Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Moving the ICT frontiers : a strategy for research on future and emerging technologies in Europe
Date: 2009-04-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: elderly person, information technology, new technology, quality of life, research and development, research programme

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 20.4.2009 
COM(2009) 184 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Moving the ICT frontiers –  
a strategy for research on future and emerging technologies in Europe 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

Context and objectives ................................................................................................. 3 

FET research is essential for fostering excellence and seeding innovation ................. 3 

The FET scheme, a pathfinder to radically new information technologies ................. 3 

The FET scheme, fostering excellence and seeding innovation in ICT in Europe ...... 4 

Challenges and opportunities for global leadership in FET research .......................... 6 

2.3.1. 

Insufficient investment in Europe in high-risk transformative research in ICT .......... 6 

2.3.2.  Tackling societal challenges calls for open exploration of radically new ideas .......... 7 

2.3.3.  Major scientific challenges call for cooperation across disciplines ............................. 7 

2.3.4.  Overcoming fragmentation and developing a joint strategic vision to increase the 

impact of European research efforts ............................................................................ 7 

2.3.5.  Shortage of skilled researchers and multidisciplinary expertise in Europe ................. 7 

2.3.6.  Boosting exploitation of results from foundational research ....................................... 8 

2.3.7.  Untapped potential for international cooperation ........................................................ 8 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

The path for turning Europe into a global leader in FET research............................... 8 

Strategy and objectives ................................................................................................ 8 

Proposed lines of action ............................................................................................... 9 

3.2.1.  Reinforce FET under the ICT theme............................................................................ 9 

3.2.2.  Launch FET flagship initiatives ................................................................................... 9 

3.2.3.  Engage in joint programming and FET ERA initiatives............................................ 10 

3.2.4. 

Increase young researchers’ engagement in FET research ........................................ 10 

3.2.5.  Foster faster capitalisation of scientific knowledge and speed up innovation ........... 11 

3.2.6.  Facilitate collaboration with global research leaders and attract global talents to 

Europe ........................................................................................................................ 11 

4. 

Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 12 

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CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES  

1. 
In  line  with  the  objectives  of  the  Commission’s  European  Economic  Recovery  Plan1,  this 
Communication proposes bolstering Europe’s competitiveness and the innovation ecosystem 
in  the  long  term  by  means  of  greater  investment  in  higher  risk  research  in  the  strategically 
important area of information and communication technologies (ICT).  

It  emphasises  the  success  and  strategic  importance  of  research  on  Future  and  Emerging 
Technologies  (FET2)  in  laying  the  foundations  for  future  ICT  and  sowing  the  seeds  for 
innovation3.  A  longer-term  strategy  and  specific  actions  to  be  implemented  under  the  7th 
Framework Programme (FP7) are outlined to enable Europe to take the lead in FET research 
by  strengthening  its  European  and  global  dimension.  They  complement  and  reinforce  the 
action  outlined  in  the  Commission  Communication  on  the  strategy  for  ICT  R&D  and 
Innovation in Europe4, in particular on raising investment in research, prioritising efforts and 
reducing  fragmentation.  The  findings  of  the  2006  Aho  Report  on  R&D  and  Innovation5 
regarding the role of leading-edge science in attracting world-class industry and the need for 
centres  of  excellence  to  build  up  a  critical  mass  of  activity  in  strategic  areas  are  also 
addressed.  

The  Commission  is  issuing  this  Communication  at  a  time  when  the  world  economy  is  in 
turmoil.  Especially  when  prevailing  paradigms  show  their  limitations,  investment  in  new 
foundations is needed to put Europe in a strong position in innovation in future.  

2. 

FET  RESEARCH  IS  ESSENTIAL  FOR  FOSTERING  EXCELLENCE  AND  SEEDING 
INNOVATION  

2.1. 

The FET scheme, a pathfinder to radically new information technologies 

Since  European  FET  research  was  launched  in  1989,  it  has  served  as  a  pathfinder  for 
identifying  and  shaping  radically  new  information  technologies.  With  a  present  funding  of 
around  €  100  million  a  year,  it  supports  scientis ts  and  engineers  venturing  into  uncharted 
areas  beyond  the  frontiers  of  traditional  ICT  by  fostering  multidisciplinary  research 
collaboration  at  the  highest  level  around  novel  research  ideas  and  themes.  This  research 
radically  transforms  ICT  research  agendas  and  fosters  major  technological,  industrial  and 
societal  innovations  in  Europe.  It  produces  new  practices  that  change  the  way  research  is 
conducted. 

