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In theory the French EU Presidency’s aims on research and innovation shouldn’t be impeded by fissures in the Lisbon Treaty. In practice, this political crisis will be hugely distracting.

The European Research Council says its first batch of proposals from older scientists was excellent, with a broad range of nationalities – but not enough women.

Finland already beats the rest of Europe on R&D spending. Now it plans to boost it still further to 4 per cent of GDP by 2011.

Supreme Court Rulings and patent reform are making it harder to defend patents in the US – and biotechs are falling back on trade secrets to protect their IP.

Industrial giant GE has based one of its three global R&D Centres in Munich. Centre head Carlos Härtel gives Science|Business an insight into the research that goes on there.

A single structure for start-up companies is critical for innovation, said Commissioner Charlie McCreevy at the launch of the Small Business Act for Europe.