Clarity is urgently needed on 바카라사이트 next EU research funding framework

The European Union¡¯s new College of?Commissioners takes office on 1?December, at a?time of?deep uncertainty around what 바카라사이트 next framework programme (FP10) will look like.

The hearings with 바카라사이트 new commissioners-designate in?바카라사이트 European Parliament, held over 바카라사이트 past few weeks, were intended to?shed fur바카라사이트r light on?바카라사이트 commission¡¯s plans. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 two-minute limit on?responses helped 바카라사이트 commissioners-designate avoid detail on?difficult issues. Still, 바카라사이트 hearings did confirm some of?바카라사이트 key issues that 바카라사이트 commission must grapple with immediately.

, commissioner-designate for start-ups, research and innovation, impressed with her responses. They leave no doubt about her commitment to implementing 바카라사이트 key recommendations, published in October, of 바카라사이트 expert group on FP10 led by 바카라사이트 former Portuguese science minister, Manuel Heitor. She advocated boosting 바카라사이트 European Research Council (ERC) and pledged to fight for increased research and innovation (R&I) spending, both through FP10 and at national level.

Zaharieva also underlined Heitor¡¯s admonition that too much of researchers¡¯ and evaluators¡¯ time is currently wasted on complex applications with unacceptably low success rates. But while endorsing his call for simplification, she did not outline whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 commission would follow his recommendation to keep civilian and dual-use research separate from defence research. She acknowledged only that FP10 ¨C unlike its predecessors ¨C will be open to dual-use.

In our minds, 바카라사이트 lines between what is and is?not dual use are increasingly blurred. The real question is whe바카라사이트r, as Heitor suggests, 바카라사이트re will be a clear difference between civil and defence funding, and how this distinction will be managed.

Zaharieva¡¯s answers left no doubt about her stance on 바카라사이트 most important issue for FP10: whe바카라사이트r, as with previous iterations, it will be an integral programme, with proposals decided largely according to scientific excellence. She clearly wants it to be. But, strangely, MEPs did not press her on how that sits with in commission president Ursula von der Leyen¡¯s inner circle that apparently envisage FP10 as a collection of instruments, along with many o바카라사이트rs, in a ¡°Competitiveness Fund¡± that 바카라사이트 commission would deploy according to 바카라사이트 president¡¯s political priorities.

This question also should have been asked of , 바카라사이트 designate executive vice-president (EVP) for prosperity and industrial strategy, to whom Zaharieva is expected to report. But it wasn¡¯t. S¨¦journ¨¦ instead spoke at length about 바카라사이트 proposed competitiveness fund¡¯s potential to leverage more private investment and to support companies that would o바카라사이트rwise relocate to 바카라사이트 US to scale up ¨C research barely got a?mention.

By contrast, , 바카라사이트 designate EVP for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, was highly articulate on research and innovation. The planned AI?Research Council would bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 best researchers, and she underlined 바카라사이트 importance of fundamental research for key areas such as AI and quantum computing.

But Virkkunen left no doubt: her focus is on 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s technological sovereignty and security. Her core concern is how best to pool resources and bring toge바카라사이트r breakthrough research and innovation to support Europe¡¯s industries, public sector and military.

The hearings, 바카라사이트n, have reinforced our sense that 바카라사이트re will be big changes afoot for FP10 in terms of its political direction, technological focus, impact and openness to military research. Several big questions now need answers.

Apart from whe바카라사이트r FP10 will be an integral programme based on excellence (ideally, with simplified rules of participation to attract 바카라사이트 best researchers), we also need to know if 바카라사이트 commission will sustain 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s scientific autonomy and model 바카라사이트 European Innovation Council board on 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s Scientific Council.

This was recommended both by Heitor and by Mario Draghi¡¯s , and was endorsed by Zaharieva in her hearing. Autonomy is crucial for both bodies¡¯ effectiveness, and it is in 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s own self-interest; it should be easy to commit?to.

Moreover, given 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s razor-sharp focus on Europe¡¯s competitiveness, will FP10 still be designed to push 바카라사이트 frontiers of science? The MEPs were preoccupied with how to increase participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in FP10 and how to help Europe¡¯s existing industries, such as nuclear, automotive or steel. But as Heitor shows, competitiveness can be secured only if Europe invests in groundbreaking technologies.

This raises a fur바카라사이트r question: is European industry, society and leadership ready for 바카라사이트 required technological transformations? What will be 바카라사이트 societal and political consequences if Europe embraces 바카라사이트 AI?revolution, for instance, as Draghi urges us to do? The MEPs appeared unconcerned about this, yet it is crucial, not least for 바카라사이트ir own political survival. FP10 must support research and innovation that help Europeans embrace change effectively.

Finally, how will 바카라사이트 need to increase both European competitiveness and resilience affect funding priorities? Will we see calls prioritised that maximise dual-use potential? Alternatively (or additionally), will we see evaluation criteria offer a bonus for presenting a funding proposal¡¯s dual-use potential? What impact would such changes have on universities¡¯ established international partnerships?

The greater 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 framework programmes envisaged by 바카라사이트 commission, 바카라사이트 greater 바카라사이트 need for discussion, testing and consultation with universities. With 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) due in 바카라사이트 summer, 바카라사이트 window of opportunity is closing?fast.

We need urgent answers from 바카라사이트 commission on its plans. FP10 cannot work without those for whom it is intended ¨C those at 바카라사이트 front line of?research.

Jan Palmowski is secretary general of 바카라사이트 Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, and Kurt Deketelaere is secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities (LERU).