Welcome to Christina Abildgaard Acting Executive Director Division for Strategic Priorities

New White Paper on research – ”Commitment to research” Norway is to become a leading research nation Total R&D expenses 3% of GDP by 2010, of which 1% from public sources The fund for research and innovation to reach NOK 50 bill. by January 2006

A need to increase private R&D-funding

Quality: Relative citation index in four Nordic countries Finland Sweden Denmark Norway ?

The Research Council of Norway is a strategic governmental agency Adviser to the government on reseach-policy issues Finance and stimulate public and private R&D Create arenas for cooperation and knowledge distribution

Biotechnology in The Research Council of Norway Division for Stategic PrioritiesDivision for Innovation Division for Science 2004: 565 mill. NOK Basic research – strategic programmes – User driven/Applied research FUGE – functional genomics – the most important programme

The White Paper – Priorities INTERNATIONALISATION BASIC RESEARCH (with emphasis on research quality and math and sciences ) RESEARCH-BASED INNOVATION Energy and environment FoodOceansHealth ICT New materials Nanotech. Biotechnology Functional Genomics in Norway

Functional genomics in Norway Budget of 180 mill. NOK 2004 Main objectives and priorities: Stay abreast of inter- national development and become attractive partners for international cooperation Basic science, medicine, marine research Industrial development Ethics and society (ELSA)

International co-operation EU  Program activity – high success rate in 6FP  30 ERA-net – 3 on biotechnology ESF ESRF - Grenoble EMBL/EMBC Bilateral co-operation The North America strategy Focus: Scientific excellence, technological opportunities, business relevance

Biotech Norway 2020: Strategic recommendations The BioAdventure: Political decisions – concerted effort – same force as the oil adventure  The whole value chain, with FUGE as the engine  Quality, national priorities, competitive strength  Sustainable biopolicy, long-term innovation policy  International exchange of competence A BioSeed fund for life science and biotechnology – framework for innovation and business development Norway’s trademark in biotechnology: Environmental and ethical concerns Internationally harmonized national biotechnology legislation BioNorway – A communication platform  Unite the Norwegian biotechnology sectors  Enhance international visibility

Good luck with this conference – and future cooperation! Chairman: Professor Ole Petter Ottersen Unversity of Oslo, Chairman of the FUGE board

Biotech Norway 2020: Main challenges for Norwegian biotechnology: Achieving political consensus on a common effort in biotechnology Establishing coordinated and effective instruments for all phases of biotechnology business development Communication: Making biotechnology more visible in all relevant industries, businesses and public sectors.

Thematic priorities for Norway?? By what – and how.... Competitive strength? Options and possibilities? Analysis and diagnostics Excellent research Medicine, Pharmacy, health Marine, aquaculture and food Industrial process

Biotech Norway 2020: Strategic recommendations (wording from project booklet!!) We must agree, by political decisions, to a concerted effort in biotechnology. We must create a BioAdventure with the same force as the oil adventure: A national effort must encompass the whole value chain, with FUGE as the engine. Key words are quality, national priorities and competitive strength in the global arena. A science and technology minister must safeguard sustainable biopolicy, long- term innovation policy and international exchange of competence. The Research Council and Innovation Norway must coordinate biotechnology instruments nationally and internationally. A BioSeed fund for life science and biotechnology must be established, together with a good framework for innovation and business development. Environmental and ethical concerns must emerge as Norway’s trademark in biotechnology. International collaboration must lead to harmonised and simplified national biotechnology legislation. A communication platform BioNorway must unite Norwegian biotechnology and enhance international visibility.