Brussels, 12/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - At the European Technology Platforms Conference in Brussels on Tuesday 11 May, European Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn revealed the key points of the new European research and innovation strategy which will be ready for September. Innovation and research are high on the European political agenda and are due to be discussed at the European Council in the autumn. The commissioner began by stressing that research and innovation policies had to be refocused on the major societal challenges facing Europe and the world, such as climate change energy and resource efficiency, health and ageing. “They're top priorities for policy-makers, and they also represent, as I'm sure those with an entrepreneurial outlook will agree, huge commercial opportunities,” she said. The strategy will be based, not only on research, but also on a broad understanding of “innovation”, with funding which goes beyond the field of research: innovation in business models, management structures and processes, the delivery of services by the public sector, as well as innovation in design and marketing, and also social innovation. Furthermore, the strategy will seek to remove all major bottlenecks to the flow of knowledge and to the emergence of a single market for research and innovation. “The strategy will give a vigorous push to reaching an agreement on an EU patent. Enough is enough: let's finally finish the job!” Geoghegan-Quinn said. The strategy, which will be presented after the summer break, will also propose measures to improve the mobility and careers of researchers. “I want to remove, once and for all, the pension and social security obstacles which hinder and at times prevent researchers from moving freely between countries,” the commissioner added. Measures will also be proposed to catalyse an increase in the public procurement of innovation, thereby creating new opportunities for businesses and leading to better services for citizens. The strategy will also propose the expansion of mobility schemes for top talents and budding entrepreneurs. Developing Europe's R&D performance will be a further core feature of the strategy, which will contain measures for developing world-class research infrastructures: “Everything from polar research vessels and bio-banks to particle accelerators and very large telescopes”. The commissioner also wants the strategy to help put an end to the fragmentation of national research efforts and the wasteful duplication that this leads to. “At a time when public finances are under such pressure, we must get the most out of every cent we spend,” she stated. The strategy will lay great emphasis, too, on financing the “i-conomy”. “We need to ensure that innovative companies, especially high-growth SMEs, get easier access to funding,” the commissioner stressed. She undertook to work harder on improving the cross-border provision of venture capital, and she said that the Commission was already working with the EIB to increase substantially the leverage finance available to support research and innovation. To implement the strategy, the commissioner said that the best possible use had to be made of current EU-level funding instruments. The Framework Programme is up for review soon and she intends to tie it much more closely to the major societal challenges and ensure it has more leeway to fund innovation. She also announced that she will simplify procedures for participation in EU-funded research projects (see EUROPE 10129). (B.C./transl.rt)