EN Official Journal of the European Union C 232/49

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Developing a common strategy for key enabling technologies in the EU

(2010/C 232/09)

I. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1. welcomes the European Commission (Commission) initiative to set up the Communication on ‘Preparing for our future: Developing a common strategy for key enabling technologies in the EU’ (KET Communication);

2. notes that these technologies have the potential to turn into valuable assets for citizens, businesses and administrations, and could contribute to the improvement of products and quality of public services;

3. welcomes additional references and reports like the Communication on ‘Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies: An action plan for Europe 2005-2009’ (Nano Report), for the support it offers to the future development of key enabling technologies (KET); notes that the KET Communication recognises nanotechnologies as one of the five most strategically relevant key enabling technologies KET;

4. notes the key role of local and regional authorities (LRA) in promoting informed dialogue with the general public, and in addressing public concerns close to the citizens;

5. endorses the increased focus proposed in the KET Communication on joint strategic programming and demonstration projects, as well as the pursuit of a more strategic and coordinated approach, not only by the EU and Member States, but also by the regions;

6. welcomes reference in the present KET Communication to the promotion of regional innovation clusters and networks, as essential for creating and maintaining world-class innovation, and serving to firmly anchor knowledge in a given region;

7. acknowledges the importance of KET for the EU's international competitiveness and sustainable development; stresses that the exchange of experiences and best practices between Member States and other European regions should be intensified and; emphasises the importance of taking benefits of best practices worldwide;

8. reaffirms the importance of synergies between FP, Structural Funds (SF) and national policies in relation to the broader EU objectives of competitiveness and cohesion;

9. recognises the importance of the review of the State Aid framework regarding innovation, and asks the Commission to be kept informed about relevant developments;

10. endorses the Commission's proposal to set up a high-level expert group tasked with developing a shared longer term strategy for KET, and requests the Commission to be kept informed from an early stage about developments around this group, including their analyses and policy recommendations;

11. endorses the need mentioned in the Nano Report to integrate health, safety and environmental aspects in the development of nanotechnology, and to establish an effective dialogue with all stakeholders;

12. recognises the importance of carefully reviewing existing European regulations, as requested by the European Parliament, and synchronise them with regional regulations and standards, since excessive diversity in regulations could be detrimental to the international competitiveness of European regions and Member States;

13. considers that the proposed actions, in their current wording as KET Communication, do not give rise to any objections regarding their compliance with both the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality;

KET’s impact on competitiveness and innovation

14. stresses the importance of KETs in underpinning practical applications, their potential role in the new European plan for innovation, and their possibilities to enhance quality of life and competitiveness in European regions;

15. acknowledges that in addition to the need to pay ongoing attention to the competitiveness of particular sectors, it is important to note that Europe's future prosperity will be increasingly dependent upon inter-sectoral activities (1);

16. notes that promoting a great variety of applications of specific knowledge in several innovation chains could lead to the creation of new jobs at all levels and secure knowledge for the regions (1);

17. calls upon reviewing the EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP) and adapting it more to SMEs’ needs, in order to facilitate their participation in European joint projects and provide more potential for the development of KETs at regional level;

18. recognises that Europe is already proving less attractive for industrial investments in this sector.

Societal aspects of KETs

19. acknowledges the importance, mentioned in the KET Communication, of public knowledge and understanding of KET, and of proactive strategy bringing together stakeholders: to address public concerns and; to openly communicate on the benefits and risks of new technologies;

20. recalls the need to: well understand and communicate benefits and risks of new technologies, as expressed by the CoR in previous opinions (2) and; carry out, if necessary, studies to better understand possible risks in relation to expected benefits;

21. welcomes, in this regard, a stronger role for the European Group of Ethics to an informed debate on opportunities and risks of bio and nanotechnologies;

22. endorses the importance of addressing societal expectations and concerns, as mentioned in the Nano Report and its accompanying documents;

23. encourages the promotion of cooperation between the EU and national and regional levels on ethical and socio-economic issues;

24. considers that the EU should set up a European Task Force on Social Innovation, which would not be separate from EU industrial policy but would rather lie at the heart of such policy (1);

25. calls on Member States to make coordinated, joint decisions with the regions on innovation policy, and on the methods and instruments used to promote this policy, so that the results achieved also respond to the existing need at local and regional level (3);

26. welcomes the Commission's intention to urge, both in trade policy and in bilateral agreements, that illegitimate subsidy practices in third countries and thus subsidy competition be halted. Where third countries are not prepared to do this, the EU and the Member States should nonetheless employ effective measures to defend their technological and economic interests in order to ensure the continued presence in Europe of key enabling technologies and the knowledge-based economy that goes with them.

