Euro-India Research Centre

European Technology Platforms (ETPs)

Conference on ETPs and societal challenges | ETP in Action | Commission News | Events

European Technology Platforms (ETPs) provide a framework for stakeholders that have been led by industry, to define research and development priorities, timeframes and action plans on a number of strategically important issues achieving Europe's future growth, competitiveness and sustainability objectives dependent on major research and technological advances in the medium to long term. ETPs play a key role in ensuring an adequate focus of research funding on areas with a high degree of industrial relevance, by covering the whole economic value chain and by mobilising public authorities at national and regional levels. In fostering effective public-private partnerships, technology platforms have the potential to contribute significantly to the renewed Lisbon strategy and to the development of a European Research Area of knowledge for growth. As such, they are proving to be powerful actors in the development of European research policy, in particular in orienting the Seventh Research Framework Programme to better meet the needs of industry. ETPs concentrate on technological challenges that can potentially contribute to a number of key policy objectives which are essential for Europe's future competitiveness, including the timely development and deployment of new technologies.

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Conference on ETPs and societal challenges

Societal challenges

The conference aims to engage ETPs in working together on key areas of common interest that contribute to tackling societal challenges. The programme includes 16 parallel sessions that cover from decarbonising transport to healthy eating and addresses horizontal matters such as linkages with national research authorities and public private partnerships.
This two-day conference will bring together 350 representatives of industry, academia, civil society, EU member-states and Commission departments.
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Launch of the Future Internet public-private partnership

The European Commission will launch a public-private partnership on Future Internet, aimed at raising the efficiency of business processes and the activity of infrastructures and applications of important social value. The PPP addresses service architectures and platforms, encouraging cross-sector industrial partnerships, involving users and public authorities at all levels: local, regional and national.
The partnership will be launched in the context of the forthcoming Spanish EU Presidency high-level conference "The European RTD Framework Programmes: From Economic Recovery to Sustainability", taking place on April 13th and 14th 2010 in Valencia. It builds on the experience of the three PPPs launched in the Commission's recovery package: Factories of the Future, Energy-efficient Buildings and the European Green Car Initiative.

Read more about Future Internet and about the Valencia conference

ETP IN aCTION

Photonics21: towards a French national platform

The French national optics and photonics committee (Comité national d’Optique et de Photonique) has just launched an initiative with the support of the French government to involve the French optics and photonics community at the European level. France is now on a clear path towards the creation of a French photonics technology platform in the near future.

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Mineral Resources ETP collaborates with Water Supply and Sanitation ETP

The European Technology Platforms on Sustainable Mineral Resources and Water Supply and Sanitation met on February 12th in Brussels, Belgium. Opportunities for cooperation have been found regarding water treatment process improvement, water recycling as well as the restoration of degraded zones (old mining sites). A framework for cooperation will be submitted to the boards of each platform before the end of March. A workshop between experts of the two platforms will be set up in April to discuss all the challenges and produce a roadmap for recommendations.

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Call for proposals concerning the European Metrology Research Programme

Proposals are invited for metrology for industry and metrology for environment.

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Clean Sky call ready for proposals

Proposals can be submitted until April 27th at 17h00 Brussels time.

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Commission news

European Parliament approves new Commission

On February 9th Members of European Parliament approved 26 candidates for the European commission, enabling President Barroso’s new team to get down to business. The new commission was supposed to take office in November 2009 but the appointment was held up by delayed ratification of the Lisbon treaty and by the withdrawal of the Bulgarian candidate after her confirmation hearing in January. Rumiana Jeleva was replaced by World Bank vice-president Kristalina Georgieva, who sat for her hearing in parliament last week.

To read more click here

Europe 2020: Commission proposes new economic strategy in Europe

The European Commission has launched the Europe 2020 Strategy to overcome the crisis and prepare the European economy for the next decade. The Commission identifies three key drivers for growth: smart growth (fostering knowledge, innovation, education and digital society), sustainable growth (making our production more resource efficient while boosting our competitiveness) and inclusive growth (raising participation in the labour market, the acquisition of skills and the fight against poverty).
Five targets are set which define where the EU should be by 2020 and against which progress can be tracked. These targets refer to: employment levels, investment in R&D, energy policies, education and poverty.

Read more on the 2020 Strategy

Results of the public consultation on innovation policy

In response to its public consultation on community innovation policy, the European Commission has received 215 responses from universities, research institutions, companies, governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals from European Union and elsewhere. 27% of the responses were from companies or business associations.

You can find more information on the results of this consultation clicking here

European Commission hosts ICT for Energy Efficiency event

The European Commission hosted the ICT4 EE 2010 event on February 23th and 24th The goal was to support the role of information and communication technologies in achieving an energy-efficient and low carbon economy. The event builds on a Commission Recommendation from October 2009 which calls on the ICT sector to agree on common methodologies for measuring energy consumption and carbon emissions by 2010.

To read more click here

Demonstration of Galileo applications in Brussels

The public will be able to discover astonishing satellite navigation applications which can, for example, guide a boat into harbour, monitor patients suffering from Alzheimer's, rescue people lost in the mountains or offer assisted steering to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The event, which will take place from 3 to 5 March in Charlemagne and on the Berlaymont Esplanade, aims at presenting the results of research funded by the Framework Programme.

To read more click here

Commission awards contracts to make Galileo operational in 2014

The contract for the system support services is awarded to ThalesAleniaSpace of Italy, the contract for a first order of 14 satellites to OHB System AG of Germany and the contract for the launch services to Arianespace of France. This will allow the initial deployment and service provision of Europe’s satellite navigation system as of early 2014. The remaining three procurement contracts, for the ground mission infrastructure, the ground control infrastructure and the operations should be awarded by mid-2010.

For more information on Galileo, please visit this website

One-stop helpdesk for funding for motorways of the sea

The European Commission has launched a one-stop helpdesk on funding possibilities for "motorways of the sea" projects. Although motorways of the sea is already supported by the TEN-T and Marco Polo programmes, it also benefits from other potential resources, such as the European Investment Bank, Structural Funds, the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance as well as national funding. Before today there was no single guiding source of information on these various programmes, making it difficult for operators who intend to launch a new project to combine funding from different sources.
The service provided at this stage will be web-based at www.mos-helpdesk.eu . Questions can be sent by e-mail to ec-mos-helpdesk@ec.europa.eu and users can expect a reply within a week.

Read more on Motorways of the Sea and Marco Polo

Events

ERTRAC (road transport)
7-10 June - TRA 2010 - Brussels + ERTRAC Plenary (tbc)

SMARTGRIDS
25-26 May, London, SmartGrids 2010: Making them a reality

GAH (animal health)
10 June, Brussels, GAH Annual conference

eMOBILITY
16 September,Venice, eMobility General Assembly

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