Investing in partnerships in research and innovation
17 Apr 2014 04:31 PM
Why is the EU funding research and innovation partnerships with the
private sector and Member States under Horizon 2020?
Research and innovation are critical to create
new, better paid and more durable jobs and sustainable economic growth, to
improve quality of life and to boost Europe's global competitiveness. In
certain well defined areas, formal partnerships with the private sector and/or
with Member States is the most effective way of meeting the objectives of the
new EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 in terms of major
societal challenges and industrial leadership. That is why a series of
partnerships under Horizon 2020 with industry and with Member States are being
established.
What are these partnerships?
The public-private partnerships take the form of
Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs). They represent the joining of forces
between the EU and industry and provide vital funding for large-scale,
longer-term and high risk/reward research. They set out commitments, including
financial commitments, over a seven year period from both the EU and from the
industry partners. They each have clear objectives which need to be achieved by
the Partnerships. JTIs bring together companies, universities, research
laboratories, innovative SMEs and other groups and organisations around major
research and innovation challenges. They establish their own strategic research
and innovation agendas and fund projects selected through open and competitive
calls for project proposals. The JTIs are established under Article 187 of the
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and managed by dedicated
entities called Joint Undertakings.
Six of these JTIs will be initially established
under Horizon 2020 as well as a seventh public-private partnership (SESAR) in a
different form.
Alongside these, four Joint Programmes with EU
Member States will be established. These are set up under Article 185 of the
TFEU and help EU Member States to integrate and coordinate their own national
research programmes to ensure better use of resources.
What are the benefits for Europe?
Partnerships in research and innovation are
powerful and much needed tools to deliver on the objectives of Horizon 2020 for
a number of reasons. They address strategic technologies that will underpin
growth and jobs in key sectors of a knowledge-based European economy. They make
funding more efficient by pooling financial, human and infrastructure resources
and they aid in getting innovative technologies faster to the market. They also
help make Europe a more attractive location for international companies to
invest and innovate. The partnerships
contribute to meeting many EU objectives including 3% of GDP invested in
R&D and 20% of GDP coming from manufacturing by 2020.
The evaluations of the current JTIs show that
they attract a high level of industrial participation including that of SMEs,
they develop long-term commitments and strategies in research and innovation as
well as interdisciplinary approaches to address complex problems.
What will these partnerships focus on?
Most of the investment will come through six
JTIs. In line with the priorities of Horizon 2020, they will address some of
the most pressing economic, societal and environmental challenges that Europe
and the world are facing. More information about these initiatives can be found
in dedicated fact sheets:
-
Clean Sky 2 (CS2): to develop cleaner,
quieter aircraft with significantly less CO2 emissions (factsheet)
-
Innovative Medicines 2 (IMI2): to develop
next generation vaccines, medicines and treatments, such as new antibiotics (factsheet)
-
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 (FCH2): to
expand the use of clean and efficient technologies in transport, industry and
energy (factsheet)
-
Bio-based Industries (BBI): to use
renewable natural resources and innovative technologies for greener everyday
products (factsheet)
-
Electronics (ECSEL): to boost
Europe’s electronics manufacturing capabilities (factsheet andMEMO/13/673)
-
Shift2Rail: to get more passengers and
freight onto Europe's railways (MEMO/13/1143)
Besides these JTIs, the Parliament also adopted
the Commission's proposal to extend the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM
Research) project. This is the technical pillar of the Single European Sky
initiative, which aims to modernise Air Traffic Management in Europe.
The four joint programmes with Member States and
their aims are:
-
European and Developing Countries
Clinical Trials Partnership 2 (EDCTP2): to reduce the social and economic
burden of poverty related diseases;
-
The European Metrology Programme for
Research and Innovation (EMPIR): to provide new measurement technologies;
-
Eurostars 2: to stimulate growth and job
creation by supporting innovative SMEs;
-
Active and Assisted Living Research and
Development Programme: to improve the quality of life for the elderly and to
increase the sustainability of care systems.
Who can participate in these Partnerships?
The Joint Technology Initiatives will all run
competitive calls which are open to the participation of companies, SMEs,
universities, research organisations and others, and where the best projects
will be selected for funding through peer review. There are also opportunities
for interested organisations to become new members of the Partnerships during
the implementation.
What will be the budgets of these
partnerships?
In total, the Innovation Investment Package and
related proposals represent an investment of more than €22 billion into
Europe's future. Over the next seven years, the EU's contribution of
less than €9 billion will mobilise more than €9 billion from the
private sector and about €4 billion from Member States.
The six JTIs are expected to mobilise a total
investment exceeding €17 billion, of which the EU budget contribution will
be up to €6.7 billion.
How will industry make financial commitments to
the Partnerships?
The industry partners will make financial
contributions in a number of ways depending on the specific nature of the
Partnership. Specifically; by contributing to the budgets of the calls for
proposals; by financing the activities of the JTI either through funding all or
part of its own costs in participating in the projects selected for funding and
by financing additional activities outside the calls. In all cases, the
partners will also contribute half of the costs of running the Joint
Undertaking which will manage the Partnership.
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