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Research & Technology in the EU

Latest news about research and innovation policy in the European Union.

Next Generation Emergency Services project to be funded by the European Commission 06 January 2014, 22:10 CET
On December 11th, the European Commission launched its Horizon 2020 Work Programme for 2014-2015. A specific topic entitled "Communication technologies and interoperability: Next Generation emergency services" (Reference DRS -19-2014) has been included to develop a testing regime for Next Generation 112 products, using existing standards and protocols.

Horizon 2020 - first calls 11 December 2013, 23:10 CET
The Horizon 2020 Work Programme for the years 2014-15 sets out the funding opportunities under the different parts of the programme; all are being published today on the Participant Portal. Each part describes the overall objectives, the respective calls, and the topics within each call. Each topic describes the challenge to be addressed, the scope of the activities to be carried out, and the expected impacts to be achieved. Compared with the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), there are relatively fewer calls and topics. The Work Programme reflects the strong challenge-based approach of Horizon 2020, allowing applicants to have considerable freedom to come up with innovative solutions. This MEMO highlights some key aspects of the Work Programme.

Research and Innovation Funding participant portal 06 December 2013, 16:27 CET
On this EC website you can find and secure funding for research & innovation projects under the following EU programmes: 2014-2020 Horizon 2020 - research and innovation framework programme; and 2007-2013 7th research framework programme (FP7) and Competitiveness & Innovation Programme (CIP)

Horizon 2020 08 June 2014, 18:59 CET
EU Member States adopted on 3 December 2013 Horizon 2020, the next EU research and innovation programme. With a budget of nearly EUR 80 billion euro over seven years, Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU research programme yet, and one of the biggest worldwide that is publicly funded.

Smarter Cities and Communities 26 November 2013, 18:57 CET
City leaders, CEOs and civil society leaders discussed today at a conference hosted by the European Commission actions outlined in the "Smart Cities Strategic Implementation Plan" and how to put them into practice. The Commission announced that it will launch an 'Invitation for Smart City and Community Commitments' in spring 2014 to mobilise work on the action plan's priorities. The plan is part of Europe's fifth "Innovation Partnership". Cities are the major source of European economic activity and innovation. But cities are also a major source of greenhouse gases and pollution. Concerted action is needed to make urban environments cleaner and healthier to live in and to make them use less energy. The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Smart Cities and Communities and its "Strategic Implementation Plan" are leading the way in making the transformation of cities into "Smart Cities" a reality. Real impact could be made through investments in 'zero/plus' energy districts, increased use of alternative energies for cleaner transport, public transport and efficient logistics to reduce negative impacts of congestion, or green, widely available ICTs and multiple-use infrastructures.

2013 EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard 20 November 2013, 12:08 CET
For the first time since 2004, an EU company – the German carmaker Volkswagen – is the world’s largest private sector R&D investor. Volkswagen tops the European Commission's 2013 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard with an investment of €9.5bn in 2012. Overall, EU-based firms (527 companies) stepped up R&D investment by 6.3%, just above the average of the 2000 firms in the Scoreboard (+6.2%). However, like last year they lagged behind their US counterparts (+8.2%). EU companies also showed a mixed performance depending on the sector, with strong R&D growth in some but stagnation or decline elsewhere. EU Scoreboard companies surveyed expect to increase their R&D investments by 2.6 % on average per year for the period 2013-2015, a fall in expectations over the previous year. The EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard is published annually by the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation and Joint Research Centre).

Projects of common interest in energy - 250 infrastructure projects may qualify for EUR 5.85 bn funding 16 October 2013, 12:45 CET
The European Commission adopted on 14 October a list of some 250 key energy infrastructure projects designed to create a modern infrastructure with adequate interconnectors and reliable networks. These "projects of common interest" (PCI) will benefit from accelerated licensing procedures and improved regulatory conditions and may have access to financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility, under which a EUR 5.85 bn budget has been allocated to trans-European energy infrastructure for the period 2014-20. The Commission says this will help them get implemented faster and make them more attractive to investors. Once completed, the projects will help EU Member States to integrate their energy markets, enable them to diversify their energy sources and help bring an end to the energy isolation of some Member States. They will also enable the grid to uptake increasing amounts of renewables, and consequently help reduce CO2 emissions.

