The Australian Innovation Community

Strong ties in research, science and technology between Australia and Europe can be mutually beneficial to both sides. Policies, academic exchanges and joint collaboration networks are already helping to achieve this formidable objective.

Australia may be the faraway land down under, but its strong research potential and rich knowledge pool from a different perspective to the European one remains largely untapped. The EU is striving to build promising exchanges between the two regions, unleashing an invaluable flow of research data and best practices in both directions.

The FEAST project concluded on 30 June 2012. A new bilateral project is currently in the final stages of negotiation with the European Commission (EC) to continue to support Australian-European research cooperation. The EC has agreed in principle to co-fund a project known as ‘Connecting Australian-European Science and Innovation Excellence’ (CAESIE) involving Australian and European partners. Matching support will be provided by the Australian partners led by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Australia is about as far away from Europe as one can get. This vast distance had historically made it challenging to build concrete long term relationships and undertake joint scientific projects with European researchers. However, the Australian Government and the European Union have co-funded the over €1 million FEAST Extension, Enhancement and Demonstration (FEED) project which has been pivotal in supporting the exchange of best practices as well as promoting cutting edge research between both continents.

Stroke is the second biggest cause of death worldwide. Among those who survive, it is a major cause of permanent disability. The vast majority of strokes, more than 80%, are “ischaemic” – the result of blood clots preventing blood flow to the brain. Yet treatment options for these strokes are very limited.

Australian science has been recognised as among the world’s best after the CSIRO inventors behind the WLAN technology last night won the European Inventors Award.

CSIRO invented and patented wireless LAN technology in the 1990s. WLAN technology is used in offices, public buildings, homes and coffee shops — often called ‘WiFi Hotspots’ — connecting to products such as phones, televisions, cameras, laptops, printers, routers and games consoles.

Australia is about as far away from Europe as one can get. This vast distance had historically made it challenging to build concrete long term relationships and undertake joint scientific projects with European researchers. However, the Australian Government and the European Union have co-funded the over €1 million FEAST Extension, Enhancement and Demonstration (FEED) project which has been pivotal in supporting the exchange of best practices as well as promoting cutting edge research between both continents.

Stroke is the second biggest cause of death worldwide. Among those who survive, it is a major cause of permanent disability. The vast majority of strokes, more than 80%, are “ischaemic” – the result of blood clots preventing blood flow to the brain. Yet treatment options for these strokes are very limited.

The FEAST project concluded on 30 June 2012. A new bilateral project is currently in the final stages of negotiation with the European Commission (EC) to continue to support Australian-European research cooperation. The EC has agreed in principle to co-fund a project known as ‘Connecting Australian-European Science and Innovation Excellence’ (CAESIE) involving Australian and European partners. Matching support will be provided by the Australian partners led by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Australian science has been recognised as among the world’s best after the CSIRO inventors behind the WLAN technology last night won the European Inventors Award.

CSIRO invented and patented wireless LAN technology in the 1990s. WLAN technology is used in offices, public buildings, homes and coffee shops — often called ‘WiFi Hotspots’ — connecting to products such as phones, televisions, cameras, laptops, printers, routers and games consoles.

Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb today launched the Health of Australian Science report, a comprehensive overview of Australia’s science system, outlining our strengths and vulnerabilities.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, he said that overall, ours was a healthy and robust system, but that some identified challenges would lead to long term issues for Australia if no action is taken.

Homing pigeons are well known for their extraordinary sense of direction, thought to result from a specialised sense that allows them to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field.

But new research by a team of Australian, Austrian and British scientists has revealed that cells previously thought to be the centre of the magnetic sense in birds are instead non-magnetoreceptive macrophages, or white blood cells.

The CSIRO team that invented a faster system for wireless local area networking – which later became the foundation of Wi-Fi in its most popular form today – has been named as a finalist in the European Inventor Award 2012.

