European Union

Limiting the number of languages used by a unified patent court is not an affront to Europe’s cultural diversity, but a pragmatic move to increase its competitiveness.

The proposal for a unified patent court is incompatible with EU Treaties, says Europe’s Advocate General, a serious setback for the creation of the European Patent.

Can it make commercial sense for companies to charge head-on into large-scale problems like climate change, ageing or energy supplies? Yes, according to Dow Corning.

A row has broken out over intellectual property rights and the funding model of Europe’s €2B flagship research programme, the Innovative Medicines Joint Technology Initiative.

The EU may divert €460 million from the Seventh Framework Programme to fund the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) nuclear fusion project.

Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn has announced the EU’s biggest annual research budget ever for 2011 - at €6.4 billion - with a pledge to make the money easier to access.

The high-level group set up to advise the European Commission on the deployment of key enabling technologies has held its first meeting.

GE’s $200M call for entrepreneurs to bring their smart grid technologies is also a challenge to the whole system of research, development and innovation in Europe.

Today in Munich GE launches a $200M venture fund for smart grid technology. Can this also help electrify Europe’s innovation machine?

Today in Munich, GE calls on European researchers and innovators: Pitch in your ideas to a €160 million open innovation challenge, and help build the electricity grids of the future.