Did you know that a €120 million research investment by the EU enabled the 3G mobile market that we know today, worth €250 billion? That is just one example of how worthwhile investment in research and innovation can be.
And so today is great news for Europe’s innovators – and Europe’s economy. The EU Commission is proposing €80 billion in funding for research and innovation over seven years. The programme – to be known as “Horizon 2020” will make it easier to seek funding, easier to bring good ideas to market, and easier for Europe to invest in innovation for the future. Read the full entry
For example, the Digital Agenda is all about new ways of working. Partnerships such as European Innovation partnerships (EIPs) help to get innovations into the hands of ordinary people and businesses as quickly as possible. They do this by concentrating our resources: bringing together innovators from both the public and private sectors, entrepreneurs, procurers and other interested parties. The partnerships are aimed at our grand challenges such as aspects of climate change, energy and food security, or supporting an ageing population.
The EIP on Active and Healthy Ageing is one where I am joining forces with my colleague John Dalli. It’s about bringing together the practitioners and recievers of care, along with the providers of solutions. In this area, with more than one billion euros between 2008 and 2013, the goal is a better a quality of life and seeing how ICT can be used to achieve this.
Examples that are working well include the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programmewhichbrings together 23 countries to work onmarket oriented research (further information here), and a pilot called Renewing Health where nine regions of EU cooperate in tackling chronic conditions like heart failure and diabetes.
Another example is seen in the i2home video featured here, where EU-funded research is helping to create the home of the future.This research is improving accessibilityfor elderly people and those living with a disability, through a common remote console. If we can help this sort of progress into a mass market, it will make a big difference to millions of lives. People who now miss out on basic products or are forced to use expensive, limited or unstylish products will instead get the same sorts of choices as everyone else.
The benefits of more innovation are great. By investing in an Innovation Union we will be creating many thousands of high-paying jobs, improving the quality of life of millions, and reduce financial burdens on future generations.
Click here to read more about what the EU is doing on ageing and innovation Click here to know more about the EU policy on public health and ageing Click here to visit the i2home website
Me in Odense, Denmark learning about the AAL joint programme
Isn’t this great- announced today by my colleague, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn. As Máire rightly points out in her speech- these investments are the ’seeds of our future growth.’
A new report says 80% of Europeans say they are interested in scientific discoveries and technological developments, compared to 65% interested in sport.
Over 70% of Europeans think EU-funded research will become more important in the future. 57% think scientists should put more effort into communicating about their work and 66% believe governments should do more to interest young people in scientific issues. Europeans overwhelmingly recognise the benefits and importance of science but many also express fears over risks from new technologies and the power that knowledge gives to scientists.
Europeans have a positive view of the effect of involvement with science on young people but feel that governments are not doing enough to stimulate wide interest. More efforts by governments to stimulate women to be involved with science is seen as necessary and as having a potentially a positive effect – 63% think getting more women into research positions would improve the way research is conducted.
