Viewpoint

The quality of the research it backs is not in doubt, but now the European Research Council must transform itself from “amateurish” to a polished and professional operation

Biofuels are an important element the EU’s future energy mix, but more research is needed to develop fuels that don’t compete with food, says Csaba Tabajdi MEP

This week’s European Parliament vote to allow member states to ban cultivation of approved GM crops on environmental grounds undermines science-based decision-making system at an EU level, says Carel du Marchie Sarvaas of EuropaBio

A funding crisis threatens development of new treatments for mental illness. There needs to be a renewed effort to tackle Europe’s foremost health care challenge – which is currently costing €386 billion per annum

News that criminal gangs were awarded huge EU grants looks like an open and closed case for greater scrutiny. But actually it underlines the need for less, not more red tape

It’s widely accepted that intellectual property and equity are essential ingredients for a start-up. But this is not true in every case

Venture capital is the driving force of much entrepreneurial activity and Europe needs to look to the US role model to understand how it can promote and develop its venture capital sector, says a new report

A global culture is developing on the Internet. As a consequence, Internet users of all ages and social class now share values with each other that they don’t share with their fellow (offline) citizens.

A UK investigation demonstrates the essential role intellectual property plays in innovation - and makes a compelling case for reform

Europe may be competitive in nanotech research, but it needs to pay more attention to commercialisation, says Aymeric Sallin, a venture capitalist who specialises in investing in this field