What is the problem? Public spending on ICT is too low

The EU public sector spends less than 5.5 B € per year on ICT R&D, far below the levels of competing economies. Public policies should be creating the right conditions for sustaining the support to R&D and explore the yet untapped resources to support ICT R&D. Public funding is important for radical improvements to public sector services and new financial resources to R&D. It act as leverage factor for private spending and help accelerate time-to-market and open up new markets for ICT solutions across the EU.

Why is EU action required? To ensure Europe remains a leader in ICT innovation

Awareness raising, experience sharing, benchmarking and financial incentives at EU level will help encourage Member States to move towards the use of pre-commercial procurement. EU action will support a more targeted use of structural/regional development fund for ICT research and innovation and disclose new ways to increase national R&D investments.

What are the Commission's plans?

There are 3 main strands of action:

• Increase the use of pre-commercial procurement through awareness raising, clarification of the legal framework and sharing of experiences.
• Increase the use of structural & regional development funds for ICT research facilities and development projects on ICT products, services and applications.
• Strengthen national R&D investments like tax credits, support to universities, infrastructures, national research programmes, etc.

In 2010:

• Calls for proposals for joint cross-border pre-commercial procurement
• Survey on the status of implementation of pre-commercial procurement across Europe

In 2011

• Calls for proposals for joint cross-border pre-commercial procurement
• Continued monitoring of private and public investments in ICT R&D across Europe

Contact:

morten.moller@ec.europa.eu