SPEECH/08/8
Janez Potočnik
European Commissioner for Science and Research Industry and Academia: Partners in European Research
Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways Conference
Brussels, 14 January 2008
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning and welcome to the first Marie Curie Partnerships and Pathways conference for Industry and Academia.
First of all, I wish everyone here an excellent start to 2008:
It's a new year that brings us fresh opportunities to produce excellence in European research and success for European businesses; It's also a new year to promote people and partnerships in our efforts to make Europe the world's most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy.
Europe is the home of many world-class companies of all sizes. It's also the home of some of the oldest and best seats of learning. Many of these companies and universities are represented in this room right now.
Europeans publish many patents. We win Nobel prizes. But do we generate enough ideas, and do we convert them into products, processes and services that the world wants to buy? Do we provide enough solutions to the world's pressing need for sustainable development in a sound environment?
At a time of increasing globalisation and competition, I'm afraid that the short answer is: no, we do not. If we want to achieve the European Union's foremost policy priority - the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs – then we have to change the status quo.
Our task today is to examine some of the challenges and possibilities for world-class science and innovation in Europe. Specifically, we'll discuss some of the issues and opportunities for badly-needed co-operation between the public and private research sectors.
Innovation for sustainable development will only be achieved with the creation and application of new knowledge. And our universities and public research organisations are a primary source of that new knowledge.
By strengthening the relationship between academia and the private sector, we can accelerate the development of new and improved products, processes and services. And it is vital that we do so to ensure our continued economic growth.
By working side by side with universities and other public research institutions, industry gains access to the intellectual and material resources of academia. That includes the possibility to approach scientific problems from novel angles that are less burdened by immediate commercial concerns.
Furthermore, academia can provide essential capabilities in research and development in support of pilots, prototypes or concepts that lead to products and profits. In their turn, universities and institutes can benefit from ideas for and material support to their endeavours, while gaining experience and insights into management practices.
For these reasons, I'm encouraged by the participation today of researchers and research managers from private companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises. I welcome, of course, the attendance of many universities and research organisations. And I'm pleased by the presence of representatives from national, regional and non-governmental organisations in both domains.
Your enthusiasm for this event is appreciated. It is a sign of your willingness to consider long-term collaborations and to address the barriers to the movement of researchers between the public and private sectors. I'm aware of the many challenges that you face and I'm aware of some of your successes. We will address both of these later in this event.
So let me be clear: I am committed to the free movement of knowledge within Europe and a culture of collaboration between the worlds of academia and industrial research. And the key to achieving such an environment is the European Research Area.
Through the development of the ERA we are facing the challenges related to research, education and innovation, by focussing on the following elements:
People: ensuring an adequate flow of excellent researchers within and towards Europe; Partnerships: to create networks and programmes between scientists, industrialists, entrepreneurs and policymakers; and between Europeans and our international partners; Infrastructures: to provide world-class research facilities that support world-class science; And organisations: to create and maintain globally-competitive research institutions.
The first two of these aspects – people and partnerships – are at the heart of our efforts and form the focus for this conference.
As you might know, the main tool at our disposal at European Community level is the 7th Framework Programme for Research. During its first year operations, nearly 27,000 proposals were submitted and one of the undoubted successes of this first year is the People Programme, including the Marie Curie actions.
The Marie Curie actions recently celebrated their 10th birthday. Over time they have developed from a programme purely about mobility to one dedicated to stimulating the career development of researchers and addressing the human resources requirements of the ERA, including industry.
They have now become prestigious funding schemes. In fact, one of the criteria used to classify European universities in league tables in terms of quality is their number of Marie Curie fellows. This is a very welcome recognition of the importance of the Marie Curie actions and something that all participants can be proud of, and that I am proud of.
Mobility for researchers does not just apply to moving from one place to another; it can also mean mobility between disciplines and between sectors, from academia to industry and vice-versa. Exchange of staff between the public and private sectors is the basic principle of the Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways action.
The IAPP is the evolution of the FP6 Transfer of Knowledge scheme. Many of these contracts have been very successful and some of the contractors are here today to pass on their experiences and recommendations for best practice.
Recently, a well-known and regarded British newspaper reported on a successful Transfer of Knowledge collaboration of the University of Leicester with the Lisbon-based company. The article was titled "Brussels plays fairy godmother to seal partnership", and it said:
"unlike marriages, partnerships between academic institutions and (IT) companies are never made in heaven – but some of the most successful are made in Brussels these days."
Sadly, I don't have a magic wand to wave over you today. However, during the meeting you'll discuss industry–academia "marriages" and their benefits and rewards. You'll learn more about the Marie Curie IAPP action, how to get involved and how to optimise projects.
However as well as the benefits, we should not ignore the real and perceived obstacles to cooperation, so that we can overcome them. I acknowledge that inter-sectoral collaboration can have its difficulties, not least of which are the issues of Intellectual Property Rights, specific needs of small and medium sized enterprises and barriers to researchers mobility.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
The Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways action is only one of the many industry-academia collaboration activities in FP7. For example, we have seen the creation of more than 30 European Technology Platforms, led by industry, that provide a framework for all stakeholders. They are defining research and development priorities, timeframes and action plans on a number of strategically important issues for achieving Europe's future growth.
We have funded Joint Technology Initiatives to create Europe-wide public-private partnerships driven by the needs of industry, and focussing on areas where research and technological development are essential to European competitiveness and quality of life.
We will see later this year the creation of a European Institute of Innovation and Technology: a network of private companies, universities and research organisations that will foster knowledge and innovation communities.
To all this I add the adoption of an innovation strategy that addresses the question of state aid for R&D, venture capital, tax incentives, European patents and lead markets. I should also mention the establishment of the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
In all these ways, the Commission seeks to encourage relationships between the private and public research activities that Europe needs to succeed.
As I said, I am no fairy godmother. I have no magic wand to make all your wishes for 2008 come true. However, I might be Cupid, with a quiver of arrows from the 7th Framework Programme!
One of the sharpest arrows is the Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways action. So I am looking forward to seeing many new successful IAPP "marriages" in the months and years to come.
I wish you all a very successful meeting.