Inventors Dr John O’Sullivan, Dr Terry Percival, Mr Diet Ostry, Mr Graham Daniels and Mr John Deane have been nominated in the ‘Non-European countries’ category of the annual awards for the patented WLAN technology,

Chief Executives of nine of the world’s leading applied research agencies are meeting in Sydney this week to improve access by the developing world to science and innovation.

The members of the Global Research Alliance are: Battelle (United States of America), CSIR (India), CSIR (South Africa), CSIRO (Australia), Danish Technological Institute (Denmark), Fraunhofer (Germany), SIRIM (Malaysia),TNO (the Netherlands), and VTT (Finland).

The Lisbon Council explain the potential of the Internet – and greater adoption of information and communication technology in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – to dramatically raise competitiveness, improve productivity and create 21st century jobs. The policy brief sets out a “to-do” list for policy makers to unleash the potential of the single market for SMEs and the economy at large, which in turn offers conceivable and powerful way out of the crisis, given that 99% of all European companies are SMEs.

An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Newcastle has shown the potential of a simple blood-based test to identify people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, before any symptoms appear.

The team of four spent a year studying data from the international Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database, the most comprehensive collection of Alzheimer’s data in the world.

There have been few global comparisons of academic salaries around the world, but new research paints a picture of a profession that, in many countries, is not valued as a key to the knowledge economy.

Salaries and the terms of faculty appointments and promotion are central to the wellbeing of the academic profession and its contributions to the university. If salaries are inadequate, the ‘best and brightest’ will not be attracted to academe, and those who do teach will be obliged to moonlight, diverting their attention and dedication from their academic work.

Three years after the global credit crunch led to economic downturn and widespread austerity budgets, and resulting cutbacks in resources and staff at many universities, some have been able to swim against the tide and expand.

Lund University in southern Sweden recruited 471 new staff members in 2011, a 9% increase. And that came on top of hiring an extra 310 members of staff in 2010.

Lund now has 6,300 staff members and 47,000 students on an operating budget of SEK6 billion.

A new publication released today by AusIndustry will help businesses understand the registration requirements for the R&D Tax Incentive.

The publication outlines what information will be required when businesses commence registering for the Incentive from 1 July 2012 and provides additional explanatory materials to help businesses complete their applications.

The Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation, Senator Kate Lundy, said the new R&D Tax Incentive represents the biggest reform to business innovation support in more than a decade.

The Atlas of Living Australia added its 30 millionth species occurrence record last week, making it the largest collection of rich information on Australia’s plants, animals and fungi.

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Sciences have announced the launch of a new website – www.suls.se – for what is widely recognized as one of the leading clusters in not just European, but also global terms.

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, is in Australia from 4-8 March. During her visit, the Commissioner will meet with leaders in government, research and academia, to look at ways to expand and deepen collaboration on research and innovation.

The Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF) today hosted a visit by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Union Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. Selected by the Commonwealth Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Research & Tertiary Education (DIISRTE) as examples of highly successful Australian collaborative research infrastructure, both the AMMRF and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) made clear to Ms Geoghegan-Quinn the nature of the infrastructure and the breadth of research that it enables.

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, will visit Singapore, Australia and New Zealand from 1-9 March. During her visit, the Commissioner will meet with leaders in government, research and academia, to look at ways to expand and deepen collaboration on research and innovation.

Homing pigeons are well known for their extraordinary sense of direction, thought to result from a specialised sense that allows them to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field.

But new research by a team of Australian, Austrian and British scientists has revealed that cells previously thought to be the centre of the magnetic sense in birds are instead non-magnetoreceptive macrophages, or white blood cells.

The Lisbon Council explain the potential of the Internet – and greater adoption of information and communication technology in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – to dramatically raise competitiveness, improve productivity and create 21st century jobs. The policy brief sets out a “to-do” list for policy makers to unleash the potential of the single market for SMEs and the economy at large, which in turn offers conceivable and powerful way out of the crisis, given that 99% of all European companies are SMEs.

Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb today launched the Health of Australian Science report, a comprehensive overview of Australia’s science system, outlining our strengths and vulnerabilities.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, he said that overall, ours was a healthy and robust system, but that some identified challenges would lead to long term issues for Australia if no action is taken.

The CSIRO team that invented a faster system for wireless local area networking – which later became the foundation of Wi-Fi in its most popular form today – has been named as a finalist in the European Inventor Award 2012.

Inventors Dr John O’Sullivan, Dr Terry Percival, Mr Diet Ostry, Mr Graham Daniels and Mr John Deane have been nominated in the ‘Non-European countries’ category of the annual awards for the patented WLAN technology,

Chief Executives of nine of the world’s leading applied research agencies are meeting in Sydney this week to improve access by the developing world to science and innovation.

The members of the Global Research Alliance are: Battelle (United States of America), CSIR (India), CSIR (South Africa), CSIRO (Australia), Danish Technological Institute (Denmark), Fraunhofer (Germany), SIRIM (Malaysia),TNO (the Netherlands), and VTT (Finland).

A new publication released today by AusIndustry will help businesses understand the registration requirements for the R&D Tax Incentive.

The publication outlines what information will be required when businesses commence registering for the Incentive from 1 July 2012 and provides additional explanatory materials to help businesses complete their applications.

The Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation, Senator Kate Lundy, said the new R&D Tax Incentive represents the biggest reform to business innovation support in more than a decade.

There have been few global comparisons of academic salaries around the world, but new research paints a picture of a profession that, in many countries, is not valued as a key to the knowledge economy.

Salaries and the terms of faculty appointments and promotion are central to the wellbeing of the academic profession and its contributions to the university. If salaries are inadequate, the ‘best and brightest’ will not be attracted to academe, and those who do teach will be obliged to moonlight, diverting their attention and dedication from their academic work.

Three years after the global credit crunch led to economic downturn and widespread austerity budgets, and resulting cutbacks in resources and staff at many universities, some have been able to swim against the tide and expand.

Lund University in southern Sweden recruited 471 new staff members in 2011, a 9% increase. And that came on top of hiring an extra 310 members of staff in 2010.

Lund now has 6,300 staff members and 47,000 students on an operating budget of SEK6 billion.

The Atlas of Living Australia added its 30 millionth species occurrence record last week, making it the largest collection of rich information on Australia’s plants, animals and fungi.

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Sciences have announced the launch of a new website – www.suls.se – for what is widely recognized as one of the leading clusters in not just European, but also global terms.

An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Newcastle has shown the potential of a simple blood-based test to identify people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, before any symptoms appear.

The team of four spent a year studying data from the international Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database, the most comprehensive collection of Alzheimer’s data in the world.

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, is in Australia from 4-8 March. During her visit, the Commissioner will meet with leaders in government, research and academia, to look at ways to expand and deepen collaboration on research and innovation.

The Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF) today hosted a visit by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Union Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. Selected by the Commonwealth Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Research & Tertiary Education (DIISRTE) as examples of highly successful Australian collaborative research infrastructure, both the AMMRF and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) made clear to Ms Geoghegan-Quinn the nature of the infrastructure and the breadth of research that it enables.

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, will visit Singapore, Australia and New Zealand from 1-9 March. During her visit, the Commissioner will meet with leaders in government, research and academia, to look at ways to expand and deepen collaboration on research and innovation.

In a remarkable feat of micro-engineering, UNSW physicists have created a working transistor consisting of a single atom placed precisely in a silicon crystal.

The tiny electronic device, described today in a paper published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, uses as its active component an individual phosphorus atom patterned between atomic-scale electrodes and electrostatic control gates.

This unprecedented atomic accuracy may yield the elementary building block for a future quantum computer with unparalleled computational efficiency.

The Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) is Europe’s largest general science meeting and is held in a leading Europe city every two years. ESOF 2012 will be hosted in Dublin, Ireland from July 11th–15th, 2012. ESOF is an interdisciplinary, pan-European meeting, which showcases the latest advances in science and technology; promotes a dialogue on the role of science and technology in society and public policy; and stimulates and provokes public interest, excitement and debate about science and technology.

