More support for innovators discussed
by Ingemar Pongratz
In a recent article published by Science|Business, the Commissioner for DG-Research and Innovation Carlos Moedas has recently started a discussion that if it becomes reality would provide considerable support for the Innovation activities in Europe.
In the article, Commissioner Moedas discusses the possible benefits of establishing a new “European Innovation Council (EIC) where all the European efforts would be concentrated and made more visible and easy to find for European Innovators and European Innovative SME’s.
The rationale for this idea is simple. European research funding is well concentrated in Horizon 2020 and highly visible for different applicants. In contrast support for Innovators is scattered across many different prioritites and instruments and SME’s and European innovators have problem finding and accessing the available support.
For example, the SME Instrument and Fast Track for Innovation are part of Horizon 2020, and other funding possibilities such as Eureka! and Eureka Eurostars are accessible through other sites and managed by other administrative bodies.
The European Commission idea is to gather these scattered efforts and concentrate them into a single programme which will be operated by the EIC. In addition the EIC would apply a new evaluation approach which will guide proposers to suitable funding, a so called meta-review process
This idea is being discussed and the Commission aims to prepare a more detailed suggestion before the Horizon 2020 midterm review in 2017.
It will be very interesting to follow this proposal in the future
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View from Tyreso castle by Ingemar Pongratz
