The recommendations of a European Research and Innovation Area Board (ERIAB) report on how to shape a more comprehensive and efficient research and innovation policy for the EU came under the spotlight at the Innovation Convention 2014 last week, in a panel discussion between ERIAB members, and representatives of two advisory groups, innovation for growth (i4g) and the European Forum of Forward Looking Activities (EFFLA).
The ERIAB report opens by saying the EU should focus its attention on the potential of private and public investments in research and innovation to generate long-term economic growth. But there are two other more important themes that underlie the report. First, that Europe’s research and innovation sector needs to assume a more global footprint and second, that the EU needs to make greater efforts to bridge the growing innovation and knowledge divides between regions in Europe.
Europe must go global
Unless it expands its international collaboration footprint, Europe will not be among the global frontrunners in finding answers to pressing global problems such as climate change and food security. Increasing Europe’s international research competitiveness is urgent, and national and EU authorities should increase support for the international flow of researchers, the report says.
This can be done by increasing international participation in Horizon 2020 and strengthening the portability of ERC grants, but putting these policies in place will hang on the political negotiations that follow the election of the new European Parliament and the installment of the new Commission after the elections in May.
To maintain international economic competitiveness, Europe needs to increase its research competitiveness, said Barbara Haering, Chief Executive of econcept Inc and Co-Chair of ERIAB. To do this the focus should be put on global public goods and global public interests, while maintaining the high level of excellence in research, she said.
Europe can become a global player, believes Luke Georghiou, Vice-president for research and innovation at Manchester Business School, and member of EFFLA. “The 21st century can be Europe’s but Europe needs a strategy for that,” he said.
Bridging the innovation and knowledge divide
Regions in Europe are extremely heterogeneous both in culture and in innovation and research capabilities. This heterogeneity requires local strategies to boost R&D investments.
Homogenisation is not appropriate, but building a standardised, competitive, higher education system across Europe would help in consolidating universities and research centres in poorer regions. Also, this would allow for universities in poorer regions to build connections with Europe’s best universities in order to gather good practices and emulate them where appropriate.
Another obstacle in the development of poorer regions revolves around confusion created by the Smart Specialisation strategy. Regions should get more help in understanding what smart specialisation is and what specialisation to choose, according to panel members, who said there is a gap between what the architects of smart specialisation had in mind and what actually happens on the field.
The regional innovation divide can be bridged with existing mechanisms such as twinning and teaming, but the EU must enhance and support these mechanisms in order for them to work properly.
The ERIAB report can be downloaded at this link.
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