Geoghegan-Quinn, who will take up the role of European commissioner for research, innovation and science if approved by MEPs, said she hoped to use €86bn of EU structural funds to beef up the so-called knowledge economy.
Appearing at a hearing in the European Parliament, she indicated structural funds could help countries in Central and Eastern Europe to close the gap on neighbours with better established scientific infrastructure. This, she indicated, would be a long-term strategy rather than a temporary effort to level the innovation playing field.
MEPs probed the precise relationship between Geoghegan-Quinn's new role and those of other commissioners and President Barroso, with some hinting that Barroso would seek to exert considerable influence over an issue that has been something of a pet project.
She said her role will tie together the work of several arms of the EU executive and promised to be a "robust" member of the college of commissioners. The new innovation position is an "over-arching" and "cross-cutting" role, said Geoghegan-Quinn, a former Irish justice minister and member of the European Court of Auditors.
She said she would chair a group of commissioners including those with responsibility for the digital agenda, industry, energy and education. However, she was quick to stress that this committee would not be "a talking shop" and would deliver concrete results.
"I'm into action. There has been enough talking about research and innovation, it's time for results," she said. "We need to move from a decade of debate about Europe to one of delivery."
Ticking all the right boxes
The commissioner-designate spoke about shoring up the much-vaunted European Research Area (ERA), encouraging SMEs to become more innovative, and developing Europe's knowledge economy.
"In the new economy, refined knowledge will replace crude oil as the economy's prime motive force," she told MEPs, noting that her portfolio would be central to the EU's 2020 strategy.
Much of this echoed outgoing research commissioner Janez Potočnik and President Barroso's rhetoric on innovation.
She highlighted the need to reform Europe's patent system and pledged to work with French Commissioner-designate Michel Barnier, who is in line to take up responsibility for Europe's internal market, to bring an end to long-standing uncertainty over intellectual property protection in the EU.
Framework programme review will be key
Geoghegan-Quinn said the mid-term review of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) would be crucial in shaping future policy, and will help pinpoint areas where red tape can be cut in order to encourage small businesses to apply for Community funding.
She said her time in the European Court of Auditors had given her useful insights into how to balance the push for simpler procedures with the need for accountability. Geoghegan-Quinn promised to bring forward a communication on simplification this year.
This, according to the commissioner-designate, would help bring businesses into the research environment and create high-end jobs.
Spending on research in the public and private sectors should be maintained or increased, she said, pointing to Finland as an example of how important it is to invest in science and innovation at a time of crisis.
She revealed plans to set up a task force to look at how cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) could be extended to help involve more SMEs in innovation.
In addition, calls for research could be tailored to better suit areas that might be more attractive to innovative companies.
"I will look very carefully at how we can learn from the review to make immediate changes to FP7 and improve the system for FP8," she said, adding that duplication of research should be stamped out to ensure funds are spent wisely.
Science will be powered by people
Encouraging young people to study science is essential for competitiveness, according to Geoghegan-Quinn, who said Europe's current crop of scientists need better working conditions to encourage them to work in the EU and move within a single European Research Area (ERA).
"We need to achieve the fifth freedom of researcher mobility throughout the Union by offering fully protected social security and pension rights for scientists who move between member states," she said.
Geoghegan-Quinn said encouraging women to become scientists would be on her agenda but she rejected the notion of introducing quotas, preferring to set targets and look at ways to help female scientists to get back into the workforce in cases where they take career breaks.
Robust performer promises to be strong member of Commission
The Irish commissioner-designate was given a broadly positive response from MEPs, with minimal attention given to her record or competence for the post.
In a direct and robust performance, Geoghegan-Quinn displayed a broad knowledge of her new portfolio, notwithstanding the fact that having an innovation commissioner is new territory for the EU.
If there was momentary stumble, it was in her admission that she had not known what nanotechnology was until she began to prepare for the hearing. There was a reluctance to get bogged down in questions about whether the focus on innovation had any implications for the balanced between basic and applied research.
However, on the evidence of the hearing, most observers concluded she would be a vocal advocate for research and innovation, as well being a proactive member of the new EU Commission, if approved by the European Parliament.
"If you're looking for a civil servant or a bureaucrat, you've got the wrong person. I'm a politician. I'm a doer," said Geoghegan-Quinn. "I guarantee you also my independence of thought," she concluded.
