{"id":6498,"date":"2020-10-23T13:38:59","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T13:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/polsca.pan.pl\/en\/?p=6498"},"modified":"2020-10-23T13:39:02","modified_gmt":"2020-10-23T13:39:02","slug":"european-research-area-new-challenges-and-new-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/polsca.pan.pl\/en\/european-research-area-new-challenges-and-new-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"European Research Area – new challenges and new opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We already know the European Commission\u2019s Communication on the new European Research Area (ERA)<\/a> in the field of research and innovation (R&I) announced on September 30, 2020.<\/strong> Recently on\u00a0our website we described the history of the ERA and its main objectives<\/a>, while below we present the content of the release, which describes the renewed European Research Area. So what will the new ERA be like? What are its strategic goals and expected results? How it is going to differ from the “previous” ERA, especially at a time of social, environmental and economic challenges escalated by the Covid-19 pandemic? Feel free to read!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

NEW ERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on its experience, the European Commission has\noutlined the new ERA development priorities. Their implementation will\naccelerate the R&I progress of research and innovation towards a green, climate-neutral,\ndigital Europe that will invest in breakthrough research, risky innovations and\nboldly compete in the global industry and economic market. It will also be\nEurope oriented towards scientific excellence, open science, cooperation of leading\nresearchers and innovators, supporting scientific talents and creating an\nattractive labour market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The particular 14 actions <\/strong>announced by the\nCommission will play a key role in achieving the new objectives of the European\nResearch Area (for details see picture below). It will also be important to cooperate\nmore closely with the Member States, for which an European Forum for Transition<\/strong>\nwill be the new discussion platform. In addition, the Commission proposes EU countries an adoption of a Pact for Research and Innovation\nin Europe <\/strong>(2021), which will define common values, principles of\ncooperation, strategic areas of action, as well as tools of their\nimplementation and monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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STRATEGIC GOALS OF THE ERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its Communication the European Commission identified\nthe following four strategic objectives for ERA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. <\/b><\/em>Prioritize investments and reforms in research and innovation <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To achieve this goal, the European Commission suggests to the Member States to increase R&I investment, in particular the areas of key importance for the development of Europe, i.e. digital technologies, microelectronics, renewable energy, advance towards a climate-neutral continent and a circular economy. The Commission proposes to maintain the target of 3% of GDP spending on research and innovation, while encouraging Member States to increase their public R&D expenses to at least 1.25%. At the same time, EU countries are encouraged to volunteer 5% of their national R&D funding for joint European programs and partnerships by 2030. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contribution of the European Commission itself will be the expenditures planned for the years 2021-2027 on different instruments of the new Horizon Europe framework program. Horizon Europe (HE) is expected to effectively counteract the existing fragmentation of activities and R&D investment.<\/strong> Its first pillar is to build a solid foundation for basic research. The second pillar will ensure well-coordinated cooperation between the EU, Member States and industry on jointly defined priorities in the fields of health, industry and economy, energy, biodiversity, climate, food, etc. The new instruments for this cooperation will be “missions” and cross-border “partnerships”. Meanwhile, the third pillar of Horizon Europe will focus on the development of breakthrough innovation around which European Innovation Council (EIC)<\/strong> and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)<\/strong> have been building their activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Improve\naccess to excellent facilities and infrastructures for researchers across the\nEU<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Being aware of the current unbalanced R&D expenditure of individual Member States, the EC has set itself the goal of filling these gaps in order to provide researchers from different EU countries with equal access to research excellence and infrastructures<\/strong>. To achieve this goal the Commission plans e.g. to support R&D staff through different programmes developing competences and strengthening mobility between academia and industry. At the same time, the EU countries lagging behind the EU\u00a0average of R&I investment over GDP will be asked to rise their expenditure by 50% in the next 5\u00a0years. Under Horizon Europe the development of excellence in the widening countries will be\u00a0supported by instruments such as Twinning<\/a>, Teaming<\/a>, ERA Chairs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among all new ideas there are two initiatives deserving special mention: 1. the “Science meets regions”<\/strong> initiative<\/strong> facilitating dialogue and supporting regions and cities; 2. the ERA4You initiative<\/strong> supporting the mobility of scientists and the knowledge exchange between researchers and entrepreneurs. ERA4You is also to monitor and effectively eliminate the disproportions in the access of scientists and institutions to the best infrastructures and research facilities in various regions of Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Transfer of R&I results to the economy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Commission intends to respond to this particular challenge by developing roadmaps of action \u2013 common to European universities, technology and industry \u2013 that will attract even more private investors ready to get involved in cross-border and cross-sectorial projects. This will reinforce the competitiveness of European technology in key strategic areas. The Commission’s aim is to rapidly transform excellent science into ground-breaking innovations and to mobilize the potential of the less technologically developed regions of the EU.<\/strong> An interesting solution from the point of view of researchers and institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences might be developing a networking framework based on already existing centers of excellence and Digital Innovation Hubs, which will enable the brain circulation. Moreover, the Commission plans to develop a code of practice for the intellectual property protection over the next 2 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Strengthen mobility of researchers and free flow of knowledge and technology<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Several areas of particular attention have been identified in this field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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