Too little focus on innovation says Eureka on ERA Green Paper

Take business into account, says Eureka

“The Green Paper very much focuses on the ‘research’ side of the research, development and innovation nexus. We feel the need to call the attention of the Commission to innovation as well,” Eureka says in its response.

Business is an important stakeholder in the creation of a knowledge economy, both as the generator and the user of new knowledge, says Eureka. It follows that participation of business in ERA should not be viewed only in terms of providing financial resources, but from the perspective of fully integrating its views, potential and priorities.

More interaction

The secretariat calls also for greater interaction with intergovernmental initiatives like Eureka, saying its flexible, bottom-up, variable-geometry character enables it to address needs and priorities of individual Eureka member countries. Its innovative projects and clusters, already provide a bridge between the regional, national and European dimension.

With the launch of the Eurostars Programme and with a potential future enhanced role as a provider of additional services, Eureka has the potential to become the gateway for networking and structuring of cooperation in innovation and R&D in Europe, it believes.

Private and public

Eureka also points to the need to foster public–private partnerships saying there should be greater exploitation of already well-established structures and networks, like Eureka, on which enhanced cooperation can be based.

“Eureka represents an effective instrument not only in the ERA, but also in the wider context of the broad EU Innovation Policy that supports the Lisbon goals,” says the response.

“Through this position paper, Eureka emphasises the central role of business in R&D as a knowledge generator and user, the importance of greater interaction with intergovernmental initiatives and the necessity of fostering public-private partnerships.”

“Eureka’s role to raise the productivity and competitiveness of European industry and national economies, through its bottom-up’ approach to technological innovation, is an added-value next to other key R&D and innovation initiatives in Europe.”

The paper adds, “Eureka is a key driver within the European Research Area, especially in those technological fields where more intergovernmental coordination and cooperation, based on the principle of variable geometry, is needed.”