Effectiveness of EU ICT research under scrutiny 

"Systemic change is needed to remove barriers to innovation and promote stronger interaction between users, researchers and business - notably in regional innovation systems," states an expert panel report on the effectiveness of EU-funded ICT research, published on 24 June.

According to the expert panel, chaired by the former Finnish Primer Minister Esko Aho, changes at systemic level stand for changes on "a broad portfolio of policies and measures which affect the innovation 'ecosystem'" and the exploitation of new knowledge and skills.

Therefore, Aho called on member states and the European Parliament to equip the EU with "the right, flexible tools to better focus European high-tech research and to open it up to more risk and to new international partners," so that the EU's €4bn would not be "a mere drop in the ocean" complementing the €100bn invested by member states themselves and private companies. 

The report "has rightly concluded that the effectiveness of Europe's high-tech research is too often stifled by red tape, a lack of venture capital and a risk-averse mentality in both national and European administrations," acknowledged Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding.

The report sets out 23 recommendations to make EU-funded ICT research more efficient and relevant to EU's strategic goals in Lisbon agenda of more sustainable growth and jobs. 

These include making public-private partnerships more permanent, networking high-growth companies with venture capital investors, focusing the research effort to some key areas on which Europe can become a world leader and involving more third country partners in the projects and their management. 

The report also recommends more flexibility in project funding and management. 

The panel namely considers that consortia should be allowed to first submit only a broad outline of their project ideas, instead of a full, detailed project proposal. The applications passing the initial evaluation would then be granted a small amount of seed money to do a small-scale exploratory project, the most successful of which would then receive full project funding. 

Project consortia should also be asked to only report to the Commission when there is something to report about and to allow changes to the focus of research and partner switches as priorities change during project implementation. 

According to the panel, this two-step evaluation procedure would particularly encourage small innovative companies to consider applying for Community funding.