New funding method launches with €3 billion project

The European Union has unveiled a new way of funding R&D, the Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), under which it will be possible for the first time to pool the resources of private industry, EU research schemes and national programmes in one pot, to pursue common research objectives.

The first JTI, to be launched in early 2007 will be Artemis, which will steer European research in embedded computing systems. The budget for Artemis is expected to be around €3 billion over seven years, of which more than half will come from industry and the rest from member states and European Commission. It is expected that the proposed mechanism will leverage €7 of overall R&D effort for every euro that is put in by the EU.

"I have said repeatedly that Europe needs to pool resources and increase its research investment in information and communications technologies," said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media.

"Artemis is proof of how the main stakeholders in Europe can work together, laying the foundations for a prosperous and competitive future. Having shown the way in the key field of embedded systems, other such initiatives must soon follow if Europe is to catch up with competing nations and truly build its information society of growth and jobs."

Independent entities

JTIs are independent legal entities that pursue industry-driven research agendas. They can receive and manage funding from any source, including national and community funding and they are open for other partners – public or private – to join in. The hope is that this new research funding vehicle will stimulate European research investment, build critical mass by uniting currently fragmented efforts, while ensuring effective and efficient programme management.

Currently, Europe’s private sector companies invest between €15 billion and €20 billion a year in embedded systems research. Nearly half of the 100 biggest European companies are investing in the field ,and most of the top 25 European research spenders rely on embedded systems for their products and services.

Artemis was originally established in June 2004 as a European Technology Platform, with contributions to date from 17 companies, including Philips, Nokia, Thales, Daimler Chrysler and ST Microelectronics.

Now 14 European governments have said they will contribute to rebranding Artemis as a JTI. Another JTI in the area of nanoelectronics is in the works also.

It sounds depressingly familiar, but the EU says JTIs will help to achieve critical mass and synergies in research, and avoid the duplication and wastage that occurs though many separate initiatives running in parallel in different member states and consortia.

By setting JTIs up under of Article 171 of the Treaty the Commission can make them independent legal entities that can receive funding from any source, and are open to all.