European Research Council (ERC) and the European Institute of Technology (EIT) are meant to be complementary. The first supporting frontier research and new ground-breaking discoveries, the second applied research and transfer of knowledge to innovative market applications. In separate events, two Commissioners emphasised, on 25 April 2006, the need for the scientific freedom of these bodies.
Speaking at the London School of Economics, the Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, addressed the importance of the future European Research Council (ERC), giving his full support for its scientific freedom. "At the heart of the ERC concept is the recognition that practicing researchers are best placed to identify those exciting new opportunities and directions at the forefront of knowledge that will lead into the industries, markets, and broader social innovations of the future," said Potočnik.
The Commissioner sees that the EU as a whole has problems in supporting new, emerging research fields, such as biotechnology or nanosciences, in managing their growth and assuring high research quality. "These problems suggest a mismatch between the institutional set-up for research in most European countries and the requirements of new leading sciences. Existing research funding mechanisms tend to support more established disciplines where the division between basic and applied research is more pronounced," he continued.
Addressing the European Parliament's Culture and Education Committee, the Commissioner for Education, Culture and Languages, Jan Figel expressed his views on the future European Institute of Technology (EIT). "The EIT governing board will consist of independent experts free from member states and the Commission," he assured.