The European Commission and the Indian Government have today signed a Joint Declaration on Research and Innovation Cooperation. The Declaration provides an opportunity to step up relations between Europe and India towards an “Indo-European Research and Innovation Partnership”. The Declaration was signed at the EU-India Summit in New Delhi by the Commissioner for Trade Karel de Gucht and by Mr. Ashwani Kumar , Minister of State for Science & Technology.

CSIRO recently signed a Letter of Intent for the ICT Centre to encourage collaborative activities with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the largest multi-technological applied research organisation in Northern Europe.

Like CSIRO, VTT plays an important role in facilitating interaction among the private and public sectors, universities and the general public.

Recent Twitter convert, Tony Peacock, writes on getting started in social media.

With over 200 million tweets a day now flying around the world, there’s no doubt that every Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) and similar organisation should join the fray. Some people will of course react that, with 200 million tweets a day, that’s a good reason (or 200 million good reasons) to stay away.

This is a dynamic moment for international academic partnerships, a time of renewed vitality and broadened scope. For many colleges and universities, such partnerships are no longer simply one tactic of internationalisation among many, but rather a core, driving philosophy.

Institutions are rethinking their reasons for pursuing international partnerships and the processes by which they form them. The result is a fascinating, constantly changing landscape of new partnership forms, policies and procedures.

Universities and higher education institutions in Greece that have not held elections for the composition of their new management councils are in grave and imminent danger of losing state financial support.

A severe ultimatum was issued by the Education Ministry to all universities and technology institutes that have not yet complied with the provisions of the law 4009/11 voted through parliament last September.

What is unique to KEN, making it different compared to other similar networks? Primarily, it approaches knowledge economy issues openly, independently, and without any ideological bias. Further, it attempts to keep a holistic vision with a global reach. Thirdly, it tries to combine macro and micro-economic aspects with an interdisciplinary perspective. Finally, its activities are action oriented, in order to provide practical advice to stakeholders, opinion, and policy makers.

The Innovation Convention featured renowned political leaders, policy-makers, top industry leaders, venture capitalists, top academics, heads of research institutes, and leading innovation thinkers. Their task was to showcase innovation in Europe (and the rest of the World) and provide guidance as to how innovation can assist the European economy in the short, medium and long term.

The ICT call FP7-ICT-2011-9, which will open on 19 January 2012 and close on 17 April 2012, targets projects in Virtual Physiological Human research (topic ICT-2011.5.2 on page 68 of the 2012 ICT work programme). The European Commission has earmarked €3m to fund the participation of research organisations from non-European industrialised countries, including Australia. The total budget for this topic is €68m and 4% is reserved for these countries.

The EC’s Materials Roadmap has been elaborated by nearly hundred leading European scientists and industrial researchers. It is designed to support coherent and strategic decisions on materials research in industry and academia, both at European level and in EU member states. It is in line with FP7 and Horizon 2020 and with the priorities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan).

The European Commission has launched a new Eco-innovation action plan (“Innovation for a sustainable Future — The Eco-innovation Action Plan”, EcoAP).

The proposal includes important impetus for the promotion of research. The plan’s aim is to bridge the gap between research, testing and market introduction of innovative environmental technologies, products and services.

More than 10% of the world’s adult population was obese in 2008 (according to the latest World Health Organisation statistics). Obesity and overweight are major risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), and some cancers. Despite this worrying picture, little is known about the mechanisms at the root of obesity.

The 2011 “EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard” collects information on the top 1000 EU companies and 1000 non-EU companies investing the largest sums in R&D in the last reporting year. Companies in other countries than EU, US and Japan continued to show the outstanding performance observed since 2005, increasing R&D and sales by 10.7% and 21.8% respectively. Switzerland remains the largest country by R&D, primarily because of the very large R&D investments of its two major pharmaceutical companies, Roche and Novartis.

