REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS State of the Innovation Union 2011
Date: 2011-12-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: diffusion of innovations, economic and social cohesion, economic growth, innovation, intellectual property, knowledge economy, reflation, research and development, research budget, research expenditure (EU), research method

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 2.12.2011 
COM(2011) 849 final 

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

State of the Innovation Union 2011 

 
 
 
 
  
 
1. 

THE INNOVATION IMPERATIVE 

Innovation  Union1,  a  flagship  initiative  under  the  Europe  2020  strategy,  is  an 
integrated  innovation  strategy  built  around  34  specific  commitments.  Based  on  a 
broad concept  of innovation,  encompassing the private, public and third2 sectors, it 
aims at ensuring that innovative ideas are translated into new goods and services that 
create growth and jobs.  

The  first  year  of  Innovation  Union  has  seen  the  economic  and  financial  crisis 
reaching a new phase. The recovery is at risk and public confidence has deteriorated 
across  different  sectors  of  the  economy.  The  pressure  to  cut  investments  in  future 
sources of economic growth is huge.  

At  the  same  time,  the  shift  in  economic  power  from  West  to  East  is  accelerating. 
Both  the  Innovation  Union  Scoreboard  and  the  Innovation  Union  Competitiveness 
report3  highlight  the  fact  that  Europe’s  research  and  innovation  performance  has 
declined over recent years, causing a broadening of the already sizeable innovation 
gap vis-à-vis the US and Japan. Furthermore, China, India and Brazil have started to 
rapidly  catch  up  with  the  EU  by  improving  their  performance  7  %,  3  %  and  1  % 
faster than the EU year on year over the last five years.  

This report will argue and show that  

– 

– 

– 

innovation is our best means to help put the European economy back on track 
and tackle societal challenges in the global economy; achieving the Innovation 
Union objectives, our innovation imperative, has become even more important 
and urgent than last year; 

Innovation  Union  had  an  impressive  start  with  strong  endorsement  from  the 
European  Parliament4,  the  European  Council5  and  the  Competitiveness 
Council6; 

Overall,  good  progress  has  been  made  in  launching  the  34  Innovation  Union 
commitments.  Based  on  wide-ranging  debates  with  stakeholders,  legislative 
proposals  have  been  tabled  according  to  plan  and  pilot  actions  have  been 
launched and tested7; 

1 
2 
3 

4 
5 
6 
7 

2011 

Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative Innovation Union, SEC(2010) 1161. 
The third sector refers to a wide range of organisations that are positioned between market and state.  
Innovation  Union  Scoreboard  2010,  www.proinno-europe.eu  and  Innovation  Union  Competitiveness 
report 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm?section=competitiveness-
report&year=2011; Also an analysis of competitiveness performance broken down to the Member State 
level revealed that many of them should step up their innovation efforts: SEC(2011) 1187.  
EP resolution 2010/2245 INI, 27.4.2011. 
Conclusions of 4.2.2011. 
Competitiveness Council conclusions, 26.11.2010. 
e.g. public consultations on future EU research and innovation funding, on European Research Area, on 
modernisation of public procurement policy, and others.  

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– 

– 

– 

– 

The Commission  is  proposing to increase investments in research, innovation 
and  education  in  support  of  the  EU's  pro-growth  agenda.  The  Horizon  2020 
proposal enacts many of the Innovation Union commitments. 

There  has  been  good  track  record  on  putting  in  place  the  conditions  that  will 
smooth the path from idea to market. In particular, the Commission has already 
tabled  legislative  proposals  for  unitary  patent  protection  and  for  modernising 
standard-setting.  

The  Commission  has  been  endowed  with  a  strong  mandate  to  put  forward 
measures  for  completing  European  Research  Area  by  2014.  A  public 
consultation has been carried out to prepare by the middle of 2012 the proposal 
for  an  ERA  Framework  that  would  create  a  highly  efficient  and  integrated 
research system in Europe. 

The  challenge  for  the  next  implementation  phase  will  therefore  be  that  all 
actors  take  collective  responsibility  for  Innovation  Union  delivery,  adopt  the 
proposals tabled by the Commission and translate firm political commitments 
into action both at national and at EU level.  

This report focuses on key policy actions of 2011. A short overview on the state of 
play of all 34 commitments of the Innovation Union is provided in the annex, while 
details can be consulted through the Innovation Union Information and Intelligence 
System (I3S) accessible at http://i3s.ec.europa.eu/home.html .  

It is placed in the context of the other flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 strategy 
for  delivering  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth  and  the  Single  Market  Act 
adopted in April 20118. They are all interlinked and mutually reinforcing. 

2. 

DELIVERING GROWTH AND JOBS THROUGH INNOVATION 

2.1.  Making Europe more robust against the crisis 

The  challenges  we  face  in  terms  of  sustainability  of  public  finances,  economic 
imbalances and growth-enhancing reforms are driving the EU policy agenda9.  

There  are  indications  that  strong  budgetary  commitment  to  education,  research  and 
innovation — smart fiscal consolidation10 — combined with an innovation-friendly 
business environment is a very effective way to pull Europe out of the crisis.  

It  can  be  observed  that,  in  general,  Member  States  that  traditionally  invest  more  in 
R&D  and  education  weathered  the  recent  economic  turmoil  better  (see  Figure  1). 
Investments  in  R&D  and  education  increase  the  chances  to  smooth  the  adverse 
impact of the crisis while offering  the tools to bounce back quicker when recovery 
takes place.  

8 

9 
10 

Communication:  ‘Single  Market  Act.  Twelve  Levers  to  Boost  Growth  and  Strengthen  Confidence’, 
COM(2011) 206 final. 
José Manuel Barroso, State of the Union, 28 September 2011. 
‘Smart’  fiscal  consolidation  means  protecting  and  reinforcing  investments  in  the  sources  of  future 
growth, singling out research, innovation and education as growth-friendly expenditure. 

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However, the objective of restoring growth and improving the welfare of European 
citizens  requires  a  combined  set  of  policies  influencing  the  overall  framework 
conditions for innovation and the sound functioning of product markets. Again, there 
are indications that better framework conditions are related to a more robust recovery 
(see Figure 3) and higher economic growth in the longer run11.  

Figure 1 R&D investment and economic recovery

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Note:  (1) Malta and Slovenia are not visible on the graph.