35 pct of jobs in the EU rely on IPR-intensive industries 30 September 2013, 22:07 CET
About 39% of total economic activity in the EU (worth some EUR 4.7 trillion annually) is generated by IPR-intensive industries, and approximately 26% of all employment in the EU (56 million jobs) is provided directly by these industries, while a further 9% of jobs in the EU stems indirectly from IPR-intensive industries - according to a study published today by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM).

ERA Progress Report 2013 24 September 2013, 11:58 CET
State of play of actions and initiatives by EU Member States, Research Funding and Research Performing Organisations and the Commission in support of ERA priorities.

European Research Area (ERA) Progress Report 2013 24 September 2013, 12:14 CET
The report provides a factual base for assessing progress in target areas like open and fair recruitment of researchers or better circulation of scientific knowledge. It shows that some progress has been made, but that even the best performing research institutions still have issues to address ahead of the 2014 deadline for ERA, as set by EU leaders. There is also a significant gap between the best and the worst performers. This guide explains the objectives and results of the European Research Area (ERA) Progress Report that presents for the first time a comprehensive overview of the political context, steps taken and recent achievements towards completing a single market for research. The report is accompanied by the document ERA Facts & Figures where the state of play in each of the ERA priorities in EU Member States and countries associated to the EU research framework programme are presented. More detail on the situation in each country is presented in 'Country fiches'.

Using standards to support growth, competitiveness and innovation - Guidebook Series: Hands-on advice for SMEs 26 June 2013, 18:52 CET
A smart guide on promoting and facilitating SME competitiveness through the development and use of standards with the help of EU structural funds

Monsanto granted "patent on severed broccoli" 12 June 2013, 23:36 CET
European Patent Office once again grants a patent on plant breeding

UEAPME requests more focus on innovation for SMEs 30 May 2013, 15:27 CET
At the Clean Sky SME Day, coinciding with the European Competitiveness Council discussion on the future Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020, Gunilla Almgren, President of the European SME organisation UEAPME, put forward her main concerns about the ongoing negotiations between the European Parliament, Commission and Council.

SESAME - major research facility in the Middle East 28 May 2013, 17:22 CET
The European Commission and CERN have today agreed to support the construction of SESAME, one of the most ambitious research facilities in the Middle East. SESAME is a so-called synchrotron light source, functioning in effect like a giant microscope. It will allow researchers from the region to investigate the properties of advanced materials, biological processes and cultural artefacts. SESAME is a unique joint venture based in Jordan that brings together scientists from its members Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey. Alongside its scientific aims, the project aims to promote peace in the region through scientific cooperation.

New European Industrial Strategy for Electronics 23 May 2013, 13:29 CET
The European Commission today launches a campaign for coordinated public investments in micro- and nano-electronics (such as semiconductors and computer chips), designed to expand Europe's advanced manufacturing base.

European Month of the Brain 30 April 2013, 23:22 CET
At the start of its 'European Month of the Brain' initiative, the European Commission has earmarked some EUR 150 million of funding for 20 new international brain research projects. It will bring the total EU investment in brain research since 2007 to over €1.9 billion. The 'European Month of the Brain' (#brainmonth) will highlight European research and innovation in the area of neuroscience, cognition and related areas through over 50 events across Europe this May. The initiative aims to showcase the latest achievements in the field, but also to urge a more decisive effort to combat brain diseases. It also aims at highlighting how studying the brain can revolutionise computing. The initiative comes as the profile of brain research has been raised recently with ambitious new projects in the EU (FET Flagship Human Brain Project) and the US (BRAIN project).

Modernisation of the European Trade Mark System 27 March 2013, 15:42 CET
The European Commission has presented a package of initiatives to make trade mark registration systems all over the European Union cheaper, quicker, more reliable and predictable. The proposed reform would improve conditions for businesses to innovate and to benefit from more effective trade mark protection against counterfeits, including fake goods in transit through the EU's territory.

