KT&I Gateway

European Research Area (ERA)

Initiative summary description: The idea of the European Research Area (ERA) is to reduce fragmentation of research in Europe and to create an environment in which researchers can work in laboratories and research settings in other Member States just as easily as they can move within their own countries. The ERA consists of activities, programmes and policies that are designed and operated at all levels: regional, national and European. See https://ec.europa.eu/research/era/instruments/era_instruments_en.htm for information about European, national and regional level instruments that contribute to the development of the ERA.

Period of the initiative: open-ended.

Role and priorities/objectives in knowledge transfer & innovation: The ERA is composed of all research and development activities, programmes and policies in Europe that involve a transnational perspective. Together, they enable researchers, research institutions and businesses to increasingly circulate, compete and co-operate across borders. The aim is to give them access to a Europe-wide open space for knowledge, innovation and technology in which transnational synergies and complementarities are fully exploited.

The development of the ERA helps to overcome the fragmentation of research in Europe along national and institutional barriers. Voluntary Guidelines on Framework Conditions for Joint Programming in Research encourage Member States, with EC support, to consider how best to find common approaches to horizontal issues, usually referred to as Framework Conditions, essential for effective development and implementation of Joint Programming in Research.

Knowledge transfer & innovation links: A Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) has been developed for agriculture, food security and climate change.

Homepage: https://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm

Contact details:
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