Toespraak van Janez Potočnik over de Europese Onderzoeksruimte (en) - Hoofdinhoud

SPEECH/08/311

Janez Potočnik

European Commissioner for Science and Research

ERA – An Open Space for Research and Innovation

EUREKA Ministerial Conference

Ljubljana, 6 June 2008

Prime Minister, Ministers, ladies and gentlemen,

It's my great pleasure to be here with you at the Ministerial Conference at the end of a very successful Slovenian Chairmanship of EUREKA.

Over twelve months ago, you started with the motto "Creating the Future". I am happy to see that you haven't finished your job fully, there is still a future out there, to be developed further by your successors!

But let me congratulate you on the significant contributions you've made in shaping that future:

For EUREKA, through the revised strategy that we will be discussing later on; and also

For the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which hopefully we will welcome as new member to the initiative.

Last night, the courtyard of Ljubljana Castle was transformed into an open space for examples of innovation and research. We witnessed a miniature European Research Area, one could say, where representatives of all countries were present and interacting on research and innovation, without frontiers of any kind. Occasions of this kind are always a refreshing reminder of what we are achieving together.

This morning, I'd like to use this opportunity to briefly recap the objectives and progress in developing the ERA, to outline our actions for the future, and to discuss the possible role for EUREKA in this process.

It was in 2000 - against the backdrop of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs - that the European Commission took the initiative to strengthen European potential in research and innovation with the launch of the European Research Area.

In the face of the globalisation of research and technology, we had no other choice. Emerging powers such as China and India are attracting increasing levels of R&D investment, bringing innovative products to the market and are expanding the market itself.

While this brings new opportunities to Europe and to the world, it also raises the question of our ability to sustain a competitive edge in knowledge and innovation - the very cornerstones of our prosperity.

The ERA is boosting our ability to innovate, compete and create jobs for European citizens. By bringing together the research community, industry and policy-makers, it addresses the fragmentation, duplication and lack of specialisation which up to now has led to:

A waste of our precious and scarce R&D resources, both human and financial;

A reduced global presence for European R&D; and

A drag on our economic growth and the creation of new jobs.

Rising to the challenge, the Spring European Council of this year agreed to add to the four freedoms we have created in the movement of people, goods, services and capital. We are adding a fifth freedom - the freedom of knowledge.

So how are we developing the ERA to create this freedom?

In 2007, I initiated a review of our progress towards the ERA, consulting stakeholders on the basis of a Green Paper. As an immediate follow up to these deliberations, we're coming forward with five initiatives:

First of all is a framework to help Member States to develop joint public research programmes. This will allow interested countries to join forces on a voluntary basis to tackle major European societal challenges.

We have proposed a partnership with Member States and relevant actors, to ease the career development and the mobility of European researchers - to boost the circulation of European brain-power and stimulate innovation.

We're creating a standard legal framework for urgently--needed new pan-European research infrastructures; and

We're providing guidelines for the management of intellectual property rights in public research.

Lastly, we'll propose a common strategy for international science and technology cooperation for the Community and Member States. In this context, I was happy to note that the topic of international relations is likely to figure prominently on the agenda of the upcoming Portuguese EUREKA Chairmanship. So I look forward to constructive discussions on this issue.

Progress on these initiatives will take us firmly in the right direction in the building up of the ERA. I strongly believe that EUREKA has a significant role to play.

For more than 20 years EUREKA has contributed to the competitiveness of European industry and the fostering of trans-national cooperation. Collaboration between EUREKA and the European Commission goes back just as long, but in recent years clearly obtained a new dynamic and élan .

In this context, I am proud to mention the two Joint Technology Initiatives, "ENIAC" and "ARTEMIS", in the areas of nanoelectronics and embedded computer systems, respectively. In the future, I expect developments in these fields to enhance the competitive position of European industry. Mr Haggenmüller might say more about this in his speech today.

These are important flagships for European research policy and are results of EU-EUREKA cooperation. The Slovenian Chairmanship of EUREKA deserves our appreciation for their efforts in furthering these initiatives.

"Eurostars" is another excellent example of the fruits of the cooperation of EUREKA with the European Commission. It is a clear illustration of how Member States and the Commission can bring their respective programmes closer together for the benefit of research-performing small and medium-sized enterprises.

I am particularly pleased with the manner in which the "Eurostars" initiative goes beyond the mere coordination of national programmes. It undertakes the scientific, managerial and financial integration of research programmes, using a dedicated professional implementing structure in the form of the EUREKA Secretariat. The Council of the EU has still to adopt the Eurostars Decision, which I hope will occur very soon.

I am also delighted about the interest generated by this joint programme: 4 Member States have joined since the Commission proposal was made, with Bulgaria as the most recent. I hope that the necessary arrangements can be made within the EUREKA structure to enable Bulgarian SMEs to participate.

To summarise, ladies and gentlemen:

Globalisation presents us with some huge challenges, and we need to unite to face them.

Realising the ERA is our best bet for the future; there is a lot of work to be done, but there is also much to be gained..

I am happy to see that through its revised strategy, EUREKA is clearly committing to the realisation of European Research Area and the promotion of the fifth freedom.

Therefore, I look forward to continued and strengthened cooperation with EUREKA in the ERA – an open space for research and innovation.