GDP growth, 2010

11 

The linear interpolation indicates the correlation between the variables in the Figures. The statistically 
significant  correlation  coefficients  are:  0.66  for  R&D-GDP  and  0.39,  for  Business  environment.  The 
size of the bubble reflects the size of the economy (as a share of EU GDP). Eurostat data are taken from 
‘Science and technology Indicators’. Framework conditions are measured by the ranking provided by 
the  World  Bank’s  ‘Doing  Business  Report’.  A  5-year  average  investment  is  used  as  a  proxy  for  past 
investment given the relative stability of R&D measured as ratios (over GDP). Figures 1 and 2 provide 
evidence  based  on  correlation  while  any  robust  causal  assessment  would  require  a  more  in-depth 
econometric analysis based on a number of additional economic and institutional factors (such as e.g. 
catching-up effect). 

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Figure 2 Business environment and economic recovery

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GDP growth, 2010

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Note:  (1) Bulgaria is not visible on the graph.
Sources: DG RTD-JRC own calculations based on Eurostat and World Bank ranking data

2.2. 

Reforming national research and innovation systems  

Member States were invited to conduct a self-assessment of their innovation systems 
and policies12 that should also feed into the Europe 2020 strategy.  

Overall, the National Reform Programmes include a breadth of measures which offer 
a  good  starting  point  for  stimulating  innovation.  However,  as  assessed  by  the 
Commission  in  its  policy  guidance  under  the  first  ‘European  semester’,  national 
programmes  often  lack  ambition  and  specificity.  Additional  efforts  are  needed  to 
reach the EU’s 3 % R&D target and Member States need to do more to protect and 
prioritise expenditure on research and education and the key infrastructures to sustain 
future growth13.  

A few trends could be detected from the announced reforms with respect to research 
and innovation (presenting a few, non-exhaustive examples): 

(1) 

A  majority  of  Member  States  are  in  the  process  of  improving  their  governance 
structures  and  strategic  guidance  for  research  and  innovation,  which  is  often 

12 
13 

Innovation Union commitment No. 33. 
Communication:  ‘Concluding  the  first  European  semester  of  economic  policy  coordination’, 
COM(2011) 400 final. 

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accompanied by a gradual integration of the two policy fields and increased targeting 
of  public  funding  on  selected  areas.  At  this  stage,  however,  very  few  countries  are 
explicitly targeting societal challenges as their main priority.  

• 

• 

• 

Germany  has  updated  its  High  Tech  Strategy  2020  to  strengthen  the  demand 
for research and innovation with greater emphasis on societal challenges; 

Spain  has  taken  a  comprehensive  approach  to  reforming  its  research  and 
innovation  policy  with  a  new  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Act  and 
recent National Innovation Strategy;  

Slovakia has appointed a High Government Representative for the knowledge 
economy  and  created  two  agencies  implementing  research  and  innovation 
policy measures. 

(2) 

A  majority  of  Member  States  are  engaged  in  improving  framework  conditions  or 
financial  support  for  research  and  innovation,  in  particular  through  R&D  tax 
incentives,  and  different  forms  of  support  to  innovative  SMEs,  including  venture 
capital. An increasing number of Member States are paying attention to demand-side 
innovation policy instruments, in particular public procurement14. So far, only a few 
countries  have  an  approach  that  seeks  to  integrate  demand-  and  supply-side 
instruments.  

• 

• 

• 

Belgium  has  increased  tax  credits  for  research  and  innovation  and  plans  to 
offer  incentives  for  the  creation  and  development  of  new  science-based 
companies  as  spin-outs  of  large  enterprises  or  spin-offs  from  research 
institutions 

Denmark  has  integrated  demand-side  aspects  in  programmes  supporting 
public-private collaboration. It has established a Business Innovation Fund that 
supports business opportunities within green growth and welfare areas;  

Poland  has  introduced  training  measures  targeting  500  procurers,  1500 
representatives  of  SMEs  and  1000  business  intermediary  organisations  to 
strengthen its use of public procurement of innovative products and services. 

To better explore synergies and pool risks and resources, coordination with EU-level 
initiatives should be considered 

(3) 

In terms of budgets allocated to R&D, only a limited number of Member States —
including  Denmark,  France,  Germany  and  Sweden  —  have  launched  new  funding 
initiatives, while some others such as Slovenia are earmarking a substantial share of 
Structural Funds for research and innovation. It appears that countries committed to 
increasing their R&D funding are also the ones which consider the broadest spectrum 
of growth-enhancing measures in line with the Innovation Union areas of action, and 
are already high or aspiring innovation performers. 

14 

For  more  information  on  trends  in  demand-side  innovation  policies  in  Europe,  see  the  recently 
published report: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/_getdocument.cfm?doc_id=7011 

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• 

• 

• 

France  is  investing  an  additional  €2 1.9  billion  over  the  period  2009-2014  in 
higher education and research (‘Investissements d’Avenir’ initiative); 

Germany  has  committed  to  increasing  public  budgets  for  research  and 
education by €12 billion over the period 2010-2013; 

Slovenia is increasing the R&D budget through allocation of Structural Funds 
to R&D and innovation.  

A  recent  survey15  on  public  R&D  spending  indicates  that  ambitious  political 
commitments in terms of R&D spending are being made by modest innovators such 
as Romania, Bulgaria and Latvia and moderate innovators like Hungary, Poland and 
Slovakia.  In  contrast,  a  majority  of  the  innovation  followers16  and  moderate 
innovators17 have recently started or intend decreasing their efforts.  

There is clearly a risk of widening the innovation divide between the Member States. 
It is important that modest innovators sustain their recent positive commitments and 
the  middle-of-the-range  innovators  are  urged  not  to  decrease  further  their  R&D 
public investments and to start planning to recover lost momentum. Only in this way 
can Europe meet its ambition on research and innovation targets.  

2.3.  More and better EU funding for research and innovation 

The Innovation Union seeks to deliver challenge-guided, streamlined and simplified 
EU  research  and  innovation  funding.  In  its  proposal  for  a  ‘Budget  for  Europe 
2020’18, the Commission envisages substantial re-orientation of the future EU budget 
towards  research  and  innovation,  bringing  together  current  research  and  innovation 
programmes into a single strategic framework — Horizon 2020 — to fund the whole 
innovation  cycle19.  Many  of  the  Innovation  Union  commitments  are  enacted  upon 
through  Horizon  2020,  notably:  more  focus  on  societal  challenges,  a  strengthened 
approach to SMEs, and stronger support to market uptake of innovation, including by 
means of procurements, standard-setting and loan and equity financing20. A number 
of simplification measures for the current Framework Programme (FP7) have already 
been  introduced  early  2011,  and  Horizon  2020  will  show  more  far  reaching 
simplification.  