Eight early career researchers from Russia, Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic have been named as the successful Group of Eight European Fellows in 2012. Each fellow will receive benefits worth up to AU$20,000 to travel to Australia and work at a Go8 university for up to six months.

The Go8 European Fellowship scheme began in 2007. It recognises the importance of international contacts for early career researchers and plays an important role in building Go8 research partnerships in Europe.

The Go8 European Fellows for 2012 are:

The European Commission has today presented a package of measures to boost research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe. Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has announced Horizon 2020, an €80 billion programme for investment in research and innovation. Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has put forward a Strategic Innovation Agenda for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which will receive €2.8 billion of funding under Horizon 2020.

The European Commission has announced a drive to double the number of students undertaking cross-border education and training throughout the 27 EU member countries in the seven-year period to 2020. Officials said this would allow up to five million people to study abroad.

But the proposals have been met with some scepticism from student representatives who believe they will do little to promote mobility for less well off groups.

ScienceNordic, a news service with science reports in six categories, in English and covering the Nordic countries, was launched earlier this month after two Nordic science media, one Danish and one Norwegian, joined forces.

Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education Tora Aasland opened the news service and said the new portal would make Nordic research more visible in the global arena.

The website “HealthCompetence.eu”, as a result of an EU-funded project, is a pan-European Research Information System making key information accessible on all projects funded by the EC within Health Science in the 6th and 7th Framework Programmes.

New research providing critical information about how climate change is affecting Australia’s Pacific island neighbours and East Timor has been released today by the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Change Science Program (PCCSP).

The landmark, peer-reviewed publication, Climate Change in the Pacific: Scientific Assessment and New Research, presents the most comprehensive scientific analysis to date of climate change in the Pacific region.

Australia and New Zealand’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope took a step forward today with the formation of the SKA Organisation.

Australia and New Zealand with China, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and South Africa established the organisation to govern the SKA and make the host site selection – due in early 2012.

Minister for Innovation Senator Kim Carr said membership of the SKA Organisation means Australia will benefit from the many opportunities arising from this cutting-edge scientific infrastructure.

Australian Academy of Science President Professor Suzanne Cory today said the Government must urgently invest to ensure Australian science remains internationally competitive and relevant.

In a bold new Australian Academy of Science publication released today, Australian science in a changing world: innovation requires global engagement, internationally recognised and connected Australian scientists have developed a plan to ensure Australia’s place on the world stage over the next century.

Australia remains a strategic location for ICT activities with a global and regional focus and many global ICT companies have significant Australian operations. With a population of over 23 million, Australia is a well-educated market that in its own right affords global companies with opportunities to develop and test new ICT products and services for Australia, prior to global takeup of many of these technologies and processes. The Australia ICT sector has faired well in the period after the global financial crisis and remains a growth sector of the economy.

The world’s most advanced bio-secure laboratory was officially opened today at CSIRO’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong by the Minister for Innovation, Senator Kim Carr.

Senator Carr said the AAHL Collaborative Biosecurity Research Facility (ACBRF) allows researchers from across Australia and overseas to work together on projects of national importance, using the highest levels of biological containment.

Early detection and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and psychoses will come a step closer with today’s official launch of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Mental Health.

The CRC will receive more than $23 million in Australian Government funding, to focus on biomarkers for diagnosing the early onset of neurodegenerative diseases - including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases - and psychoses such as schizophrenia.

Minister for Innovation Senator Kim Carr today highlighted the importance of the CRC for Mental Health.

European Union Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn (pictured) has responded to calls to give more weight to social sciences and humanities in Horizon 2020, the EU’s funding programme for research and innovation.

At a meeting at the British Academy in London on 10 November, she confirmed that “future funding at the European level will provide significant space for social sciences and humanities research”.

The full proposals for Horizon 2020 are due to be published before the end of the year and then discussed by member states and the European parliament.

