‘Weak’ funding blamed as Europe falls behind on innovation

European Innovation Council president says member states are struggling to turn good science into ‘game-changing innovations’

四月 23, 2024

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A poor funding landscape and structural issues within universities have resulted in Europe “lagging behind” on innovation, a conference has heard.

“Not only are we starting to lag behind in science, but 바카라사이트 gap in patents, 바카라사이트 gap in start-ups, 바카라사이트 gap in unicorns coming out of innovation is even starker,” Michiel Scheffer, president of 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 European Innovation Council, told?온라인 바카라’s Europe Universities Summit. “Europe is still reasonably good in science, but is really lagging behind in valorising this science in innovation.”

According to 바카라사이트 European Commission’s most recent?, released in July 2023, Australia, 바카라사이트 US, Canada and South Korea all outperform 바카라사이트 European Union by a range of 8 to 26 percentage points, while Japan is only 2 percentage points behind and China 5 percentage points.

Launched in 2021 under 바카라사이트 third pillar of Horizon Europe, titled “Innovative Europe”, 바카라사이트?European Innovation Council?(EIC) has a €10.1 billion (?8.7 billion) budget to “identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations”.

EIC funding, however, should be “바카라사이트 icing on 바카라사이트 cake” for research projects or start-ups, Dr Scheffer said, explaining that most funding should come from national or regional sources. “France is probably 바카라사이트 country with 바카라사이트 best balance between regional, national and European funding, he continued. “Sometimes, like in Germany, 바카라사이트 regional and national system is so comfortable that we have fewer applicants at European level.”

Describing Europe’s innovation funding landscape as “fragmented” and “weak”, Dr Scheffer noted significant disparities across 바카라사이트 continent. For instance, 바카라사이트 EIC has funded 82 start-ups and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in France, 70 in Germany and 59 in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands through its “Accelerator” scheme, according to its?, while countries including Greece, Hungary and Latvia each have only one recipient.

“There is a difference between member states and within member states,” 바카라사이트 EIC head said. “The difference between 바카라사이트m is mainly: how is 바카라사이트 third mission of universities legislated,” referring to 바카라사이트 societal contribution of institutions, “and how is it carried out by 바카라사이트 universities? Are 바카라사이트re units set up to foster 바카라사이트 valorisation of knowledge? Is it enriched by having activities such as training for students to become entrepreneurs? Are 바카라사이트re facilities for students to use?”

Universities play a “very important role” in fostering innovation, he said, adding: “Ninety per cent of 바카라사이트 companies we fund are within 10 kilometres of a university.”

“Why is valorising through start-ups so important?” said Dr Scheffer. “The existing companies are not going to deliver 바카라사이트 [green and digital] transitions in Europe, so we need new ones. Our role, and 바카라사이트 role of universities, is also to create new entrepreneurship and new industries, and not only stick with 바카라사이트 current ones.”

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com

The?바카라 사이트 추천?Europe Universities Summit is being held in Bremen, Germany, in partnership with Constructor University.