EUREKA supports EU summit conclusions

Brussels: Following the European Council on 22-23 March 2005 EUREKA Network fully supports the Council's commitment to maintaining the objective of 3% investment in R&D. The EUREKA Network is looking forward to contribute to the new European schemes that should provide impetus to innovation throughout the European Union. This will be achieved by establishing a new mechanism for financing innovative SMEs with high growth potential, by streamlining and strengthening the technical support network for innovation in undertakings, and by supporting the development of regional centres and European networks for innovation. The EUREKA Network is an excellent example of public and private partnerships and a functioning model of research clustering in the EU, providing opportunities for SMEs to form partnerships and benefit from technology transfer. Since 1985, substantial public and private funding has been deployed through this intergovernmental network to support leading edge R&D. EUREKA also encourages SMEs and large enterprises to collaborate through strategic initiatives together in a manner that promotes innovation across frontiers to support the Lisbon objectives and improve European competitiveness. As the Council concluded, the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development will lend fresh impetus to a European Research Area for the benefit of all Member States by enhancing European cooperation, stimulating private investment in areas crucial to competitiveness and helping to fill the technology gap. The EUREKA Network is committed to lending its full support to the implementation of FP7 by supporting R&D awareness, technology transfer, the involvement of SMEs and technology clustering.

Given that EUREKA is established in 24 EU Member States, plus future candidates for EU accession, it is able to support the Lisbon Strategy requirement that Member States formulate and pursue national action programmes. EUREKA will also facilitate the open method of research policy coordination and implementation at Member State level, recognizing "their specific characteristics", as the Council Conclusions stipulate.

For further information, please contact:

Marta Czerniawska
ISC
Rue Wiertz, 50/28
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: +32 2 401 61 47
Fax: +32 2 401 68 68
marta@isc-europe.com
http://www.isc-europe.com
http://www.eureka.be

Editor's note

EUREKA Presentation, the European Parliament, Brussels, 30 March 2005

10:00
Press conference
PHS - Room 1A050

16:00
Presentation to the ITRE Committee
ASP - Room 3E2

EUREKA: A Europe–wide decentralised network for industrial research and development. EUREKA is an intergovernmental Initiative of 35 European countries and the European Union through which industry, research institutes and universities develop and exploit the technologies crucial to global competitiveness, pursue innovation, create jobs – and a better quality of life.

EUREKA Members: The following states are currently members of EUREKA
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the European Union.

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