Archive:Science, technology and digital society statistics introduced
Research and development (R & D) is often considered as a driving force behind growth and job creation. However, its influence extends well beyond the economic sphere, as it can potentially, among others, resolve environmental concerns, ensure safer food, or lead to the development of new medicines to fight illness and disease.
The seventh framework programme for research and technological development (FP7) is the European Union’s main instrument for funding research in Europe; it runs from 2007-2013 and has a total budget of EUR 53 200 million. This money is generally intended to finance grants to research actors all over Europe, usually through co-financing research, technological evelopment and demonstration projects. Grants are determined on the basis of calls for proposals and a peer review process.
The main aims of FP7 are to increase Europe’s growth, competitiveness and employment. This is done through a number of initiatives and existing programmes including, the competitiveness and innovation framework programme, educational and training programmes, as well as regional development through structural and cohesion funds. FP7 is made up of four broad programmes – cooperation (collaborative research), ideas (European Research Council), people (human potential, Marie Curie actions) and capacities (research capacity). Through these four specific programmes, the aim is to create European ‘poles of excellence’ across a wide array of scientific themes, such as information technologies, energy and climate change, health, food and social sciences. FP7 also foresees specific programmes for EURATOM nuclear research and training Science and technology
activities, and direct research at the European Commission’s own research institute (the Joint Research Centre (JRC)), where activities are focussed on: food, chemical products and health; environment and sustainability; and nuclear safety and security.
Science is becoming increasingly complex and costly. Today’s researchers increasingly need to work together and they need access to advanced technical equipment. In 2000, the EU decided to create the European Research Area (ERA): a unified area all across Europe, which should:
- enable researchers to move and interact seamlessly, benefit from worldclass infrastructures, and work with excellent networks of research institutions;
- share, teach, value and use knowledge effectively for social, business and policy purposes;
- optimise and open European, national and regional research programmes in order to support the best research throughout Europe and coordinate these programmes to address major challenges together;
- develop strong links with partners around the world so that Europe benefits from the worldwide progress of knowledge, contributes to global development and takes a leading role in
international initiatives to solve global issues.
A debate was conducted during 2007 on what should be done to create a more unified and attractive research area to meet the needs of business, the scientific community and citizens. In May 2008 a set of ideas to develop the ERA were launched as part of what has become known as the ‘Ljubljana process’, including specific initiatives for five different areas: researchers’ careers and mobility; research infrastructures; knowledge sharing; research programmes, and; international science and technology cooperation. In December
2008, the Competitiveness Council adopted a 2020 ERA vision, which foresees the introduction of a ‘fifth freedom’ across the ERA – namely, the free circulation of researchers, knowledge and technology.