In parallel, the existing EU research and innovation funding is already being focused 
on  Innovation  Union  priorities.  The  Commission  is  piloting  new  approaches  with 
Horizon 2020 in mind, to gain experience and facilitate a smooth roll-out. This is the 
case, for example, for a new SME targeted instrument21 that would fill the funding 
gap  for  early-stage  high-risk  research  and  innovation,  stimulate  break-through 

15 

16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 

European  Research  Area  Committee  (ERAC)  2011  questionnaire  on  R&D  investments  and  policy 
measures by EU Member States and Associated States. 
Austria, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, the United Kingdom. 
Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain. 
COM(2011) 500 and SEC(2011) 867 and 868 of 29.6.2011. 
Innovation Union commitments No. 6 and 7. 
Notably Innovation Union commitments No. 6 and 7, but also 10, 16, 17, 20, 27. 
The February 2011 European Council invited the Commission to explore the feasibility of an SBIR-like 
(Small Business Innovation Research) scheme. 

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innovations  and  increase  exploitation  of  R&D  results.  Under  the  Marie  Curie 
Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways, aiming explicitly at creating bridges 
between the academic world and enterprises, 50 % of businesses participating in the 
projects are SMEs. Another example is support for pre-commercial procurement and 
public  procurement  of  innovative  products  and  services.  2012  and  2013  will 
therefore see significant experimentation and fine-tuning of activities.  

Also,  the  post-2013  Cohesion  Policy  will  have  an  increased  focus  on  research  and 
innovation. The related Commission’s legislative package was adopted on 6 October 
2011. Among the major hallmarks of the proposals is greater conditionality in the use 
of  EU  Cohesion  Policy  funds.  In  particular,  the  support  will  be  conditional  on  the 
existence  of  a  national  or  regional  strategy  for  smart  specialisation  which  complies 
with  the  features  of  well-performing  national  or  regional  research  and  innovation 
systems22.  Furthermore,  regions  should  allocate  a  minimum  share  of  the  European 
Regional  Development  Fund  to  the  three  investment  priorities  concerning  research 
and  innovation,  SMEs  and  low-carbon  economy.  As  a  general  rule,  the  minimum 
total  allocated  to  these  three  priorities  at  national  level  should  be  at  least  80%  in 
more developed regions and transition regions and at least 50% in the less developed 
regions23.  

2.4.  Working in partnership to address societal challenges 

To  overcome  fragmentation  of  efforts  and  slow  pace  of  change,  Innovation  Union 
announced  European  Innovation  Partnerships  (EIPs)24,  mobilising  actors  across  the 
innovation cycle and across sectors around an overarching target in order to speed up 
innovative solutions to societal challenges.  

2011 has seen the concept being tested with a pilot European Innovation Partnership 
on ‘Active and Healthy Aging’ (AHA). The Partnership aims to increase by two the 
average number of healthy life years in the EU by 2020, by securing a triple win for 
Europe: 

– 

– 

– 

improving  the  health  status  and  quality  of  life  of  European  citizens,  with  a 
particular focus on older people; 

supporting the long-term sustainability and efficiency of health and social care 
systems; and  

enhancing  the  competitiveness  of  EU  industry  through  an  improved  business 
environment  providing  the  foundations  for  growth  and  expansion  of  new 
markets. 

22 

23 

24 

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council laying down common provisions 
on  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund,  the  European  Social  Fund,  the  Cohesion  Fund,  the 
European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  and  the  European  Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund 
covered by the Common Strategic Framework, COM(2011) 615. 
Proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  specific  provisions 
concerning the ERDF and the Investment for growth and jobs goal, COM(2011) 614. 
Innovation Union commitment 29. 

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Both the Council25 and the Parliament26 have welcomed the objectives of EIPs and 
supported  the  launch  of  the  pilot  to  test  the  concept  and  assess  how  it  can  be  best 
implemented. The first assessment of AHA governance and processes27 suggests that 
the pilot was very successful in mobilising stakeholders in the preparatory phase. It 
also clarified how an EIP can reinforce the coherence of our research and innovation 
priorities, and how it can focus, streamline and simplify our actions, while pointing 
to measures to bridge gaps and accelerate the uptake of innovations. It made it clear 
that EIPs do not supersede or replace other existing initiatives or instruments, nor are 
they a substitute for existing institutional decision-making mechanisms.  

The Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) of AHA was issued in November 2011. The 
Plan  outlines  a  set  of  priority  areas  including  key  actions  for  immediate 
implementation.  Other  EIPs  are  under  preparation:  ‘Raw  Materials’,  for  secure  and 
sustainable  supplies,  ‘Agricultural  Productivity  and  Sustainability’,  to  foster  a 
competitive  and  sustainable  agriculture,  ‘Water-efficiency’,  to  secure  the  needs  of 
European  citizens,  industry  and  agriculture  with  regard  to  this  vital  resource  and 
‘Smart Cities’, tackling major energy challenges.  

2.5.  Maximising social and territorial cohesion 

To  ensure  that  all  regions  are  involved  and  to  avoid  an  ‘innovation  divide’, 
Innovation  Union  proposes  to  make  better  use  Structural  Funds  for  research  and 
innovation  and  to  pilot  activities  on  social  and  public  sector  innovation  while 
mainstreaming social innovation in EU funding programmes28.  

In June 2011, the Commission launched a ‘Smart Specialisation Platform’29 bringing 
together expertise from universities, research centres, regional authorities, businesses 
and Commission services30, in order to facilitate the formulation and implementation 
of smart specialisation strategies by national and regional governments. Interactions 
between  Horizon  2020  and  Cohesion  Policy  funds  will  be  strengthened,  including 
through  complementary  measures  under  Horizon  2020  aimed  at  widening 
participation, supporting networking, policy learning and advice.  

