in the Framework Programme 2002-2006 of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (COM(2001)279 final, Brussels, 30.5.2001)

Original document -  http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/pdf/com-2001-279-en.pdf
 

Structure of the Document

IST related issues

Explanatory Memorandum and structure of the document Specific Programmes 2002-2006 (EC) Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area  ANNEX I. Scientific and technological objectives and broad lines 0f the activities  ANNEX II. Indicative breakedown of the amount  ANNEX III. Means for implementing the Programme Structuring the European Research Area  Joint Research Centre activities (EC) Specific Programmes 2002-2006 (Euratom) Nuclear energy  Joint Research Centre activities (Euratom)

1.1.2 Information Society technologies i) Applied IST research addressing major societal and economic challenges Research on technologies for trust and confidence  Research addressing societal challenges  Research addressing work and business challenges  Complex problem solving in science, engineering, businesses and for society  ii) Communication and computing infrastructures Communication and network technologies  Software technologies, services and distributed systems  iii) Components and microsystems Micro, Nano and Opto-electronics  Micro and Nano Technologies, Microsystems, Displays iv) Knowledge and interface technologies Knowledge technologies and digital content  Intelligent interfaces and surfaces 1.1.7 Citizens and Governance in the European Knowledge-based society i) Knowledge-based European Society Improving the generation, distribution and use of knowledge and its impact on economic and social development.  Options and choices for the development of a knowledge-based society serving the EU objectives set at the Lisbon summit  The variety of paths towards a knowledge society.  ii) Citizens, democracy and new forms of governance The implications of European integration and enlargement for governance and the citizen:  Articulation of areas of responsibility and new forms of governance:  Security issues connected with the resolution of conflicts and restoration of peace and justice:  New forms of citizenship and identities

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

For the implementation of the Framework Programme, a structure based on five specific programmes is proposed:

For the EC Framework Programme:

Designed to help bring about the European Research Area, the Framework Programme 2002-2006 is based on three fundamental principles: concentration on a selected number of priorities; structuring effect by means of close liaison with the national efforts; simplification and streamlining of implementation conditions.

The basic principles applying to the new instruments are described in Annex III to the specific programme proposals.
 
 

ANNEX I
Scientific and technological objectives and broad lines of the activities Introduction

1. Integrating research

1.1. PRIORITY THEMATIC AREAS OF RESEARCH

The priority thematic areas of research are:

• Genomics and biotechnology for health
• Information Society technologies
• Nanotechnologies, intelligent materials and new production processes
• Aeronautics and space
• Food Safety and health risks
• Sustainable development and global change
• Citizens and Governance in the European Knowledge-based society

1.1.2 Information Society technologies

Information society technologies (IST) are transforming the economy and society. Not only are they creating new ways of working and new types of business, but provide solutions to major societal challenges such as healthcare, environment, safety, mobility and employment, and have far reaching implications on our everyday life. The IST sector is now one the most important of the economy, with an annual turnover of EUR 2000 billion, providing employment for more than 12 million people in Europe.

The IST thematic priority will contribute directly to realising European policies for the knowledge society as agreed at the Lisbon Council of 2000, the Stockholm Council of 2001, and reflected in the e-Europe Action Plan. It will ensure European leadership in the generic and applied technologies at the heart of the knowledge economy. It aims to increase innovation and competitiveness in European businesses and industry and to contribute to greater benefits for all European citizens.

Successes, like those achieved in Europe in mobile communications or consumer electronics, will not be repeated unless a real effort is made to achieve critical mass in key domains of IST research. … Research will focus on the future generation of technologies in which computers and networks will be integrated into the everyday environment, rendering accessible a multitude of services and applications through easy-to-use human interfaces. This vision of "ambient intelligence" places the user, the individual, at the centre of future developments for an inclusive knowledge-based society for all.

The IST priority in support of the eEurope action plan, will help build an information and knowledge based society across Europe, encouraging the participation of least developed regions. It will also include activities linking the EU effort to the international context.

Research priorities

i) Applied IST research addressing major societal and economic challenges

The objective is to extend the scope and efficiency of IST-based solutions addressing major societal and economic challenges, and to make them accessible in the most trusted and natural way, anywhere and anytime to citizens, businesses and organisations.

• Research on technologies for trust and confidence: The objective is to develop technologies for key security challenges posed by the "all-digital" world and by the need to secure the rights of individuals and communities.

