ERAB calls for annual world summit of researchers

A meeting of scientists and decision makers from around the world should be convened each year to discuss the way forward in bringing science to bear on Global Challenges, says the European Research Area Board (ERAB) in its second annual report, published today (21 October).

ERAB says “global stakeholders” for research, development and innovation should adopt a similar approach to that taken by the World Economic Forum, whose annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland have become a ‘must-attend’ event for those dealing with world trade, finance and global policy issues.

Europe should take the lead in this international initiative to set up an equivalent ‘Davos for Research, Development and Innovation’, building on its experience of developing the European Research Area. The meeting would enable top-level policies to be formulated and progress to be monitored on common research and innovation priorities for dealing with global challenges.

“As the Grand Challenges before us are not confined to any one region of the world in the long term...it is essential that there is a meeting place for all countries/regions of the world where decision makers meet and are informed by the best available advice,” ERAB said in its report, ‘Realising the New Renaissance: Policy proposals for developing a world-class research and innovation space in Europe 2030.’

The report, which also includes a top ten priority action list, is a follow-up to last year’s ‘Preparing Europe for a New Renaissance’ in which ERAB called for a fundamental change in the way research is done.

Since then there have been many comments on this first report and the recommendations were the subject of scrutiny at a May 2010 conference under the Spanish presidency. The message from the conference was that the report’s “strategic vision was close to ‘mission impossible’ but that nevertheless urgent action was needed” and that Europe should take a leading role in coherently addressing the Grand Challenges.

The Davos idea would be one way of achieving this. ERAB wants the EU to immediately start coming up with ideas of how the forum would work and discuss these with high-level officials from other regions. The first forum should be held within two to three years and then on an annual basis, ERAB said, underlining the importance of involving all relevant ministries and disciplines. This will ensure an overarching approach is adopted and proposals are realistic and attainable.

Closer to home, the report also looks in more detail at how to achieve the “long and difficult task” of building a true European Research Area. The advisory board came up with 76 detailed recommendations and their expected impact. These are centred on four themes:

• a united ERA in a global world;
• science, society and policy; 
• open innovation; 
• an ERA to deliver excellence and cohesion. 

In response to a request by Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the board condensed its recommendations into 10 key actions. The list, a snapshot of which was earlier published by Science|Business, is as follows:

Recommendations for immediate action:

1. Create a single EU-wide patent and an Open Innovation Charter.

2. Agree on a fast-track timeline for a full and widespread implementation of pre-commercial procurement of Research and Development.

3. Concentrate Research Development & Innovation funding around a selection of themes relevant to “Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.”

4. Create an annual ''City/Region of Innovation in Europe''.

5. Issue an EU Framework Directive on Research & Innovation focusing particularly on creating a single market for Research Development and Innovation.

Recommendations for the mid-term (3-5 years)

6. Fully implement pre-commercial procurement of Research Development and Innovation around a few commonly agreed big projects.

7. Concentrate and streamline all R&D funding in the Eighth Framework Programme (FP8) by minimising management obligations for all funding schemes and by earmarking 30% of the Structural Funds and 10% of the Common Agricultural Policy for Research Development and Innovation projects.

8. Foster an acceptable degree of risk-taking and excellence throughout all Research Development and Innovation programmes.

9. Create a European Venture Capital Fund capable of investing in early-stage proof of concept and business development prior to commercial investment.

Recommendations for the long-term (5+ years)

10. Make result and risk-oriented funding of research and innovation projects the dominant criterion for research and innovation funding of the EC.

These action points will act as concrete ways in which the European Commission can flesh out its recently released Innovation Union plan. As an advisor to the Commission, ERAB will in the coming year be asked to respond to specific areas of the Innovation Union initiative.

Science|Business acted as rapporteur for the conference and ERAB's first report.