Horizon 2020 programme to feature PPPs

12 July 2011

BRUSSELS - 13 July 2011. The European Commission will include public-private partnerships in its upcoming proposal on the framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon 2020. “There is a demand for applied research and actions closer to the markets in order to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry”, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, EU-Commissioner for Research and Innovation, explained yesterday at a conference in Brussels that attracted more than 950 experts in industrial research.

Public-private technology partnerships are widely recognised as effective in promoting investments in research and innovation. In this context, EFFRA Chairman Dr Massimo Mattucci emphasised that industrialised and emerging economies outside Europe are actively engaged in similar programmes, stating that:  “Our competitors are moving fast and, if we want to surpass their efforts and maintain technological leadership, Europe needs to act now.”

According to a group of experts from industry and academia, European public-private partnerships should operate as full programmes, administrative procedures should be streamlined and mechanisms transferring research results to the market should be developed. In addition, the expert group stressed the importance of related industrial associations, such as EFFRA, recommending that their roles should be formalised, and they should contribute to strengthening the impact of the public-private partnership projects through networking and raising awareness.

Commissioner for Research & Innovation Máire Geoghegan-Quinn meeting with Dr Massimo Mattucci (right) & Prof. Heinrich Flegel (centre)