• Research addressing societal challenges: The focus is on "ambient intelligence" for a broader inclusion of citizens in the Information Society, for more effective health, security, mobility and environment management and support systems, and for the preservation of cultural heritage, integration of multiple functionalities across these different domains will be also supported.
  
  
• Research addressing work and business challenges: The objective is to provide businesses, individuals, public administrations, and other organisations with the means to fully contribute to, and benefit from, the development of a trusted knowledge-based economy, whilst at the same time improving the quality of work and working life and support life-long continuous learning to improve work skills. Research will also aim at a better understanding of the socio-economic drivers and impact of IST development.
  
  
• Complex problem solving in science, engineering, businesses and for society: The objective is to develop technologies for harnessing computing and storage resources which are distributed in geographically dispersed locations, and for making them accessible, in a seamless way, for complex problem solving in science, industry, business and society. Application fields include environment, energy, health, transport, industrial engineering, finance and new media.

The objectives are to consolidate and further develop European strengths in areas such as mobile communications, consumer electronics and embedded software, and to improve the performance, cost-efficiency, functionality and adaptive capabilities of communications and computing technologies.

• Communication and network technologies: The objective is to develop the new generations of mobile and wireless systems and networks that allow optimal service connection anywhere as well as all-optical networks to increase network transparency and capacity, solutions to improve network interoperation and adaptability, and technologies for personalised access to networked audio-visual systems.

• Software technologies, services and distributed systems The objective is to develop new software technologies, multifunctional service creation environments as well as tools for the control of complex distributed systems for the realisation of an ambient intelligence landscape and for coping with the expected growth and spread of applications and services.

• Micro, Nano and Opto-electronics The objective is to reduce the cost, increase the performance and improve reconfigurability, scalability, adaptability and selfadjusting capabilities of micro-, nano- and opto-electronic components and systemson-a-chip.
• Micro and Nano Technologies, Microsystems, Displays: The objective is to improve the cost-efficiency, performance and functionality of subsystems and Microsystems and to increase the level of integration and miniaturisation allowing for improved interfacing with their surrounding and with networked services and systems.

The objective is to improve usability of IST applications and services and access to the knowledge they embody in order to encourage their wider adoption and faster deployment.

• Knowledge technologies and digital content: The objective is to provide automated solutions for creating and organising virtual knowledge spaces (e.g. collective memories) so as to stimulate radically new content and media services and applications.

• Intelligent interfaces and surfaces : The objective is to provide more effective ways of accessing ubiquitous information and easier and natural interaction modes with intelligence that surrounds us.

The Lisbon European Council recognised that the transition towards a European knowledge based society will affect every aspect of people’s lives. The overall objective is to provide a sound knowledge base for the management of this transition, which will be conditioned by national, regional and local policies, programmes and actions, as well as informed decision making by individual citizens, families and other societal units.

Research priorities

i) Knowledge-based European Society

The building of a European knowledge society is a clear political objective for the European Community. The research aims to provide the basis of understanding needed to ensure this takes place in a manner which accords with specific European conditions and aspirations.

• Improving the generation, distribution and use of knowledge and its impact on economic and social development. The objective is to improve significantly understanding of the characteristics of knowledge and its functioning as a public and private good, and to provide the bases for policy formulation and decision making.

• Options and choices for the development of a knowledge-based society serving the EU objectives set at the Lisbon summit: The objective is to develop an integrated understanding of how a knowledge-based society can promote the societal objectives of sustainable development, social and territorial cohesion and improved quality of life, with due consideration to the variety of social models in Europe.

• The variety of paths towards a knowledge society. The objective is to provide comparative perspectives across Europe and thus provide an improved basis for the formulation and implementation of transition strategies towards a knowledge society at the national and regional levels.

The work will identify the main factors influencing changes in governance and citizenship, as well as the impacts of these changes and the possible options to enhance democratic governance, resolve conflicts, protect human rights and take account of cultural diversity and multiple identities.