Understanding  and  harnessing  self-organisation  and  evolution  of  social  and  biological 
systems,  for  example,  opens  the  way  to  develop  novel  capabilities  for  the  next-generation 
software  and  network  technologies.  Understanding  how  the  human  brain  works  is  not  only 
leading  to  innovations  in  medicine  but  also  providing  new  paradigms  for  low-power,  fault-
tolerant and adaptive computing technologies.  

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5 

COM(2008) 800: A European Economic Recovery Plan. 
Refers to FET in ICT. 
As specified in the ISTAG Report on FET, November 2008. 
COM(2009)116: A Strategy for ICT R&D and Innovation in Europe: Raising the Game. 
http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/action/2006_ahogroup_en.htm. 

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The  European  FET  research  scheme  is  unique  in  the  way  it  combines  the  following 
characteristics: 

–  Foundational.  It  lays  new  foundations  for  future  ICT  by  exploring  new  unconventional 

ideas and scientific paradigms that are too long-term or risky for industrial research. 

–  Transformative.  It  is  driven  by  ideas  that  challenge  and  can  radically  change  our 

understanding of the scientific concepts behind existing information technologies. 

–  High-risk.  But  it  balances  these  risks  against  high  potential  returns  and  the  chance  of 

revolutionary breakthroughs. 

–  Purpose-driven. It aims to make an impact on future industrial ICT research agendas. 

–  Multidisciplinary.  It  builds  on  synergies  and  cross-fertilisation  between  different 
disciplines  such  as  biology,  chemistry,  nano-,  neuro-  and  cognitive  science,  ethology, 
social science or economics.  

–  Collaborative. It rallies the best teams in Europe and increasingly worldwide to collaborate 

on common research topics. 

FET is implemented by means of thematic research in emerging areas (FET Pro-active) and 
open, unconstrained exploration of novel ideas (FET Open).  

2.2. 

The FET scheme, fostering excellence and seeding innovation in ICT in Europe 

The  FET  scheme  fosters  excellence  by  means  of 
collaboration  combining  the  best  in  science  and 
engineering.  Global  excellence  of  FET  research  is 
confirmed  by  Nobel  prizes  and  other  prestigious 
awards.  FET  projects  produce  2.5  times  more 
articles and publications than their share of the ICT 
Programme  at  the  same  time  as  generating  an 
equivalent number of patents6. 

FET  projects  attract  Europe’s  best 
brains, including Nobel Prize winners 

Theodor  Hänsch 
(DE),  along  with 
Albert Fert  (FR)  and  Peter  Grünberg 
(DE),  Nobel  Prize  winners  in  physics  in 
2005  and  2007  respectively,  have  been 
partners in several FET projects.  

FET  research  seeds  innovation.  It  has  an  impact  on  the  long-term  competitiveness  of  the 
European  ICT  industry  by  creating  entirely  new  fields  of  economic  activity,  new  industries 
and high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  

FET is a forerunner of mainstream and industrial research agendas worldwide and influences 
the way foundational multidisciplinary research is supported and organised. FET has inspired 
funding schemes such as the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) scheme7 in France or 
the  NEST  Adventure  and  Pathfinder  programme8  and  its  successor  the  European  Research 
Council9.  FET  has  also  supported  new  forms  of  multidisciplinary  research  organisations, 
e.g. the European Center for Living Technology10. 

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Commission data. 
www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr/. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/nest/home.html. 
http://erc.europa.eu/. 
http://www.ecltech.org/. 

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As  a  result  of  its  path-finding  role,  the  FET  scheme  has  achieved  major  successes  in 
identifying  and  exploring  new  research  areas  that  have  become  established  ICT  research 
topics. 

For example, FET’s support has been crucial for 
research on quantum information technologies in 
Europe.  These  technologies  hold  out  promise  of 
immense computing power beyond the capability 
of any conventional computer, plus 100% secure 
communications.  By  investing  early  in  this  area, 
FET was instrumental in making Europe a global 
leader11  and  has 
to  7-fold 
investment  in  Member  States.  Further  expected 
impacts 
technologies  such  as 
quantum-based clocks and quantum imaging.  

leveraged  a  5- 

include  novel 

FET launched the first European research projects 
on  information  systems  inspired  by  biology  and 
neuroscience.  Biologists,  neuroscientists  and 
computer  scientists  are  exploring  together  how 
the  brain  processes  information.  The  impact  of 
this  research,  extending  well  beyond  ICT, 
includes  novel  neural  implants  for  handicapped 
people,  new  models  of  neural  systems,  new 
neuromorphic  computing  systems  or  robust  self-
evolving circuits and networks. 

