Europe's largest ever research conference opens in Brussels
11 November 2002 - 11 November 2002
On 11 November EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt will open the largest ever conference on EU research.
More than 8,000 participants and 200 speakers from 61 countries will attend the event. The impressive line-up includes 20 ministers, 3 Nobel laureates, Commissioners Philippe Busquin and Erkki Liikanen and many business leaders.
The event will mark the launch of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and precedes the first calls for proposals, which will be published in December. With a budget of 17.5 billion euro, FP6 is one of the biggest research programmes in the world. It will support projects in selected strategic areas and foster the creation of a European Research Area, which Commissioner Busquin describes as an internal market for knowledge and science.
'In a knowledge-based economy, only science and technology can produce real added value: they are Europe's real growth engines, the key that has to be turned to make our continent the most dynamic economic powerhouse in the world,' said Mr Busquin.
'The impressive attendance at this conference clearly shows EU researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers are ready to work with the Commission towards that goal. [...] The next step will be for EU Member States to better coordinate their research policies, and for all players to increase their efforts in the research area,' the Commissioner added.
The conference exhibition will include 142 research projects and 65 research organisations. In addition to the plenary and information sessions organised by the Commission, 81 additional events have been organised by participants themselves.For further information, please visit:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/conferences/2002(opens in new window)
More than 8,000 participants and 200 speakers from 61 countries will attend the event. The impressive line-up includes 20 ministers, 3 Nobel laureates, Commissioners Philippe Busquin and Erkki Liikanen and many business leaders.
The event will mark the launch of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and precedes the first calls for proposals, which will be published in December. With a budget of 17.5 billion euro, FP6 is one of the biggest research programmes in the world. It will support projects in selected strategic areas and foster the creation of a European Research Area, which Commissioner Busquin describes as an internal market for knowledge and science.
'In a knowledge-based economy, only science and technology can produce real added value: they are Europe's real growth engines, the key that has to be turned to make our continent the most dynamic economic powerhouse in the world,' said Mr Busquin.
'The impressive attendance at this conference clearly shows EU researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers are ready to work with the Commission towards that goal. [...] The next step will be for EU Member States to better coordinate their research policies, and for all players to increase their efforts in the research area,' the Commissioner added.
The conference exhibition will include 142 research projects and 65 research organisations. In addition to the plenary and information sessions organised by the Commission, 81 additional events have been organised by participants themselves.For further information, please visit:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/conferences/2002(opens in new window)