In March 2011, the Commission launched the Social Innovation Europe Initiative31 
with the aim of supporting social innovators in creating new goods and services and 
developing  new  working  methods  that  create  social  value  and  impact  for 
organisations and customers. The initiative also helps in locating funding and know-
how to scale up social innovation from idea to project and even to a new business. 
Social innovation is also one of the tools that apply in the Social Business Initiative 
Communication,  adopted  by  the  Commission  on  25  October  201132.  This  initiative 
sets out 11 actions to support the growth of social entrepreneurship and business in 

25 
26 
27 

28 
29 
30 

31 
32 

European Council of 4.2.2011; Competitiveness Council conclusions on 26.10.2010 and 9.3.2011. 
European Parliament resolution of 11.11.2010 and report of 11.5.2011. 
Commission Staff Working Paper, ‘The Pilot European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy 
Ageing (AHA) First experiences on governance and processes’, SEC(2011) 1028.. 
Innovation Union commitments No. 24, 25, 26 and 27. 
http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/research-and-innovation/s3platform.cfm 
Examples  include  the  Regional  Innovation  Monitor  (http://www.rim-europa.eu/)  and  the  European 
Cluster Observatory (http://www.clusterobservatory.eu/index.html). 
www.socialinnovationeurope.eu 
Communication from the Commission on Social Business Initiative, SEC(2011) 1278. 

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Europe,  such  as  in  financing,  adapting  legal  frameworks,  labelling  (and  therefore 
awareness  and  visibility)  and  public  procurement.  The  EU  is  already  funding 
substantial  research  activities  on  social  innovation  through  FP7,  and  social 
innovation will play an important part in addressing the societal challenges targeted 
by Horizon 2020.  

To  develop  better  understanding  of  public  sector  innovation,  the  Commission  is 
preparing  the  first  European  Public  Sector  Innovation  Scoreboard  which  will  be 
available  in  2012.  The  public  sector  needs  to  embrace  innovation  and  lead  by 
example.  Governments  have 
innovation  and 
to  be  proactive 
entrepreneurial  in  spirit  to  provide  more  and  better  services  and  infrastructures  to 
citizens and businesses, while increasing cost efficiency. To reach this ambition, the 
public sector has to move from being a patron of R&D solely to also translating its 
purchasing power into a demand pull for innovations. There is a wealth and variety 
of European ideas and good examples at all levels of administration.  

in  driving 

The  consultation  with  social  partners  to  examine  how  the  knowledge  economy  can 
spread to all occupational levels and all sectors has not taken place yet33.  

3. 

STRENGTHENING EUROPE’S KNOWLEDGE BASE AND REDUCING FRAGMENTATION  

3.1. 

Getting top talent for Europe 

To ensure a sufficient supply of highly qualified workers, the Innovation Union is to 
offer  researchers  more  attractive  careers  and  remove  obstacles  to  their  mobility 
across  sectors  and  countries.  Demand  in  Europe  for  highly  qualified  people  is 
predicted to rise by almost 16 million in the period up to 202034.  

Education  and  training  systems  are  the  starting  point.  In  September  201135,  the 
Commission presented a reform strategy for modernising higher education, including 
through  increasing  graduate  numbers;  improving  teaching  quality  and  adapting 
curricula and delivery of education programmes to the changing needs of the wider 
economy;  training  more  researchers;  and  improving  the  links  between  research, 
education and innovation.  

Researchers are at the core of the knowledge-intensive economy. The EU needs an 
estimated  one  million  new  research  jobs  to  achieve  the  3  %  R&D  intensity  target, 
mostly  in  the  private  sector.  Member  States  have  been  called  upon  to  develop 
national strategies to train enough researchers to meet their national R&D targets and 
to  promote  attractive  employment  conditions36.  The  Commission  will  closely 
monitor developments and give a first assessment of progress in spring 2012.  

Seeking  to  make  the  EU  more  attractive  to  talent  from  third  countries,  the 
Commission  will  prepare  a  monitoring  report  in  2012  on  the  application  of  the 

33 
34 

35 

36 

Innovation Union commitment No. 28. 
Commission  Working  Document  on  recent  developments  in  European  high  educations  systems, 
SEC(2011) 1063, p. 30. 
Communication from the Commission on an agenda for the modernisation of Europe's higher education 
systems, COM(2011) 567. 
Innovation Union commitment No. 1. 

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Scientific  Visa  Directive37.  A  recent  study  points  to  a  substantial  increase  in  the 
number  of  permits  issued  under  the  Directive:  from  239  in  2007  to  3713  in  2010. 
However, the overall take-up remains relatively low and concentrated in six Member 
States.  

To  help  students  and  researchers  make  informed  study  or  work  choices,  enable 
institutions  to  identify  and  develop  their  strengths,  and  support  policy  makers  in 
developing  effective  strategies  for  education,  research  and 
the 
Commission  will  launch  in  2012  an  initiative  to  implement  a  user-driven 
multidimensional  university  ranking38  and  transparent  information  tool,  with  first 
results expected in 2013. 

innovation, 

With the objective of bringing together business and academia to address innovation 
skills  gaps,  the  Commission  launched  in  2011  the  Pilot  Project  for  Knowledge 
Alliances39. Out of 94 proposals received, the three projects that were selected aim at 
designing  new  curricula  and  courses,  developing  innovative  ways  of  delivering 
education and knowledge, and will help universities to modernise by moving towards 
inter-disciplinary,  entrepreneurship  and  stronger  business  partnerships.  These  pilots 
will provide useful insights into the post-2013 ‘Erasmus For All’ programme. 

3.2. 

Delivering the European Research Area  

Achieving a well-functioning European Research Area (ERA) in which researchers, 
scientific  knowledge  and  technology can circulate freely  is of  utmost importance40. 
Insufficient cooperation and coordination coupled with various systemic failures lead 
to significant underperformance in the European research system as a whole. As well 
as increasing cooperation and coordination, the ERA will boost competition, which 
enables excellence.  

With  the  European  Council  conclusions  of  4  February  2011,  Member  States  are 
clearly  committed  to  completing  the  ERA  by  2014.  A  stakeholder  consultation  is 
being  carried  out  in  order  to  propose,  in  2012,  an  ERA  Framework  and  supporting 
measures to remove obstacles to mobility and cross-border cooperation41. The overall 
objective of the ERA Framework is to improve the coherence and compatibility of all 
Member State and EU research policies, programmes and activities.  

The topics to be taken into account in developing the Framework include quality of 
doctoral  training,  mobility  of  researchers,  cross-border  operation  of  research 
performing  organisations,  dissemination,  use  and  transfer  of  research  results, 
research  infrastructures  and  consistency  of  international  cooperation  strategies  and 
actions42.  