Very  early  in  the  Esprit  Programme12  FET 
supported 
research  on  micro-,  nano-  and 
optoelectronics,  micro-systems  and  photonics. 
Advanced  research  topics  explored  in  the  ’90s13 
were  widely  adopted  in  the  industry-driven  ICT 
research.  

100% secure communications 

technologies 
FET  research  on  quantum 
opened  a  new  path 
to  100%  secure 
communications taken up by companies such 
as  Siemens,  Thales  and  the  high-tech  SME 
idQuantique SA, a leader in this technology. 

Moving  by  force  of  thought  to  restore 
mobility for paralysed people 

based 

The  MAIA  project  developed  a  novel 
technology 
non-invasive 
brain/computer  interfaces  that  empowers  a 
handicapped person to use mental commands 
to drive a wheelchair.  

on 

Mimicking the perfection of the brain 

The  FACETS  project  explores  and  mimics 
the  way  the  brain  processes  information  for 
novel  low-power,  fault-tolerant  computing 
systems. 

Cognitive robot companion  

The  COGNIRON  project  developed  a 
companion  robot  that  understands  human 
activity,  interacts  socially  with  humans  and 
learns new skills and tasks.  

FET  research  on  complex  systems  has  created  a  new  research  area  and  opened  up  radically 
new  avenues  for  many  sciences.  By  modelling  the  behaviour  of  complex  techno-social 
systems and providing ICT tools to master the emerging threats in such systems (e.g. financial 
markets or spread of infectious diseases), this research is contributing to better, science-based 
policy-making,  alongside  entirely  new  concepts  for  emotionally  intelligent  and  trustworthy 
ICT systems.  

FET  has  put  advanced  robotics  on  the  European  ICT  research  agenda.  Key  research  areas 
have  been  pioneered  in  FET  at  the  same  time  as  strategies  for  service  robotics  have  been 
mapped  out  in  the  European  industry.  FET  has  contributed  to  consolidating  the  European 

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Producing 50% of all peer-reviewed publications worldwide in 2007 (www.qurope.net). 
http://cordis.europa.eu/esprit/home.html. 
This research laid the foundation for the more-than-Moore and post-CMOS era in Europe. 

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robotics  research  community  and  to  setting  up  the  European  Technology  Platform14  on 
service robotics.  

In addition, FET has pioneered research on novel ideas such as artificial living cells, synthetic 
biology,  chemical  communication,  collective  intelligence  or  bidirectional  brain/machine 
interfacing. 

2.3. 

Challenges and opportunities for global leadership in FET research 

2.3.1. 

Insufficient investment in Europe in high-risk transformative research in ICT  

FET research seeds innovation and is essential for the sustainability of Europe’s ICT industry 
by  addressing  roadblocks  at  the  frontier  of  current  technologies.  These  include  coping  with 
the “data deluge” and the increasing complexity of global systems, continuing miniaturisation 
of  ICT  components  beyond  the  limitations  of  current  technologies  and  greening  ICT.  New 
paradigms must be explored and radical alternatives assessed to prepare the next generation of 
ICT technologies and to remove these roadblocks.  

Europe’s leading competitors have acknowledged the importance of foundational research for 
gaining  and  maintaining  a  leading  position  in  ICT.  In  the  US,  rebalancing  of  the  Federal 
Networking  and  Information  Technology  R&D  Program  was  recommended  in  order  to 
include more large-scale, long-term multidisciplinary activities and visionary research with a 
high  potential  pay-off15.  China  has  included  information  technology  in  its  basic  research 
programme16 to meet the nation’s major strategic needs.  

More than ever in a difficult economic context, European industries’ in-house investment is 
tending  to  focus  on  short-term  market-driven  research  priorities  rather  than  high-risk  ICT 
research.  This  trend  must  be  reversed  by  higher  public  and  private  investment  in  high-risk 
research. 

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http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/research/priv_invest/etp/index_en.htm. 
Report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, August 2007. 
http://www.973.gov.cn/English/Index.aspx. 

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2.3.2.  Tackling societal challenges calls for open exploration of radically new ideas  

ICT  is  widely  recognised  for  its  essential  role  in  transforming  the  economy  and  society. 
Societal challenges related to issues such as sustainable development, climate change, health, 
the  ageing  population,  social  and  economic  inclusion  and  security  require  new  paradigm-
breaking solutions in which ICT plays a key role.  

