The European Commission has called on European leaders, who will devote part of their discussion over dinner in Sofia on Wednesday 16 May to innovation, to provide it with clear guidance on the future of research in Europe post-2020.
Taking as its starting point that “the EU is being outpaced by China and the United States in levels of investments in the technologies that are set to dominate in the future”, the Commission highlights a number of areas for action, such as creating a favourable regulatory environment and increased use of venture capital, to allow Europe to remain at the front of the global race on research and innovation.
It calls on the 27 member states swiftly to adopt the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 to ensure that research and innovation continues to be a funding priority (see EUROPE 12013).
Research Commissioner Carlos Moedas argued that, in comparison with the period from 2014 to 2020, there would be a 50% increase in funding for this sector, if one considered that, without the United Kingdom, the current Horizon 2020 framework programme receives €67-68 billion and that it is proposed that its successor, Horizon Europe, be allocated funding of close to €100 billion.
The new Horizon Europe programme, the features of which will be revealed at the start of June (see EUROPE 12018), will set up a European Innovation Council which will seek to encourage breakthrough innovations and to support the scale-up of innovative companies. There will also be specific initiatives to bring together public authorities, research players and investors around societal goals, such as tackling certain illnesses, clean mobility and cleaning the oceans.
An “innovation radar” will identify commercially promising innovations.
In its document, the Commission also announces that it will bring changes to the regulatory framework to further encourage innovation. For example, EU state aid rules will be simplified to make public financing of innovative projects easier. The combination of European and national funding will also be facilitated.
For further information, go to: https://bit.ly/2rGHbWk (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)