37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 

EN 

Innovation Union commitment No. 30.  
Innovation Union commitment No. 2. 
Idem. 
Innovation Union commitment No. 4. 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/consultation/era_consultation_en.htm  
See 
accompanying 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/consultations/era/consultation_era.pdf 

document 

public 

the 

the 

consultation 

on 

ERA 

framework 

11 

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Several EU initiatives and instruments have been deployed with a view to addressing 
the issues that are crucial to enhancing researchers’ careers and mobility.  

(a)  To  ensure  that  more  doctoral  candidates  are  better  trained  and  equipped  with 
the  skills  to  work  more  easily  across  countries,  employment  sectors  and 
disciplines,  the  Commission  has  proposed  Principles  for  Innovative  Doctoral 
Training in Europe43. These principles provide a reference framework based on 
existing  best practice44. They offer guidance for  the funding of European and 
national researchers’ training while at the same time preserving flexibility and 
autonomy  for  institutions  and  doctoral  candidates.  To  enhance  the  quality  of 
doctoral  training  in  Europe,  the  Commission  has  launched  under  the  Marie 
Curie  Actions  two  new  doctoral  initiatives  directly  addressing  innovative 
curricula  in  doctoral  programmes:  the  European  Industrial  Doctorates  and 
Innovative Doctoral Programmes 

(b)  To  make  career  structures  more  comparable  across  employment  sectors  and 
countries  and  facilitate  mobility  between  academia,  industry  and  other 
employment  areas,  the  Commission  is  promoting  a  European  Framework  for 
Research Careers. It provides a reference point for researchers and employers 
by capturing the necessary competences of researchers at four different career 
stages45.  To  spread  the  best  practices  in  training  and  career  development  of 
researchers,  the  Marie  Curie  co-funding  mechanism  has  supported  so  far  81 
programmes  at  regional,  national  and  international  levels.  The  first  results 
show  an  uptake  of  high-quality  standards  for  researchers’  careers  and 
employment conditions. 

(c)  To enhance the attractiveness of the research profession and facilitate mobility, 
the  Commission  is  providing  guidance  to  universities  and  other  employers 
wishing to set up a European fund for supplementary pensions for researchers. 
Such a fund would boost labour mobility by making it easier for researchers to 
take their supplementary pension assets with them when starting in a new job 
in another country. Interested employers should be able to set up consortia in 
2012, with the funds expected to start running in 2013.  

(d)  As a first step towards ensuring that recruitment procedures for researchers are 
more  open  and  transparent,  the  Commission  services  have  developed  a 
common  strategy46,  in  close  cooperation  with  Member  States,  to  boost  the 
publication of job vacancies for researchers on the EURAXESS Jobs portal47. 
Member  States  should  step  up  efforts  to  ensure  that  all  publicly  funded 
researchers’  positions  are  openly  advertised  online  and  that  institutions  apply 
open recruitment procedures. 

43 
44 

45 

46 

47 

See: COM(2011) 567.  
These  reflect  the  Salzburg  Principles  of  EUA,  good  practice  in  Member  States  and  the  Marie  Curie 
Actions.  
R1) First Stage Researcher, R2) Recognised Researcher, R3) Established Researcher and R4) Leading 
Researcher. 
The  Jobs  Strategy  was  endorsed  by  the  ERA  Steering  Group  on  Human  Resources  and  Mobility  in 
November 2010. 
http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/index 

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Ground-breaking  research  and 
innovation  also  require  world-class  research 
infrastructures.  The  Innovation  Union  has  a  2015  target  to  complete  or  launch  the 
construction of 60 % of  the priority European research infrastructures identified by 
the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)48. Out of the 48 
priority  projects,  10  are  in  the  implementation  phase  and  16  more  are  proceeding 
towards the implementation phase, i.e. reaching a 54 % target by the end of 2012.  

The research Framework Programme supports the preparatory phase of all the ESFRI 
projects  and  also  to  a  more  limited  extent  their  implementation  phase.  Structural 
Funds are being mobilised to complete the construction phase of the priority research 
infrastructures.  For  example,  €236  million  fr om  Structural  Funds  are  being  used  to 
construct  Beamlines  facilities  of  the  Extreme  Light  Source  (ELI),  located  in  the 
Czech Republic. The Commission is also advising Romania and Hungary on how to 
mobilise the Structural Funds for the other parts of ELI in these two countries.  

The  ESFRI  research  infrastructures  are  a  prime  example  of  how  the  EU  and  its 
Member States work together and pool resources on projects of common European 
interest.  

The Commission is also assisting the Member States in using the European Research 
Infrastructure  Consortium  (ERIC)  as  a  legal  framework  for  setting  up  the  pan-
European research infrastructures. The first ERIC status was awarded in March 2011 
to the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) facility that will 
lead to better understanding of the impact of ageing on European societies.  

3.3. 

Promoting the European Institute of Innovation and Technology as a model of 
innovation governance in Europe 

(EIT)  brings 

To  better  integrate  the  innovation  cycle,  the  European  Institute  of  Innovation  and 
Technology 
research 
organisations  and  businesses  in  new  types  of  partnerships  —  Knowledge  and 
Innovation Communities (KICs) —operating in the areas of sustainable energy (KIC 
InnoEnergy),  climate  change  adaptation  and  mitigation  (Climate-KIC)  and  future 
information and communication society (EIT ICT Labs).  

together  higher  education 

institutions, 

The first results are already visible in terms of business creation (five start-ups since 
January 2011) and a first EIT-backed Masters’ course organised by KIC InnoEnergy, 
with  155  students.  By  the  end  of  2011,  the  Commission  will  adopt  the  EIT’s 
Strategic Innovation Agenda49. It will focus on consolidating the three existing KICs 
and  gradually  setting  up  new  ones,  which  will  address  major  societal  challenges  in 
line with the Horizon 2020 objectives. 

4. 

GETTING GOOD IDEAS TO THE MARKET 

Enterprises are at the heart of innovation since they detect market opportunities and 
develop ideas for innovative solutions in order to seize these opportunities. However, 
Europe’s entrepreneurs face multiple obstacles and adverse framework conditions in 

48 
49 

Innovation Union commitment No. 5. 
Innovation Union commitment No. 9. 

EN 

13 

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getting  ideas  to  the  market.  Innovation  Union  is  geared  to  systematically  removing 
these obstacles and creating a single market for innovation.  