To allow radical transformations to emerge, researchers need to be given the freedom openly 
to  explore  novel  unconventional  ideas  and  disruptive  approaches  and  to  mature  the  most 
promising.  

Foundational transformative research combined with a new attitude to entrepreneurship will 
put Europe in a good position to seize new market opportunities fully as they emerge. 

2.3.3.  Major scientific challenges call for cooperation across disciplines  

to  address 

Europe  requires  a  sustained  scientific  effort  at  the  boundaries  between  ICT  and  other 
disciplines 
technologically 
competitive advantages. Critical mass should be built up and fragmented research efforts must 
be  integrated  around  science-driven,  goal-oriented,  large–scale  multidisciplinary  flagship 
research initiatives. 

today’s  socio-economic  challenges  and  gain 

The  recently  launched  Virtual  Physiological  Human  (VPH)  initiative17  and  the  Blue  Brain 
project18 confirm the relevance of such endeavours. VPH aims at personalised simulation of 
the  human  body,  promising  unprecedented  progress  in  disease  prevention  and  healthcare.  It 
combines  efforts  across  the  Framework  Programme19  with  global  cooperation,  in  particular 
with  the  USA.  Blue  Brain  is  the  first  comprehensive  attempt  to  reverse-engineer  the 
mammalian  brain,  in  order  to  understand  brain  function  and  dysfunction  with  the  aid  of 
detailed simulations.  

Europe needs to support flagship initiatives going beyond the scale of present FET activities. 

2.3.4.  Overcoming  fragmentation  and  developing  a  joint  strategic  vision  to  increase  the 

impact of European research efforts  

Foundational ICT research in Europe today remains fragmented in most domains, leading to 
duplication  of  effort,  diverging  priorities  and  untapped  potential.  Europe  needs  to  develop 
joint research agendas based on a shared vision for foundational research and would benefit 
from applying the FET model in collaboration with Member States. 

2.3.5. 

Shortage of skilled researchers and multidisciplinary expertise in Europe  

The  shortage  of  skilled  researchers  and  global  competition  for  high-level  multidisciplinary 
expertise  in  emerging  research  areas  are  hampering  Europe’s  efforts  to  gain  and  maintain 
excellence in ICT research.  

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18 
19 

http://www.vph-noe.eu/. 
http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html. 

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Europe  must  invest  more  in  excellence  to  attract  the  world’s  best  researchers  and  empower 
talented young researchers to become research leaders. Multidisciplinary research careers and 
curricula should be given stronger support.  

2.3.6.  Boosting exploitation of results from foundational research 

High-tech, research-intensive SMEs are particularly crucial for driving the exploitation of the 
results  of  foundational  research.  Closer  involvement  in  FET  research  would  put  them  in  a 
better position to seize emerging business opportunities.  

The strategic research agendas of the ICT-related European Technology Platforms and Joint 
Technology  Initiatives20  would  benefit  from  including  industrial  needs  for  longer-term  ICT 
research.  Systematic  dissemination  of  FET  results  to  industry  would  narrow  the  gap  to 
application. 

New forms of collaboration between industry and the research community have to be found to 
surmount  key  technology  roadblocks  and  unlock  longer-term  industrial  development 
potential. 

2.3.7.  Untapped potential for international cooperation  

International  participation  is  an  untapped  resource  for  FET.  There  is  clear  added  value  in 
pooling resources and boosting excellence at global level. Tackling global challenges, such as 
control  of  epidemics,  the  complexity  of  the  financial  markets  or  the  fight  against  climate 
change, calls for global, multidisciplinary scientific collaboration. 

FET research is especially well placed for international collaboration due to its foundational 
nature and to the global dimension of the scientific challenges it addresses. 

3. 

THE PATH FOR TURNING EUROPE INTO A GLOBAL LEADER IN FET RESEARCH  

3.1. 

Strategy and objectives 

To  put  Europe  in  the  best  position  to  reap  the  great  socio-economic  benefits  from  future 
developments in ICT, it is essential that Europe adopt a bold strategy to lead exploration and 
development of the foundations for future and emerging technologies.  

To do so, Europe should aim at, by 2015: 

–  doubling  its  investment  in  transformative  foundational  research  on  future  and  emerging 

technologies; 

–  identifying  and  launching  two  or  three  bold  new  FET  research  flagship  initiatives  which 
will  drive  larger  multidisciplinary  research  community  efforts  towards  foundational 
breakthroughs at the frontier of ICT;  

–  implementing  three  to  five  joint  calls  between  national  and  European  programmes  to 

support FET research in domains of common interest;  

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http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/research/priv_invest/jti/index_en.htm. 