The Innovation Convention featured renowned political leaders, policy-makers, top industry leaders, venture capitalists, top academics, heads of research institutes, and leading innovation thinkers. Their task was to showcase innovation in Europe (and the rest of the World) and provide guidance as to how innovation can assist the European economy in the short, medium and long term.

In a remarkable feat of micro-engineering, UNSW physicists have created a working transistor consisting of a single atom placed precisely in a silicon crystal.

The tiny electronic device, described today in a paper published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, uses as its active component an individual phosphorus atom patterned between atomic-scale electrodes and electrostatic control gates.

This unprecedented atomic accuracy may yield the elementary building block for a future quantum computer with unparalleled computational efficiency.

What is unique to KEN, making it different compared to other similar networks? Primarily, it approaches knowledge economy issues openly, independently, and without any ideological bias. Further, it attempts to keep a holistic vision with a global reach. Thirdly, it tries to combine macro and micro-economic aspects with an interdisciplinary perspective. Finally, its activities are action oriented, in order to provide practical advice to stakeholders, opinion, and policy makers.

The Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) is Europe’s largest general science meeting and is held in a leading Europe city every two years. ESOF 2012 will be hosted in Dublin, Ireland from July 11th–15th, 2012. ESOF is an interdisciplinary, pan-European meeting, which showcases the latest advances in science and technology; promotes a dialogue on the role of science and technology in society and public policy; and stimulates and provokes public interest, excitement and debate about science and technology.

The European Commission and the Indian Government have today signed a Joint Declaration on Research and Innovation Cooperation. The Declaration provides an opportunity to step up relations between Europe and India towards an “Indo-European Research and Innovation Partnership”. The Declaration was signed at the EU-India Summit in New Delhi by the Commissioner for Trade Karel de Gucht and by Mr. Ashwani Kumar , Minister of State for Science & Technology.

CSIRO recently signed a Letter of Intent for the ICT Centre to encourage collaborative activities with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the largest multi-technological applied research organisation in Northern Europe.

Like CSIRO, VTT plays an important role in facilitating interaction among the private and public sectors, universities and the general public.

Recent Twitter convert, Tony Peacock, writes on getting started in social media.

With over 200 million tweets a day now flying around the world, there’s no doubt that every Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) and similar organisation should join the fray. Some people will of course react that, with 200 million tweets a day, that’s a good reason (or 200 million good reasons) to stay away.

The ICT call FP7-ICT-2011-9, which will open on 19 January 2012 and close on 17 April 2012, targets projects in Virtual Physiological Human research (topic ICT-2011.5.2 on page 68 of the 2012 ICT work programme). The European Commission has earmarked €3m to fund the participation of research organisations from non-European industrialised countries, including Australia. The total budget for this topic is €68m and 4% is reserved for these countries.

This is a dynamic moment for international academic partnerships, a time of renewed vitality and broadened scope. For many colleges and universities, such partnerships are no longer simply one tactic of internationalisation among many, but rather a core, driving philosophy.

Institutions are rethinking their reasons for pursuing international partnerships and the processes by which they form them. The result is a fascinating, constantly changing landscape of new partnership forms, policies and procedures.

Universities and higher education institutions in Greece that have not held elections for the composition of their new management councils are in grave and imminent danger of losing state financial support.

A severe ultimatum was issued by the Education Ministry to all universities and technology institutes that have not yet complied with the provisions of the law 4009/11 voted through parliament last September.

The EC’s Materials Roadmap has been elaborated by nearly hundred leading European scientists and industrial researchers. It is designed to support coherent and strategic decisions on materials research in industry and academia, both at European level and in EU member states. It is in line with FP7 and Horizon 2020 and with the priorities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan).

The European Commission has launched a new Eco-innovation action plan (“Innovation for a sustainable Future — The Eco-innovation Action Plan”, EcoAP).

The proposal includes important impetus for the promotion of research. The plan’s aim is to bridge the gap between research, testing and market introduction of innovative environmental technologies, products and services.