Europe  needs  a  better  balanced  demand  and  supply  policy  mix50  with  faster  and 
modernised  standard-setting,  more  affordable  patents,  more  public  procurement  of 
innovative  products  and  services,  better  access  to  capital  and  a  genuine  European 
knowledge market.  

Those  have  been  the  priorities  for  Commission  action  in  2011  and  significant 
progress is being achieved with proposals on unitary patent protection and standard-
setting  already  adopted  by  the  Commission.  Two  commitments  in  this  area  are 
behind  schedule:  the  screening  of  the  regulatory  framework  in  key  areas,  starting 
with those linked to eco-innovation, and an eco-innovation action plan51 which will 
be presented in December 2011.  

4.1. 

Improving access to finance 

Finding  suitable  investors  represents,  especially  for  young  and  knowledge-driven 
companies, a crucial step towards strategic expansion of business activities. Investors 
often  include  public  authorities  that  reduce  innovation-related  risks  through  aid 
schemes  or  private  venture  capitalists  that  provide  start-up  companies  with  a  cash 
injection in exchange for equity. 

Taken  as  a  share  of  GDP,  venture  capital  investment  in  the  United  States  is  four 
times  higher  than  in  the  EU.  Furthermore,  European  investment  can  be  spread  too 
thinly as European venture capital funds invest in twice as many companies as their 
US  counterparts.52  The  Commission  intends  to  present,  by  the  end  of  the  year,  an 
initiative  for  a  new  European venture capital regime that will allow venture capital 
funds to raise capital in all 27 Member States on the basis of a single registration53. 
The  Commission  will  also  endeavour  to  eliminate  any  tax  treatment  that 
the 
disadvantages  cross-border  venture  capital 
administrative  burden.  These  will  be  part  of  the  wider  Commission  Action  Plan  to 
Improve Access to Finance for SMEs.  

investments  and 

to  reduce 

Moreover,  the  Commission  has  appointed  the  Chairman  of  the  British  Business 
Angels Association as the leading figure to chair an expert group. The expert group 
is  tasked  with  formulating  recommendations  on  how  to  enhance  the  cross-border 
matching  of  innovative  firms  with  suitable  investors54.  Their  findings  will  be 
presented in the course of 2012.  

The  current  Risk  Sharing  Finance  Facility  (RSFF)55  and  the  financial  instruments 
under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (2007-2013) have attracted a 

50 

51 
52 

53 
54 
55 

See  also  Lead  Market  Initiative  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/lead-market-
initiative/final-eval_en.htm  
Innovation Union commitments No. 15 and 18. 
Kelly  R.  (2011):  ‘The  performance  and  prospects  of  European  Venture  capital,  European  Investment  Fund’; 
Working Paper 2011/9, EIF Research & Market Analysis 
Innovation Union commitment No. 11. 
Innovation Union commitment No. 12. 
RSFF was established in mid-2007 as a novel debt-financing instrument under FP7.  

EN 

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significant increase in private finance and will be expanded in Horizon 2020 and the 
Business Competitiveness and SMEs programme in 2014-202056.  

In line with the Commission’s overall objective of ‘less and better’ state aid, state aid 
is declining relative to GDP while state aid for research, development and innovation 
continues  to  steadily  increase,  and  now  represents  nearly  one  tenth  of  public 
expenditure in this field. In August, the Commission took stock of the functioning of 
the Framework that controls state aid in this area57. The next step is a wide-ranging 
consultation to help prepare the revision of the current Framework in 2013. 

4.2. 

Protecting  and  enhancing  the  value  of  intellectual  property  and  boosting 
creativity 

Given  the  cost  and  complexity  of  patenting  in  Europe,  one  of  the  targets  of 
Innovation Union is that the first EU patents should be delivered in 201458 and the 
exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in innovative products and services 
should be promoted59. Striving for a strategic and balanced approach to policies that 
affect intellectual property assets, the Commission adopted in May 2011 a blueprint 
for creating a single market for intellectual property60.  

Following  the  failure  of  Member  States  to  reach  agreement  on  an  EU  patent,  in 
March  2011,  the  Commission  produced  a  proposed  legislative  package  for  unitary 
patent  protection  in  a  smaller  territorial  area61.  This  was  prepared  in  response  to  a 
request  from  a  group  of  25  Member  States  which  had  chosen  to  work  together  via 
enhanced  cooperation  in  order  to  overcome  the  several  decades-long  political 
impasse  on  the  establishment  of  a  single  patent.  The  proposed  legislative  package 
will benefit all European companies by reducing patenting costs in Europe by up to 
80  %.  While  the  expenses  (including  translation)  for patent protection covering the 
whole  European  Union  currently  can  amount  to  €32000,  they  would  drop,  after  a 
transitional period, to €680 for a European pa tent with unitary effect in 25 Member 
States. The political agreement should be reached by mid 2012.  

To facilitate the emergence of a genuine European knowledge market for patents and 
licences62,  the  Commission  investigated  a  set  of  options  for  an  IPR  valorisation 
instrument at EU level, in response to the invitation by the European Council. During 
2011  an  expert  group  and  a  study  addressed  the  quantification  of  underexploited 
patents  in  Europe,  their  innovation  potential  and  the  strengths  and  weaknesses  of  a 
set of potential initiatives, including the creation of a financial market for IPR. The 

56 
57 

58 
59 

60 

61 

62 

Innovation Union commitment No. 10. 
Innovation Union commitment No. 13; Commission Staff Working Paper, ‘Mid-term review of the 
R&D&I framework’, 10.8.2011 
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/legislation/rdi_mid_term_review_en.pdf 
Innovation Union commitment No. 14. 
See  also  European  Council  conclusions  of  4  February  2011,  inviting  the  Commission  to  explore 
possibilities to develop an IPR instrument to enhance the value of intellectual property rights. 
Communication from the Commission, ‘A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights’, COM(2011) 
287 final. 
Proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  implementing  enhanced 
cooperation  in  the  area  of  the  creation  of  unitary  patent  protection  and  Proposal  for  a  Council 
Regulation with regard to the applicable translation arrangements, COM(2011) 215 and 216 final. 
Innovation Union commitment No. 22.  

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conclusions  of  this  work  will  be  published  before  the  end  of  the  year63.  Based  on 
these,  the  Commission  plans  to  engage  in  a  debate  with  Member  States  in  2012  to 
shape further actions.  

