EU injects funding into ICT

21-11-2006

by Ciara O'Brien

ICT research is set to get a EUR9 billion boost from the EU after the European Commission announced plans to plough more funding into the area.

The extra funding is part of the EU's seventh research framework programme (FP7), due to run until 2013. The ICT research area accounts for some 18 percent of the budget, outlining just how seriously the EU is taking the task at hand.

A recent survey of the leading R&D-active companies in the world found that 36 of the top 100 were European, with 39 from the US, indicating that Europe is making steady progress in research and development.

EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding described the extra cash as a "much-needed shot in the arm" for ICT research.

"Europe is starting to catch up in ICT research," said Reding. "With EUR9 billion we're challenging Member States, industry and academia to join us in the fight for a more competitive Europe. But we don't just need more research; we need better focused research too. To get our priorities right, we have relied heavily on the advice of nine European Technology Platforms in ICTs. In some areas we shall take this partnership a step further and pool resources in Joint Technology Initiatives."

Some 3,500 members of the research community met in Helsinki on Tuesday to discuss the framework programme and research priorities for ICT in the future. They were also due to talk about the ICT research work programme for 2007-2008, which marks the start of the FP7.