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–  implementing  initiatives  to  empower  talented  young  researchers  to  engage  in  and  lead 

high-risk multidisciplinary collaborative research efforts; 

–  implementing  initiatives  to  encourage  research-intensive  high-tech  SMEs  to  develop  and 

apply the early results from FET research; 

Europe should lay the ground for sustaining the critical mass of effort needed to support these 
initiatives with cooperation across European and Member States’ research funding bodies and 
beyond where relevant. Europe should ensure faster capitalisation and sharing of the scientific 
knowledge and technology foundations resulting from publicly supported research, and also 
encourage and support research collaboration with science leaders worldwide. 

3.2. 

Proposed lines of action 

3.2.1.  Reinforce FET under the ICT theme 

Europe should reinforce its support for FET research under the ICT theme as an essential part 
of the research and innovation system. It should build up a critical mass of resources for pre-
defined FET research initiatives (FET Pro-active) with high potential transformative impact. 
It should also step up its support for high-risk targeted research unconstrained by pre-defined 
research agendas (FET Open) as a platform for creativity and unconventional research ideas 
with high potential impact and as an essential source of novel research topics. 

The European Commission supports the increase of the FP7 budget for FET research by 20% 
per  year  from  2011  to  2013.  It  invites  Member  States  to  match  this  effort  with  similar 
increases.  

Europe  should  stimulate  high-risk  research,  build  and  structure  emerging  multidisciplinary 
FET research communities and explore new forms of multidisciplinary research collaboration 
going  beyond  existing  organisational  structures  and  models.  It  should  also  reinforce  its 
capability  for  permanent  foresight  of  future  research  trends  in  ICT,  for  engaging  the  FET 
research  community  in  building  European  research  roadmaps  and  for  shaping  related  future 
research initiatives.21   

The  European  Commission,  together  with  national  funding  agencies,  will  support  action 
aiming at creating the best conditions for high-risk research to flourish in Europe and setting 
up a permanent foresight capability. It also invites the research community to develop, more 
systematically, common European research agendas.  

3.2.2.  Launch FET flagship initiatives 

Europe  should  prepare  ambitious  Europe-wide,  goal-
driven  FET  flagship  initiatives  that  can  combine  large, 
sustained  European  research  efforts  on  clearly  defined 
foundational  challenges,  on  a  scale  too  large  to  be 
addressed by current FET initiatives. They should foster 
and  global 
extensive 
collaboration  and  pool  resources  going  beyond  the 
existing  fragmented  initiatives  and  programmes.  These 

ambitious  European 

and 

FET flagship initiative: 
Understanding life seeds future ICT 

and 

An  FET  flagship  initiative  could 
model 
large-scale 
simulations  in  order  to  understand 
the way nature processes information 
to 
and 

this  knowledge 

to  apply 

run 

21 

Building  on  methodologies, 
(http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu) 

such 

as  developed  under 

JRC 

IPTS 

foresight 

actions 

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large-scale initiatives may require cooperation with other 
FP7 themes and would aim at creating sustainable world-
class European centres of excellence and at establishing 
Europe  as  leader  for  driving  innovation  in  promising 
fields,  while  also  increasing  the  return  on  investment  in 
high-risk targeted research. 

develop  future  biocomputers.  Such  a 
unique  endeavour  would  attract  the 
best  computer  scientists,  biologists 
and  physicists 
from  Europe  and 
beyond. 

The European Commission will collaborate with Member States and the research community 
to identify and define potential FET flagship initiatives and launch at least two by 2013.  

3.2.3.  Engage in joint programming and FET ERA initiatives  

Europe should coordinate national and EU-level efforts more closely to identify and support 
shared  research  priorities  emerging  from  European  research  roadmaps.  This  includes  the 
possibility  of  launching  joint  initiatives  by  Member  States  in  domains  of  common  interest 
where national initiatives exist. They could focus initially on domains such as quantum and 
neuro-information  technologies  where  European  research  roadmaps  exist  and  then  be 
gradually  extended  to  other  fields.  Such  coordinated  actions  would  help  to  overcome  the 
fragmentation  of  current  European  research  efforts  in  selected  domains  and  to  strengthen 
European research collaboration.22 

The European Commission invites Member States to explore opportunities for strengthening 
collaboration  in  FET,  in  particular  by  harnessing  the  potential  of  the  ERA-NET/ERA-NET 
plus initiatives. They should aim at launching three to five joint calls among Member States 
over the period 2010–2013 in FET domains of common interest. 