Lawsuit filed against EU authorisation of genetically engineered soybeans 21 March 2013, 23:33 CET
Environmental organisations and scientists jointly bring the case to the European Court of Justice

Ban on animal testing 11 March 2013, 18:01 CET
The Cosmetics Directive provides the regulatory framework for the phasing out of animal testing for cosmetics purposes. It establishes a prohibition to test finished cosmetic products and cosmetic ingredients on animals (testing ban), and a prohibition to market in the European Union finished cosmetic products and ingredients included in cosmetic products which were tested on animals for cosmetics purposes (marketing ban). The same provisions are contained in the Cosmetics Regulation, which replaces the Cosmetics Directive as of 11 July 2013. The testing ban on finished cosmetic products applies since 11 September 2004; the testing ban on ingredients or combination of ingredients applies since 11 March 2009. The marketing ban applies since 11 March 2009 for all human health effects with the exception of repeated-dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics. For these specific health effects the marketing ban applies since 11 March 2013, irrespective of the availability of alternative non-animal tests.

Full EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics 11 March 2013, 18:03 CET
11 March 2013 is the last deadline to phase out animal testing for cosmetic products in Europe enters into force. As of today, cosmetics tested on animals cannot be marketed any more in the EU. A Communication adopted by the European Commission today confirms the its commitment to respect the deadline set by Council and Parliament in 2003 and outlines how it intends to further support research and innovation in this area while promoting animal welfare world-wide.

Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs 04 March 2013, 19:29 CET
Commission President José Manuel Barroso has called on Europe's digital businesses, governments, training and education sectors to join a Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs to address up to 900 000 job vacancies expected to exist in Europe in Information and Communication technologies (ICT) by 2015. Despite the current levels of unemployment, the number of digital jobs is growing by more than 100,000 per year. Yet the number of fresh ICT graduates and skilled ICT workers is not keeping up.

Space surveillance and tracking proposal 28 February 2013, 13:39 CET
The European Commission has proposed measures to keep Europe's space industry competitive and to set up a European satellite collision avoidance system. While the EU is seen as a strong player in the global market for commercial launchers and telecommunication satellites and services, it faces increasing competition from emerging industrial actors in countries such as China and India - competition posing a challenge to the further development of the EU's industry. To address this issue, the Commission is proposing what it calls a new industrial policy for the European space sector, with a number of targets: to increase industry skill levels, to make finance and investment more readily available, to ensure the EU's independence in space and also to reshape the EU's legislative framework to make it a driver for industry - for example with legislation to promote the production and dissemination of data from satellites for commercial purposes. These initiatives will be complemented by a surveillance and tracking system to protect satellites from collisions in space. There are around 16,000 objects orbiting the Earth larger than 10 cm, a collision with any of whom would destroy a satellite. The proposed support programme would allow EU Member States that monitor satellites and space debris to pool their capacities and establish, for the first time, a European monitoring system.

EU health research on rare diseases 28 February 2013, 13:10 CET
In the European Union, a disease is considered rare when it affects not more than 1 person in 2 000. This low prevalence is the common feature shared by all rare diseases, which altogether affect all biological systems. This nevertheless means that between 6 000 and 8 000 different rare diseases affect or will affect an estimated 29 million people in the European Union. The focus of rare diseases research in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7; 2007-2013) is on Europe-wide studies of natural history, pathophysiology and on the development of preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

New research on rare diseases 28 February 2013, 13:17 CET
The European Commission has, on Rare Disease Day 2013, announced EUR 144 million of new funding for 26 research projects on rare diseases. The projects will help improve the lives of some of the 30 million Europeans suffering from a rare disease. The selected projects bring together over 300 participants from 29 countries in Europe and beyond, including teams from leading academic institutions, SMEs and patients' groups. The goal is to pool resources and work beyond borders, to get a better understanding of rare diseases and find adequate treatments.

Digital Agenda Review - new digital priorities for 2013-2014 19 December 2012, 00:20 CET
The European Commission has adopted seven new priorities for the digital economy and society. The digital economy is growing at seven times the rate of the rest of the economy, but the Commission says this potential is currently held back by a patchy pan-European policy framework. Today's priorities follow a comprehensive policy review and place new emphasis on the most transformative elements of the original 2010 Digital Agenda for Europe.