Infrastructure and cohesion

27. asks for more focus on awareness-raising at regional at local level and on stimulating the infrastructure upgrade, as necessary elements for the development and implementation of KETs;

28. points out that European research infrastructures are mainly located in Western Europe, and that in this regard a better geographic distribution should be promoted;

29. recognises the need to develop a framework at European level to ensure that research infrastructures work more effectively and barriers to international research are eliminated;

30. urges that European Groupings for Territorial Cohesion (EGTC) be specifically considered as an alternative legal instrument for setting up research infrastructures with a European dimension;

31. highlights the importance of LRAs in promoting joint research programmes: LRAs are key players in developing regional research and innovation strategies; they often manage research institutions and; they support innovative environments;

32. proposes adding incentives within the SF to support research and innovation, including differential grant rates favouring investments in research and innovation projects;

33. encourages cities and regions to: support knowledge transfer and innovation from the science base to industry; improve the supply of venture capital, also for cross-border cooperation and; support those applying technological inventions in patenting and making use of patents;

34. stresses the special role of cohesion policy in supporting innovation activity in the regions;

35. notes that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) can provide financial support for the development of skills and for the modernisation of educational structures and systems, by funding business incubators and science parks, and hence facilitating connections between SMEs and universities;

Improvement of SMEs participation to public-private partnerships

36. reaffirms that European industrial policy should pay more explicit attention to interaction between large and medium-sized or small enterprises, and especially between SMEs and research centres (1); stresses the crucial importance of a qualified workforce for this interaction and for anchoring industry at the regional level;

37. recalls the essential role of cooperation between public institutions and the private sector, with particular focus on involving universities, colleges and research bodies (4); notes the importance of linking university curricula to the technologies that are relevant to the workforce of a region, in order to retain knowledge and competitiveness in that region;

38. urges a significant shift, when using SF by regions, towards stimulating in particular the demand side for research and innovation, fostering user-driven and open innovation as a regional potential (5);

Developments in specific sectors

39. acknowledges that intermittent spectacular innovations in products and marketing are already beginning to happen in a number of sectors, as for example the food and pharmaceutical sectors (life sciences), biomedical technology, automotive and high-tech systems (1);

40. points out that biotechnology offers promising future alternatives for the chemical industry, in addition to its applications in health, food and animal feed (2);

41. asks for developing the co-existence of differing agricultural practices, not only in the interests of good farming, but also of tolerance and trust between neighbouring farmers in the exchange of information, coordination and cooperation (2);

42. welcomes the Commission's activities aimed at ensuring safe and effective use of modern biotechnology in the developing countries and fostering the capacity of these states to assess and manage risk, in order to support the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in these countries (2);

43. highlights the need to develop adequate safety assessment methodologies for nanotechnologies, and to put in place an adequate policy and regulatory framework before further market penetration occurs;

44. stresses the need to prioritise the development of a more robust sustainability assessment for technologies, particularly focusing on early development long before they get to the near-market stage; notes that this could eventually lead to the elaboration of independent methodology frameworks for risk assessment and management, and for studies on social impact;

45. calls for a stronger forward-looking function for all Commission departments, especially in the technological field, with a view to facilitating the early identification of newly emerging issues. The relevance, coherence and effectiveness of legislation and policies and their implementation and social and economic impact are to be reviewed (2).

Brussels, 14 April 2010 The First Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO

(1) CdR 39/2006 fin.

(2) CdR 174/2007 fin.

(3) CdR 283/2008 fin.

(4) CdR 83/2007 fin.

(5) CdR 263/2007 fin.