3.2.4. 

Increase young researchers’ engagement in FET research 

The  creativity  and  dynamism  of  young  researchers  are  essential  for  challenging  current 
thinking, for laying new foundations for future ICT and for driving the success of such efforts 
over time. Europe should step up its efforts to attract young researchers, in particular young 
women,  to  FET  research  and  to  empower  them  to  lead  multidisciplinary  research 
collaboration.  Europe  should  promote  definition  and  early  take-up  of  new  multidisciplinary 
scientific and leadership curricula in Member States and in the context of the EIT23. 

22 
23 

COM(2008)468 
European Institute of Innovation and Technology. 

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The  European  Commission  will  implement  initiatives  to  intensify  participation  by  young 
researchers  in  FET  research  and  to  encourage  them  to  take  the  lead  in  multidisciplinary 
research projects. The research community is invited to use, in particular, coordination and 
support  action24  and  Marie  Curie  fellowships25  to  develop  and  promote  the  take-up  of  new 
curricula by national and regional education authorities and in the context of the EIT. 

3.2.5.  Foster faster capitalisation of scientific knowledge and speed up innovation 

The  research  community  and  the  European  industry  should  intensify  their  dialogue  in  order 
better  to  identify  industrial  needs  and  technological  bottlenecks  requiring  foundational 
research and ensure rapid take-up of early research results in application-oriented research.  

The  research  community  and  European  industry  are  invited  to  intensify  their  cooperation 
within  ICT-related  European  Technology  Platforms.  The  research  community  is  invited  to 
intensify action to facilitate dissemination of FET results to stakeholders.  

Participation by industry in foundational research should be encouraged. In particular, high-
tech, research-intensive SMEs should be supported better as they are essential vehicles to turn 
early research results into industrial success stories.  

The European Commission will implement initiatives to support high-tech, research-intensive 
SMEs  to  engage  in  research  and  drive  the  exploitation  of  early  results  from  high-risk 
multidisciplinary research.  

Europe  should  encourage  a  scientific  culture  of  free  sharing  and  wide  dissemination  of 
multidisciplinary  scientific  knowledge.  It  should  also  encourage  novel  approaches  to 
collective building of scientific knowledge resulting from research.  

FET  participates  from  2009  in  the  European  Commission’s  pilot  initiative  on  “Open 
Access”26.  The  research  community  is  invited  to  build  on  initiatives  that  strengthen  its 
communication, dissemination and knowledge-creation practices.  

3.2.6.  Facilitate  collaboration  with  global  research  leaders  and  attract  global  talents  to 

Europe 

World-class global collaboration is needed if Europe is to address its foundational scientific 
research challenges. Europe should attract the very best scientists from all over the world to 
participate  in  FET  research  and  settle  in  Europe.  It  should  actively  engage  in  and,  where 
beneficial  for  Europe,  financially  support  collaboration  with  the  best  research  teams  around 
the globe.  

Europe should develop partnerships with non-European funding agencies in priority areas. It 
should  also  encourage  and  facilitate  collaboration  between  research  teams  globally  as  they 
emerge, taking a bottom-up approach. These initiatives should enhance  Europe’s excellence 
in ICT research and its role in driving progress and innovation worldwide. 

24 
25 
26 

ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/wp/cooperation/ict/c_wp_200901_en.pdf. 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/mariecurie-actions/action/fellow_en.html. 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/open_access. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
The  European  Commission  will  engage  with  non-European  funding  agencies,  e.g.  from  the 
USA,  China  and  Russia,  to  establish  mechanisms  to  support  research  collaboration  and  to 
build alliances to tackle global challenges. 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

This  Communication  highlights  the  Commission’s  commitment  to  strengthening  FET 
research  in  ICT  in  Europe.  It  proposes  a  combination  of  initiatives  involving  not  only 
increased  investment,  but  also  stronger  coordination  and  collaboration  between  all 
stakeholders  and  new  ambitious  FET  flagship  initiatives.  Member  States  are  invited  to 
endorse the proposed objectives, targets and strategy and to encourage national and regional 
authorities,  universities  and  public  research  organisations  and  private  stakeholders  to 
participate in the preparations for future action. 

The aim of the strategy is to attract the best researchers from around the world to Europe, to 
increase investment by industry and to fuel innovation. Investment in research that underpins 
future ICT will pay back by boosting Europe’s long-term competitiveness. 

EN 

12 

   EN