Ideas for simplifying the implementation of the EU RTD Framework Programmes
Make it visible,
Most of the innovations today come from small entities. Therefore particularly SMEs form a
flourishing field of innovations, but unfortunately the programme has rarely been able to reach
innovative SMEs due to the invisibility of the programme among those actors who actually
could benefit the most of it.
The programme should be able to communicate its possibilities also to the innovative actors
under the surface of big companies and actors specialised on writing project applications.
Only those who are interested in EU RTD framework anyway will travel to Brussels to
participate to events organized to promote it. EU RTD framework should be present on major
industry evens, where its target group is gathered anyway.
Make it simple,
Considering the demanding nature of preparing a FP7 project, one of the understandable byproducts
of EU RTD framework has been the emerge of enterprises and officials burying
themselves in mastering ever-changing framework regulations. As a result, there is a
remarkable risk of framework funding ending up to the most brilliant project applications
instead of the most innovative ICT solutions.
In addition to making structures of funding clearer and simplifying the participation rules, in
order to reach the most innovative actors, the EU RTD framework has to be much more risktaking,
risk tolerant and competent to identify the most innovative initiatives behind the formal
quality of applications. If more support from EU RTD framework would be successfully
targeted to the needs of the most innovative SMEs, it would lead to increased competition on
European single markets and direct the funding to the most successful European products.
Research has to support enterprises, not compete with them.
Current FP7 programme makes universities, research institutions and their spin off
enterprises to compete from same funding. This easily leads to a situation where
institutionalized research institutions eat emerging enterprises alive. As innovations are
mainly driven by enterprises and the transform of innovations to economic growth happens
mostly in them, the research funding should be concentrated in general to institutions, whose
mission is to support SMEs.
SME focus should come visible in reality
The successful implementation of EU RTD policy for creating jobs and growth requires strong
involvement of relevant industry in the RTD framework. While engaging actors of the industry
in the framework, it should be remembered that strong actions taken to support RTD of big
well-established companies also create a serious risk of emerge of companies with dominant
market position. In addition, it is in the interest of companies already having a dominant
market position to do what ever is necessary to stop the emergence of rival companies.
Therefore, in all levels of EU RTD framework it should be secured that a broad base of
companies, especially SMEs, are benefiting from it. In particular, SMEs should always be
present in the core of the framework projects, also when it comes to JTIs.
Open JTIs are less risky for markets
In order to avoid market failures, it is important to take into account the specific economic
situation of different markets and their actors while building up JTIs. When the inflexible
model of JTI ‘Clean sky’ is used, the core owners of the JTI are fixed to the limited amount of
named companies and therefore this model clearly carries the risk of dominant market
players using a JTI to secure their dominant market position also in the future.
Consequently the model of JTI ‘Artemis’ should be favoured over the JTI ‘Clean sky’, because
such an initiative can only be successful, if all major stakeholders of the field of industry are
successfully represented and the process is dynamic. JTI ‘Artemis’, that is run by an open
industry association, is possibly more open, transparent and dynamic and thus it curries much
lover risk of being used to secure dominant market position by major economic players on the
field. (…)
Focus to the innovative business models
EU RTD framework must be built in the context of the real media distribution system on the
area of ICT. In every single project the relevance of content and relevant business models
should be justified, as the end user’s perception of media happens through the content layer.
It should be noted that business models interlink with technology and innovation is not
necessarily technological. Today it is the technology that follows the business models, as in
the end new business models are the innovations that make the technological innovations to
create jobs and growth. Similarly, the content is the main driver for technological innovations
as it fuels the demand for new technologies. Therefore testing and developing them should
be one of the priorities of EU RTD framework.
It takes innovations on services to generate growth
At the moment ICT focus of EU RTD framework does not fully include creative industries
using ICT as medium of their creative cultural products and services. As European ICT
markets are getting more and more driven by digital content, there is a clear need to
modernise aid frameworks to reflect the changes brought by the digital world.
TEKES, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, has taken a broadbased
view on innovation: besides funding technological breakthroughs, TEKES emphasizes
the significance of service-related, design, business, and social innovations. This approach
should be largely adapted also when it comes funding for ICT in EU RTD framework. By
extending the definition of innovation and the focus of it in ICT RTD funding, EU will secure its
competitive edge on the rapidly expanding content industry.
Here you can find the whole statementconsultation on simplifying FP7
