enhancing impact assessment for policymaking. This will ultimately improve RTDI policymaking by furthering a common methodology for IA and facilitating communication among policymakers and different stakeholders within the policymaking process. The project reviewed previous IA experiences using quantitative and qualitative assessments, identifying uses and trends in IA methodology. Following this, project partners studied different IA cases to gain insight into improving methodology and governance, as well as exploring framework design for harmonised IA to facilitate policy learning in Europe. By formulating guidelines and recommendations on how to use impact assessment for a more optimised policy mix, the EU will be able to improve RTDI investment. This will directly have a positive effect on R&D in Europe.