What is the problem? Insufficient coordination of policies and concentration of resources

Europe's policies must be more coordinated and the resources dedicated to ICT research and innovation should be more concentrated. Coherent and strong partnerships for research and innovation are needed to create critical mass both in terms of financial and human resources and knowledge. Becoming more systemic in pooling and coordinating our resources and investments in ICT R&D and innovation across Europe - both on the demand and on the supply side - would lead to reduced fragmentation, less redundancies and better exploited synergies.

Why is EU action required? To pool resources at European and national levels

• To improve the impact and efficiency of European efforts
• To ensure complementary efforts at EU and Member State levels
• To help mobilise stakeholders around common goals

What are the Commission's plans?

• To enhance dialogue, exchange experience, avoid duplication of efforts and establish common goals and priorities.
• To support various types of partnerships, be they industry-driven, science-driven, or driven by public authorities, e.g. European Innovation Partnerships, Public-Private Partnerships in research, Joint Technology Initiatives, joint national research programmes, FET flagships etc.

In 2010:

• continued implementation of current public-private partnerships (PPPs, JTIs, etc) and joint national research programmes under FP7.

In 2011:

• launch of European Innovation Partnerships

Contact:

morten.moller@ec.europa.eu