Second Training Session, “HORIZONTAL ISSUES- EU R&D Policy ICTtrain, Madrid, Spain 16/09/2008 Course Presenter: Onur Eryuce September 2008

EU Commission approach on Mastering ICTs to Promote Innovation  The EU starts from the idea that Europe must master both the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to generate the economic growth required to fund its social model, and protect its environment and quality of life.  While the ICT sector is itself worth 6-8% of the EU’s GDP, ICTs are much more important than that figure suggests, playing a key role in everything from promoting innovation throughout the economy to meeting the demographic challenge of an aging society.

September 2008 The rational behind EU Commission approach "Europe cannot afford duplication in ICT research..."  Unfortunately, the EU spends less than its competitors on ICT R&D. Moreover, with 25 countries carrying out their own research programmes, there is a lot of duplication.  In today’s globalised world, Europe cannot afford this duplication. No single EU country or organisation can now afford to try and build all the know-how and skills to master these increasingly complex technologies.

September 2008 i2010: A Strategy for ICT Research & Innovation  i2010 is the EU policy framework for the information society and media. It promotes the positive contribution that information and communication technologies (ICT) can make to the economy, society and personal quality of life i2010 priority of Innovation and Investment in ICT Research  the Investment and innovation in research pillar of i2010 focuses on both the EU's own R&D programmes and stimulating cooperation with the private sector to promote innovation and technological leadership.

September 2008 i2010 priority of Innovation and investment in ICT research  Actions implemented under this priority aim to strengthen; European innovation and research in ICT through instruments such as the  Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7),  the European Technology Platforms  Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs).JTIs are form of long-term public-private partnerships  Other actions in this area aim to promote the take up of ICT by EU citizens, businesses and administrations, notably through projects supported by the ICT Policy Support Programme

September 2008 i2010 priority of Innovation and Investment in ICT Research  In this area the Commission's actions for are to: Propose improvements to the EU's ICT standardisation system; Adopt an Action Plan to further promote eSignature and e- authentication; Implement the European electronic invoicing framework; Launch the Joint Technology Initiatives as the first true Europe- wide public-private research partnerships; Promote the European Technology Platforms, in particular closer cooperation among them; Promote the role of the public sector as a first buyer of innovation; Launch a process to ensure Europe’s leadership in ICTs with a Communication on ICT Research and Innovation; Promote the role of e-Infrastructures in a changing and global research environment.

September 2008 Commission's actions for on Innovation and Investment in ICT Research  Commission action translates into a European strategy composed of four main strands: 1) Public R&D Funding: the EU's own research programmes pool Europe’s research resources, helping build the critical mass essential to maintain technological leadership... 2) Encouraging Private R&D Investment: Increased investment by industry in researching ICTs is encouraged through a number of EU initiatives... 3) Coordination R&D in Europe: the EU is overseeing a number of initiatives to coordinate research activities at EU and national levels... 4) Innovation through ICTs: a number of EU programmes encourage innovation throughout European industry and beyond via the uptake of ICTs...

September 2008 Why do ICTs count for Commission? “Half of the productivity gains in European economies are explained by the impact of ICTs” - Building the Europe of Knowledge  ICTs play a crucial role in: improving competitiveness throughout the economy in the face of globalisation, boosting innovation, creativity and efficiency scientific and technological development in areas as diverse as medicine and physics; modernising sectors as diverse as education, security, energy and transport, and making Europe’s large public sector more efficient; tackling social challenges and improving quality of life while meeting the challenge of an ageing society;

September 2008 Europe P ools its Resources to Master ICTs EU C ommission believe s that focusing maximum effort into the most critical areas where 'EU added value' can have the greatest effect  The EU’s Framework Research Programmes complement national and regional research programmes, helping Europe pool its resources and build a critical mass of technological leadership

September 2008 Why EU develops these Programmes?  EU support focuses on the essential work that has to be done at European level, funding research projects that bring together universities, research institutes, small and large companies and governmental organisations across Europe.  The aim is to focus maximum effort into the most critical areas where 'European added value' can have the greatest effect and to create a European Research Area (ERA).  This is not just about technology – experiences like the globally successful GSM standard show that Europe can lead the world if it can develop a common vision embracing researchers, industrialists, governments and societies across Europe. Research and policy must therefore progress hand-in- hand, as embodied in the Commission’s i2010 Initiative.

