18/12/2002
- Focusing industrial technologies research
- Promoting transition to knowledge-based society
- Priority 3 management
Dedicated Industrial Technologies website
This website provides news, information and research results in the field of Industrial Technologies – a key priority in the EU Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) for research and technological development (RTD). The intention is to promote greater openness and understanding about this area.
Focusing industrial technologies research
EU-funded research programmes were launched in the early 1980s to ensure coherent investment in science and technology. The Framework Programmes originally constituted a simple financial instrument to provide funds for collaborative research focused primarily on technology for national markets. Through successive programmes, the emphasis has shifted towards socio-economic issues and meeting first EU-wide and then global goals.
In FP6 , Priority 3 on ‘Nanotechnologies and nano-sciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials & new production processes and devices’ is playing a major role in focusing and integrating Community research on industrial technologies within the European Research Area (ERA). The objective is to have a significant effect on suitable competitiveness and the well being of citizens.
Promoting transition to knowledge-based society
Industrial research activities under Priority 3 have been defined to help industry to reconsider its products and processes to make them more knowledge-based, and less resource intensive, and to develop sustainable solutions through radical innovations. Work in this area will promote the transition towards a knowledge-based high-technology industry while addressing societal needs.
With a budget of € 1 300 million and its multi-disciplinary approach, Priority 3 combines and integrates industrial research activities around thee major topics:
- Nanotechnologies and nano-sciences considered as a flagship of the next industrial revolution;
- Knowledge-based multifunctional materials providing new functionalities and improved performances for multi-sectoral applications; and
- New production processes and devices with the objective of providing the industrial system and consumers of the future with the necessary tools for efficient life-cycle design, manufacturing, re-use and recovery.
Such an approach, bringing together nanotechnologies, materials science and manufacturing, as well as information technologies and others, based for example on bio or environmental sciences, is expected to lead to real breakthrough and radical innovation in production and consumption patterns.
Priority 3 management
Priority 3 is managed by the Research DG Directorate G (Industrial technologies), which consists of:
- Strategic and policy aspects unit;
- Administration and finance unit;
- Products, processes and organisation unit;
- Materials unit (including steel); and
- Nanosciences and nanotechnologies unit.