Investing for growth

Stepping up ‘excellent science’ and cutting red tape, enhancing the best ideas and young researchers; supporting economic growth: these are some of the inspiring principles of Horizon 2020, according to Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, EU Commissioner. The new (eighth) framework programme in the area of research, innovation and science, valid from 2014 to 2020, presented on November 30, will allocate €80 billion for a period of seven years.Innovation, economy. The Commission’s proposal, which will be discussed by the European Parliament and EU Council, proposes investment “to tackle the major issues affecting the lives of European citizens such as health, the environment and food security”. It supports “small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that represent the backbone of European economy”. Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn said: “We need a new vision for European research and innovation in a dramatically changed economic environment”. Horizon 2020 “provides direct stimulus to the economy and secures our science and technology base and industrial competitiveness for the future, promising a smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive society”. “We must boost funding in the area of research -continues Geoghegan-Quinn – while promoting private investment”. Horizon 2020 “will focus funds on three key objectives. It will support the EU’s position as a world leader in science, with a dedicated budget of €24.6 billion, including an increase in funding of 77% for the very successful European Research Council (ERC)”. It will “help secure industrial leadership in innovation with a budget of €17.9 billion”. This includes a major investment of €13.7 billion in “key technologies” that include nanotechnologies.Respecting the ruling of the Court. Thirdly, underlines the Commissioner, “€31.7 billion will be allocated to tackling the major issues affecting the lives of European citizens. The focus will be on six key areas: Health, demographic change and well-being; food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-based economy; secure, clean and efficient energy; smart, green and integrated transport; climate action; inclusive, innovative and secure societies. “As regards stem-cell research – Geoghegan-Quinn told SIR Europe – Horizon 2020 will follow the guidelines of the Seventh Framework Pogram for Research (2007-2013), endorsed by EU Commission, Council and Parliament. Over the coming years further research programs on stem cells might be conducted, funded by the EU. However, they will need to comply with a set of basic principles, first and foremost they have to comply with national legislation. Furthermore: “no funding will be allocated for research that involves the destruction of stem cells or human embryos”. In this sense the Commission “intends to respect the recent ruling of the European Court of Justice”, which had reiterated the ban on this kind of experiments.Enterprises and daily life. Antonio Tajani highlights the investments in favour of SMEs, such as facilitating access to funding for their business, helping citizens who want to become self-employed and face difficulties in setting up or developing their own business, better assist Member States’ authorities, in their efforts to elaborate and implement effective policy reform. The Italian Commissioner said: “Easing SMEs access to finance, markets and entrepreneurship policies, is key to overcome the crisis. This programme will help to unlock the growth potential of enterprises focusing on boosting the real industry. We will strengthen competitiveness of businesses and create new jobs”. “Stepping up SME’s activity in international markets – Tajani told SIR Europe – is one of the program’s targets”. Androulla Vassiliou, Cypriot Commissioner for Culture and Education, underlined another aspect of the framework program: “The new package we are proposing for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is great news for European business, research and academia”. EIT, which has its seats in Budapest, Hungary, will receive €2.8 billion in seven years, to expand and consolidate the development of its existing Knowledge and Information Communities (KICs) which focus on climate change, sustainable energy and ICT, along the creation of six new cross-border innovation hubs that will address the following themes: population ageing, nutrition, raw materials, energy, urban mobility and traffic.