Innovation  Union  is  about  pursuing  a  broad  concept  of  innovation,  including  new 
business  models,  design  and  creativity,  and  service  innovation.  This  requires  new 
policies and tools that specifically aim at capitalising on Europe’s creative potential. 
In  December  2011,  the  European  Commission  establishes  the  European  Creative 
Industries  Alliance64,  a  cross-sectoral  policy  initiative  that  will  intensify  the  policy 
dialogue  between  national  and  regional  policy-makers,  test  new  tools  and  leverage 
more  and  better  support  for  creative  industries  and  other  industries  benefiting  from 
creative industries.  

Finally,  there  is  a  growing  demand  for  products  that  stand  out  in  their  user-
friendliness and appeal. The Commission has set up the European Design Leadership 
Board65  that  will  make  proposals  to  strengthen  the  role  of  design  in  European 
innovation policies66. 

4.3. 

Accelerating and modernising standard-setting 

Uniform  European  and  international  standards,  adopted  swiftly,  are  important  for 
fostering  innovation  in  fast-moving  markets.  In  June  2011,  the  Commission 
presented a standardisation package67 aiming to modernise European standardisation 
legislation and policy in the face of present and future challenges.  

Standard-setting processes will be accelerated by 50 % so as to respond better to the 
needs that accompany rapid technological advances. The Commission and European 
standardisation bodies are currently discussing performance indicators to achieve the 
target  by  2020.  Standardisation  needs  will  be  better  anticipated  through  priority-
setting in an annual work programme and through foresight studies. In addition, the 
package will also include a light and fast way to recognise globally established ICT 
standards,  which  is  increasingly  important,  for  example,  for  European  public 
procurers.  By  2013,  the  Commission  will  launch  an  independent  review  of  the 
European standardisation system. The Commission also continues to work on better 
integration of standardisation in the research Framework Programme68. 

4.4. 

Putting the power of the public purse to innovation 

With  an  estimated  19.4  %  of  the  European  Union’s  GDP  in  200969,  public 
procurement has an immense potential to pull EU innovations to the market, support 
lead customer and catalysing effects, and thus provide innovative firms with a head 
start  in  the  global  markets.  However,  this  potential  is  largely  underused  in  the 

63 
64 
65 
66 
67 

68 
69 

Forthcoming expert group and study reports at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/index_en.htm 
Innovation Union commitment No. 19. 
See Members: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/design-creativity/edii_en.htm 
Innovation Union commitment No. 19. 
Communication from the Commission on a strategic vision for European standards and Proposal for a 
Regulation on European Standardisation, COM(2011) 311 and 315 final. 
Innovation union commitment No. 16. 
European Commission (2010): Public procurement indicators 2009. 
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/docs/indicators2009_en.pdf 

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European  Union.  According  to  a  recent  evaluation70,  only  22  %  of  the  contracting 
authorities surveyed indicated that they included innovation within their procurement 
strategy and procedures. 

The  Commission’s  proposal  that  Member  States  and  Regions  set  aside  dedicated 
budgets  for  public  procurement  of  innovative  products  and  services  has  not  been 
taken  up  by  the  Council,  even  though  the  proposed  target,  €10  billion  per  year 71, 
would  represent  a  modest  0.44  %  of  total  public  procurement  in  Europe. 
Nevertheless,  some  action  has  been  taken.  Spain,  for  example,  introduced  a  3  % 
quota for public procurement of innovative products and services in its procurement 
law of 8 July 2011.  

Seeking  to  respond  more  effectively  to  such  challenges,  in  December  2011  the 
Commission will present its proposals for revision of the EU public procurement law 
that  should  facilitate  procurement  of  innovative  products  and  services  and  cross-
border joint procurement.  

In  parallel,  the  Commission  has  also  launched  pilot  projects  for  transnational 
cooperation  on  procurement  for  innovative  products  and  services.  These  projects 
together  with  a  feasibility  study  will  prepare  the  ground  for  increasing  and  fine-
tuning the future EU-level support, notably in Horizon 2020, that will help Member 
States to pool their financial and human resources to unleash the potential of public 
demand for innovative solutions.  

5. 

LEVERAGING OUR POLICIES EXTERNALLY 

Competition  in  today’s  world  is  more  and  more  about  knowledge  and  innovation. 
Europe’s  competitors  have  taken  strategic  steps  in  this  direction  with  innovation 
featuring high on their lists of national priorities72.  

One  ambition  of  Innovation  Union  is  that  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  treat 
scientific  cooperation  with  third  countries  as  an  issue  of  common  concern  and 
develop joint strategies73.  

In  line  with  these  commitments  the  EU  and  Member  States  have  developed  in  the 
Strategic Forum for International Science and Technology Cooperation (SFIC) three 
pilot initiatives (with India, China and the US).  

A joint EU/Member States initiative aims to raise the attractiveness  of  Europe  as a 
destination for research, particularly compared to the US. Attracting top talent from 
the  US  to  Europe,  offering  excellence  and  capitalising  on  advanced  European 
technology centres ought to redress transatlantic mobility. 

70 
71 
72 

73 

Evaluation report, SEC(2011) 853, June 2011. 
Innovation Union commitment No. 17. 
US:http://www.compete.org/about-us/initiatives/ 
http://www.nsf.gov/about/performance/strategic_plan.jsp  
China: http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/index.htm  
India http://www.dst.gov.in/whats_new/press-release10/pib_10-3-2010.htm 
Innovation Union commitment No. 31. 

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With  India  a  Strategic  Research  and  Innovation  Agenda  is  under  preparation  to 
leverage existing bilateral S&T cooperation. A central element is aimed at building 
strong  links  between  European  and  Indian  centres  of  excellence  to  develop  viable 
and innovative solutions for societal challenges in fields like water, bio-mass, energy 
or health. 

With  regard  to  China,  common  priorities  for  EU  and  Member  States  are  currently 
being  identified  for  purposes  of  more  coordinated  multilateral  cooperation  with 
China and to improve interoperability of bilateral programmes, funding schemes and 
rules (including IPR issues).  

These  pilot  initiatives,  built  on  the  new  strategic  partnership  of  the  EU  and  its 
Member States, will improve the way in which we cooperate strategically with key 
partner  countries  and  will  leverage  Europe’s  research  and  innovation  performance 
externally.  

6. 

CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS  

In  2011  research  and  innovation  have  been  prominent  topics  in  many  institutional 
stakeholder  discussions.  Concrete  actions  have  been  initiated  and  proposals  are,  or 
will shortly be, on the table. Horizon 2020 proposal embraces the Innovation Union 
and will be a key tool for implementing the Innovation Union commitments.  