• The implications of European integration and enlargement for governance and the citizen:
• Articulation of areas of responsibility and new forms of governance:
• Security issues connected with the resolution of conflicts and restoration of peace and justice:
• New forms of citizenship and identities

Activities under this heading will have the following overall objectives:

• To provide support for policy in areas of high interest to the EU, and where specific research, or research complementing that carried out under the priority thematic areas, is needed
• To explore new and emerging scientific and technological problems and opportunities, including in particular interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research areas, where European action is appropriate in view of the potential to develop strategic positions at the leading edge of knowledge and in new markets, or to anticipate major issues facing European society.

ii) Specific research activities for SMEs include

Collective Research in a form of research undertaken by RTD performers on behalf of industrial associations or industry groupings in order to expand the knowledge base of large communities of SMEs and thus improve their general standard of competitiveness. Collective research projects could cover, for example :

• Research aimed at addressing common problems/challenges (e.g. to meet regulatory requirements, environmental performance)
• Pre-normative research (research to provide a scientific base for European norms and standards)
• Research aimed at reinforcing the technological basis of particular sector(s)
• Development of "technological tools" (e.g. diagnosis, safety equipment)

iii) Specific international co-operation activities

The general objective of the international cooperation activities carried out under the Framework Programme is to help open up the European Research Area to the rest of the world. These activities represent the particular contribution of the Framework Programme to this opening-up process, which will require a joint effort by the Community and the Member States.

Carried out in support of the Community’s foreign policy and development aid policy, these specific activities will concern three groups of countries: the Mediterranean third countries, Russia and the CIS countries, and the developing countries.
 
 

ANNEX II

INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF THE AMOUNT
 

Types of activities	Amount (EUR million)
INTEGRATING RESEARCH	12 05521
Priority thematic areas of research	10 425
Genomics and biotechnology for health	2 000
Information Society technologies	3 600
Nanotechnologies, intelligent materials, new production processes	1 300
Aeronautics and space	1 000
Food safety and health risks	600
Sustainable development and global change	1 700
Citizens and governance in the European knowledge-based society	225
Anticipating the EU’s scientific and technological needs	1 630
Policy orientated research and leading edge topics	880
Specific research activities for SMEs	450
Specific international cooperation activities	300
STRENGTHENING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA	450
Support for the co-ordination of activities	400
Support for the coherent development of policies	50
Total	12 505

 

ANNEX III – MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMME

In order to implement the specific programme, and in accordance with the Decisions of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the multiannual Framework Programme 2002-2006 of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities aimed at contributing towards the creation of the European Research Area (2002/…/EC) and with the rules for the participation of undertakings, research centers and universities and for the dissemination of research results (2002/…/EC), the Commission will use various instruments.

A. NEW INSTRUMENTS

A.1 Networks of excellence

Networks of excellence are implemented in the seven priority thematic areas of the Framework Programme and, in duly justified cases, in research areas meeting the needs of Community policies and as well as in new and emerging areas.

The objective of this instrument is to strengthen European scientific and technological excellence by means of a progressive and lasting integration of research capacities existing or emerging in Europe at both national and regional level. Each network will aim at advancing knowledge in a particular area by assembling a critical mass of skills.

A.2 Integrated projects

Integrated projects will be implemented in the seven priority thematic areas of the Framework Programme and, in duly justified cases, in research areas meeting the needs arising from the implementation of Community policies as well as in new and emerging areas.

The objective of this instrument is to strengthen European competitiveness or contribute to resolve major societal problems by mobilising a critical mass of research and technological development resources and skills existing in Europe.

A.3 Collective research projects

Implemented across the whole field of science and technology, these projects will be carried out by research entities for the benefit of industrial associations or groupings, in areas and on subjects of interest to a large number of SMEs confronted with common problems.

B OTHER INSTRUMENTS

In order to implement the programme, la Commission may also have recourse to:

• specific targeted projects in order to carry out research or demonstration activities in areas meeting the needs of Community policies, new or emerging needs, and specific international cooperation activities.
• cooperative research projects across the whole field of science and technology, to enable SMEs to have access to entities with appropriate research capacities to carry out specific research activities.
• coordination and specific support actions in order to achieve the objectives identified in the programme and relating to the needs of Community policies, new or emerging needs, specific international cooperation activities, and the strengthening of the foundations of the European Research Area.
• accompanying actions by way of additional measures to achieve the objectives of the programme or prepare future activities in the context of the Community's research and technological development policy.

5.1. Need for Community intervention

1. INTEGRATING THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA

1.1. Priority thematic areas

1.1.2. Information society technologies (IST)

The actions carried out in this area, in line with the conclusions of the European Council in Lisbon and the objectives of the e-Europe initiative, are intended to stimulate the development in Europe of technologies and applications at the centre of the construction of the Information Society in order to increase the competitiveness of European industry and allow European citizens in all EU regions the possibility of benefiting fully from the development of the knowledge-based society.

