HORIZON 2020 - Consultation for new FET Proactive topics: a first analysis

In May 2014, FET launched a consultation to identify promising and potentially game-changing directions for future research in any technological domain. Nearly 500 contributions have been received, suggesting new topics, or further refining previously identified topics.
This first analysis provides an overview of the material received, with short description of the ideas (as stated by their respective authors) and putting them in context of some others.

Related topics

ICT Research & Innovation Funding Researchers Biotechnology Future and emerging technologies FET Proactive

date: 01/10/2014

The consultation was organised as a series of discussions, in which contributors can suggest ideas for a new FET Proactive initiative or discuss the 9 research topics identified in the previous consultation (2 years earlier) to determine whether they are still relevant today. The consultation has been opened for 2 months (May and June 2014) and the total number of contributions received was 491.

The 10 discussion topics and the number of contributions received are listed below:

Ideas for new topics (what's new that isn't in the other 9 topics?) – 272 contributions received

Bottom-up intelligent construction – 10 contributions received
Constructive symbiosis – 6 contributions received
Ecological technology – 11 contributions received
Global Systems Science – 39 contributions received
Knowing, doing and being – 10 contributions received
Nano-optomechanical technologies – 80 contributions received
New possibilities at the nano-bio-chem interface – 17 contributions received
Quantum technologies – 31 contributions received
Time for time – 15 contributions received

Note that not all contributions are equally substantial, some stating more expressions of interest and support to submitted ideas.

Each of the previously identified topic was described with a few lines of teaser text, that describes the general challenge addressed. On these themes the consultation asked for adjustments and additions.

The document provides an overview of the material received, with short description of the ideas (as stated by their respective authors) and putting them in context of some others. Some ideas received have been moved under what seemed to be the most appropriate umbrella topics. When topics fit under several of those they are usually mentioned under all those relevant headings. Although it has been attempted to include all material in this overview, such completeness is not guaranteed.

Disclaimer: No claims are made or implied as to the relevance of these topics and ideas for Future and Emerging Technologies. Mention of ideas in this document does not imply any commitment whatsoever from the side of the Commission on their inclusion in future work programmes or any preferential treatment of the topic in any of its calls or other actions.

Further analysis of these contributions and other material is ongoing and will lead to a list of new and adjusted umbrella topics (i.e., a new list compared to the previously identified topics listed above) for future research on future and emerging technologies.