Out  of  the  34  Innovation  Union  commitments,  two  have  not  been  taken  up:  at 
national  level,  dedicating  procurement  budgets  to  innovative  products  and  services 
and, at EU level, consulting social partners on bringing the knowledge economy to 
all occupational levels. Two more actions are delayed: regulatory screening and the 
eco-innovation  action  plan.  The  Commission  will  step  up  its  efforts  to  launch  the 
delayed  activities  promptly  and  calls  on  Member  States  to  intensify  their  efforts  to 
drive demand for innovative solutions through public procurement.  

The Innovation Union is built around three different dynamics. Firstly, the legislative 
reform  dynamic,  which  entails  putting  in  place  a  new  European  framework  for 
research and innovation. An impressive effort has been made at EU level to frontload 
reforms  to  enable  innovation.  Based  on  wide  stakeholder  consultations,  the 
Commission will have put forward all the six legislative proposals announced in the 
Innovation Union74. The European Parliament and Member States are invited to deal 
resolutely  with  the  present  and  forthcoming  legislative  proposals  which  aim  at 
driving innovation. 

Secondly, the mobilising actors dynamic at EU level, testing and implementing new 
instruments  and  concepts  of  innovation.  These  are  complementary  to  legislative 
dynamics  and  focus  on  new  forms  of  innovation  (such  as  social  innovation)  or  on 
new ways of working together (such as European Innovation Partnerships). These are 
ways of staying at the forefront of innovation and make it possible to monitor how 
innovation  evolves.  Again,  2011  saw  many  pilots  and  feasibility  studies  launched 
and further actions will continue in 2012.  

74 

Horizon  2020,  new  Cohesion  policy,  reform  of  public  procurement  legislation,  a  new  regime  for 
venture capital, standardisation package and legislative proposals for a unitary patent protection. 

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Lastly,  the  success  of  Innovation  Union  will  depend  on  the  extent  to  which  it  can 
mobilise  action  at  national  and  regional  level.  The  review  of  the  national  reform 
programmes  offers  a  good  starting  point  for  a  strong  innovation  dynamic,  but  it 
would only bear fruit if measures are consistently implemented. EU Member States 
are invited to do more to prioritise research and innovation investments and turn into 
action  political  commitments  undertaken  in  2011,  especially  on  pursuing  reforms 
aimed  at  boosting  the  effectiveness  of  their  research  and  innovation  systems  and 
improving the use of Structural Funds for research and innovation.75  

For 2012, the Commission will continue delivering the Innovation Union, notably by 
presenting  the  two  remaining  Innovation  Union  initiatives  scheduled  for  2012,  i.e. 
the  proposal  for  the  European  Research  Area  Framework  and  the  new  headline 
indicator76. It will also present an external evaluation by the newly created European 
Research and Innovation Advisory Board.  

In  tandem  with  the  innovation  policy  measures  under  way,  the  Commission  will 
review  the  current  approaches  to  innovation  in  other  EU  policies  and  propose 
strategies to mainstream innovation into all EU policies. 

75 
76 

European Council conclusions, 4.2.2011 
Share  of  fast-growing  innovative  firms  in  the  economy;  the  results  of  the  first  data  collection  are 
currently being discussed with Member States. A second data collection exercise will follow in 2012. 

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Annex: 2011 progress on Innovation Union commitments  

More information on each commitment available at: http://i3s.ec.europa.eu/home.html 

Innovation Union commitment 

Deadline 

Progress 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Put in place national strategies to train enough researchers  

Test feasibility of independent university ranking 

Create business-academia "Knowledge Alliances" 

Propose an integrated framework for e-skills  

Propose an ERA framework and supporting measures 

2011 

2011 

2011 

2012  

On track 

On track 

On track 

On track 

Construct the priority European Research Infrastructures 

2015 – 60% 

On track 

Simplify  and  focus  future  EU  research  and  innovation  programmes  on 
Innovation Union 

2011  

Ensure stronger involvement of SME in future EU R&I programmes 

Strength the science base for policy making through JRC;  

Set up a Forum on Forward Looking Activities 

9 

Set out EIT strategic agenda 

Mid 2011 

10  Put in place EU-level financial instruments to attract private finance 

11  Ensure cross border operation of venture capital funds 

12  Strengthen cross border matching of innovative firms with investors 

13  Review State Aid Framework for R&D&I 

14  Deliver the EU Patent 

2014 

2012 

2011 

2014  

On track 

On track 

On track 

On track 

On track 

On track 

On track 

On track 

On track 

15  Screen the regulatory framework in key areas 

Start in 2011  

Delayed 

16  Speed-up and modernise standard-setting 

Early 2011 

On track 

17 

Set aside dedicated national procurement budgets for innovation 

Start in 2011 

Not taken up 

Set up an EU level support mechanism and facilitate joint procurement 

On track 

18  Present an eco-innovation action plan 

Early 2011  

Delayed 

19 

Set up a European Design Leadership Board 

2011 

Establish a European Creative Industries Alliance 

20  Promote open access; support smart research information services 

On track 

On track 

On track 

EN 

20 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21  Facilitate collaborative research and knowledge transfer 

22  Develop a European knowledge market for patents and licensing 

2011 

23  Safeguard against the use of IPRs for anti-competitive purposes 

On track 

On track 

On track 

24/ 

Improve the use of Structural Funds for research and innovation 

Start in 2010 

On track 

25 

Platform 
2012 

by 

26  Launch  a  Social  Innovation  pilot;  promote  social  innovation  in  European 

Social Fund 

27 

Support a research programme on public sector and social innovation 

Start in 2011 

On track 

On track 

Pilot a European Public Sector Innovation Scoreboard 

28  Consult social partners on interaction between the knowledge economy and 

Not taken up  

market 

29  Pilot and present proposals for European Innovation Partnerships 

2011 

On track 

30  Put in place integrated policies to attract global talent 

2012 

On track 

31  Propose  common  EU  /  MS  priorities  and  approaches  for  scientific 

2012  

On track 

cooperation with third countries 

32  Roll-out global research infrastructures 

2012  

On track 

33  Self-assess national research and innovation systems and identify challenges 

and reforms;  

34 

Develop an innovation headline indicator 

Monitor progress using Innovation Union Scoreboard 

On track 

On track 

EN 

21 

   EN