Justification and European added value

• Requirement for the development of Europe’s knowledge-based economy and society as agreed at the Lisbon Council. Europe has to increase its research effort in IST: Half of RTD in IST in OECD countries is concentrated in the US, 25% in Japan and only 15% in Europe.
• Public sector has a critical role in supporting high-risk and/or long term research in IST and in bringing together key actors in the field from industry and academia so as to further develop key technologies and their applications, to explore ground-breaking ideas and to improve efficiency and impact of research investment.
• Community effort in RTD in IST provides a unique opportunity to aggregate the fragmented research effort of the Member States and to build solutions which are interoperable and implementable across the Member States.
• Experience shows that only a sustained and appropriate research effort in IST can have the desired impact. In Europe, the effort of countries like Finland is a direct illustration of the benefit of RTD investment in IST. IST has been aresearch priority for more than 30 years and the relevant RTD investment is the highest as a percentage of GDP worldwide.
• The IST sector now has an annual turnover of € 2000 billion worldwide and employs more than 12 m. persons in Europe. Europe’s role as an IST supplier The IST sector now has an annual turnover of € 2000 billion worldwide and employs more than 12 m. persons in Europe. Europe’s role as an IST supplier is to be strengthened. The trade deficit of the EU in IST is of about 28 Beuro for an EU market of about 500 BEuro and the deficit is growing by 12 % a year despite Europe’s lead in mobile communications.
• IST has become a motor for overall economic growth as a result both of its own expansion and its increasing integration in other sectors. Research in applied IST in businesses, for e-commerce and e-work, opens new market opportunities and provides substantial productivity gains and improves competitiveness of all industries. The life cycles of IST based products and services are quickening and shortening and technology adoption curves are faster, underlining the acceleration of technology change.
• The emerging generation of IST will introduce a radical shift from the current 'PC-based' systems and the 'keyboard, mouse and screen' towards ambient intelligence systems which will enable all citizens to benefit from IST services.
• IST innovations provide powerful solutions to major societal challenges in healthcare, environment, learning, safety, mobility, and preservation of cultural heritage and employment.
• Progress is needed in IST for the development of all other major research fields including biotechnologies, physics, energy, etc.

The actions envisaged for the specific programme on "Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area" are set out below presented by detailed action areas. This presentation makes it possible to highlight the estimated results expected, the contributions to the overall objectives of the framework programme or of the Community or potential performance parameters associated with these. These indications are intended as yardsticks and not definitively adopted goals.

A correspondence between the action areas and the types of instruments used is given further on in the form of a table.

1.1.2. Information Society technologies

i) Applied IST research addressing major societal and economic challenges

(Research on technologies for trust and confidence, Research addressing societal challenges, Research addressing work and business challenges, Complex problem solving in science, engineering, business and for society)

ii) Communication and computing infrastructures

(Communication and network technologies, Software technologies, services and distributed systems)

iii) Components and microsystems

(Micro, Nano and Opto-electronics, Micro and Nano Technologies, Microsystems, Displays)

iv) Knowledge and interface technologies

(Knowledge technologies and digital content, Intelligent surfaces and interfaces)

Expected results, contributions to overall objectives or potential performance parameters

• Strengthened and reinforced European leadership in IST. Reinforcement of Europe’s successes in areas such as mobile communications, networks infrastructure, consumer electronics, microelectronics and embedded software. Indicators: Macroeconomic indicators on the supply of IST and IST share in GDP are appropriate evaluation measures.
• Next generation of terrestrial and satellite-based mobile and wireless systems, beyond 3G in Europe and integration of networks infrastructures around the next generation Internet. Indicators: Market share, technology adoption rate surveys.
• Electronic and mobile commerce solutions for anytime-anywhere trading and covering the whole value creation cycle of extended products and services. Indicators: Sectoral output data, including the service sector.
• Improved security of electronic transactions, enhancing privacy of IST applications and services and providing tools combating cyber crimes. Indicators: White-collar crime statistics.
• Broader inclusion of citizens in the Information Society, and more effective health, safety, mobility and environment management and support systems; Conception of assistive systems that will restore functions or compensate for disabilities. Indicators: User survey satisfaction ratings (e.g. on improvement in diagnostics), health and safety statistics.
• Solutions enabling citizens to learn when needed, at any time, wherever they wish and in the most suitable way. Development of solutions for eliciting, sharing, trading and delivery of organisational knowledge. Indicators: User surveys, questionnaires.