FP6 presentation - Lynne Hunter

Introduction

My purpose today is to introduce you to the world's largest integrated science project - the European Commission's  6^th Framework Programme.   During the presentation I will try to answer five basic questions -

1. How much is it worth?
2. What are the priorities?
3. How can I take part?
4. How much money can I get?
5. Why should I bother?

Background

As the 6^th Framework Programme is part of the European Research Area, I'd like to go through the background quickly.

Responding to the challenges set by the Lisbon European Council of making Europe, by 2010, the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world, the European Commission and the member states worked on a new approach to Science & Technology. Based on reports that research and technology were at the root of 25-50% of economic growth they realized that the previous Framework strategy of the past 18 years based as it was on simply funding projects was not sufficient. 

Although Europe had a long-standing tradition of excellence in research and innovation, their centres of excellence were, and still are, scattered across the continent and there was, and is, a singular lack of adequate networking.  The average research effort in the Union is currently only about 1.9% of Europe's GDP - compare against 2.8 in the US 2.9 in Japan and 1% in New Zealand.  The gap between the EU and the US is growing and, much as you have done in New Zealand, the EC decided it was time to review the situation. The goal became for R & D investment to reach 3% of GDP by 2010. European research has to be more than 15 + 1. The level of spending on S & T was too low in the Member States and although the candidate countries were fully associated with the 5^th framework programme the results of their participation were below expectation.

There were several reasons for this, not least their low investment in R & D ranging from 0.3% in Cyprus to 1.51% in Slovenia, far below the European average of 1.9.  After consultation across the Member States at all levels, the European Research Area was created which is the vision statement for S & T in Europe.  It aims to build a research and innovation market equivalent to the common market for goods and services.   The 6^th Framework Programme is the tool to carry out this Statement.  It is much more than a funding scheme.  It is designed to help focus and integrate research in Europe, structure the ERA and strengthen its foundation. It calls for the regrouping of all Community supports for the better coordination of research and innovation policies at both the national and EU Levels.

It became clear when drawing up the ERA vision statement that "excellence" in S & T, as in other policy areas, could not be obtained within Europe alone and that if they wished to fully exploit Europe's considerable research potential they had to consider the international dimension.   As we are all aware, risks and challenges in all fields of life transcend national frontiers and continents and are increasingly complex and interdependent.    The ERA initiative is outward looking.  It is open to the world. It seeks to harness the S&T resources of the EU and other countries to work together in initiatives that can provide responses to significant global problems such as environmental safety, food safety, health etc.   It seeks to do this on the basis of an equitable working partnership and it seeks to have as its basis .. excellence. The International Dimension is a key part of FP6.

Let me quote from our Commissioner for S & T, M.  Busquin - "The European Research Era must be opened up to the rest of the world.  This will enable EU Countries, and third countries, to benefit from international cooperation in Science and Technology, thereby paving the way for closer political and economic relations". ...next ....

this page last updated December 22, 2004