September 2008 Encouraging Private Investment in ICT Research and Innovation Public funding of research and innovation can only be part of the story.  While public funding has a critical part to play in the development of innovative ICTs, the private sector must provide the lion's share of research funding if cutting-edge technologies are to be developed and widely exploited by industry.  Europe's industry sells to a global marketplace, and so would benefit from coordinating its private research activities across Europe to meet this challenge. The EU plays a role by encouraging private investment in ICT research through a number of initiatives:

September 2008 EU initiative encouraging private investment in ICT research  European Technology Platforms bring together companies, research institutions, and any other organisations, to define, at European level, a common strategic research agenda (SRA) which should mobilise a critical mass of national and European public and private resources...  Joint Technology Initiatives: In a limited number of cases, the scale of a research or technological objective and the resources involved justify setting up long-term public-private partnerships in the form of "Joint Technology Initiatives" (JTIs)...  Pre-commercial Public Procurement: 'innovation-friendly' procurement by the public sector, encouraging the development and acquisition of technologically innovative solutions...

September 2008 Coordinating ICT Research across Europe Europe must better coordinate its efforts - private, regional, national and European - if it is to become a global leader in ICT research.  The vast majority of all public ICT research funding in Europe is spent by national and regional research programmes, so the EU’s own Research Framework Programmes can only ever be a small fraction of all research funding across the EU.  With increasing global competition, no single EU country can now build the know-how and skills to master these increasingly complex technologies. Staying at the cutting edge of ICT research therefore means both:  Coordinating Research Policy  Coordinating European, national, regional and private research programmes

September 2008 Coordinating Research Policy  A key mechanism here is the National ICT Research Directors Forum which is an informal framework through which national ministries responsible for ICT research policy and funding (typically research and industry ministries) and their Commission counterparts meet twice a year to discuss and develop shared visions and strategies for ICT research in Europe.  The National ICT Research Directors Forum is complemented by a number of supporting measures: ISTAG, the IST Advisory Group: established to advise the Commission on overall ICT research within the Framework Programme for research as well as to reflect and advise on policies related to the European Research Area (ERA) and i2010;

September 2008 Coordinating Research Policy Coordination of IST Research and National Activities (CISTRANA), a project ended officially at 31 july 2008, which aims to foster coordination of national ICT programmes with each other and with European RTD programmes. Results include the CISTRANA IST research portal, which provides information on relevant research across most European countries, and a range of studies. Foresight on Information Society Technologies in the European Research Area (FISTERA): a project which compares results of national ICT R&D foresight exercises and helps exchange visions for the future. Industry, finally, plays an important role via European Technology Platforms (ETPs) - industry-led initiatives to create Strategic Research Agendas in strategically important areas. Some ETPs, moreover, are leading to the creation of Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) - long-term, public-private research partnerships.

September 2008 Coordinating Research Programmes Programme-level coordination in strategic ICT research areas can range from basic information exchanges to strategic cooperation and possible joint initiatives, depending on the maturity and nature of the area.  While national funding has been coordinated by several EUREKA project clusters and under the intergovernmental COST initiative for many years, the creation of a European Research Area (ERA) became a Commission priority with the launch of its Sixth FP6 Research Framework Programme ( ).  During FP6, the Commission launched CISTRANA and some 25 “ERA- NET” projects to coordinate national research programmes in the ICT area.  Building on the success of the 25 ERA-NET projects in FP6, the coordination of national or regional research programme or initiatives is an objective within Challenges 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, as well as FET, within the ICT Research under the Seventh Framework Programme ( ).

THANK YOU Onur Eryuce ITC EUROPA Tel: (0) September 2008