Paul Meller, Brussels

The European Commission has selected six areas of pioneering research for its long-awaited lead markets initiative.

Researchers and institutions in Germany and the UK dominate in the starting grants for independent research issued by the recently created European Research Council.

Current holder of the EU presidency Portugal is claiming a breakthrough in the long-running drive to create a unified patent litigation system across Europe.

EU national ministers have agreed a new kind of public–private research partnership that will see nearly €10 billion ploughed into joint technology initiatives.

The European Research Council unveiled its first-ever grant programme for ambitious, far-reaching research projects this week, earmarking €4 billion over the next six years.

Efforts to stem Europe’s scientific brain drain could be undermined by pay, as purchasing power dips below India and the EU–US gap widens further.

The ITER nuclear fusion cooperation agreement might expand to eight following European Commissioner for science and research Janez Potocnik’s visit to Brazil last week.

With the French Senate ratifying the London Agreement on patent translation, technology companies can look to a much cheaper future.

The multidisciplinary nature of research in nanosciences and nanotechnologies will result in a sharp increase in European funding, the Commission has said.

France is ready to break a linguistic obstacle that has for decades burdened patent applicants wanting to use their inventions across Europe.