The High Level Group report was published on 3 July 2017, on the occasion of the 'Research & Innovation – Shaping our Future' conference in Brussels.
The High Level Group based its report, among others on:
The Group believes that investing in research, innovation and education is an economic necessity, a social obligation as well as a political opportunity for a shared project that makes Europe a pole of attraction in an increasingly connected world.
It is in this light that the Group has formulated 11 recommendations designed to maximise the impact of future EU R&I programmes and further increase their return on investment for Europe and Europeans.
The recommendations should further sharpen Europe’s innovative edge by making purpose drive process, form follow function and instruments stimulate innovation. Each recommendation is exemplified by a key action:
1. Prioritise research and innovation in EU and national budgets
Action: double the budget of the post-2020 EU research and innovation programme.
2. Build a true EU innovation policy that creates future markets
Action: Foster ecosystems for researchers, innovators, industries and governments; promote and invest in innovative ideas with rapid scale-up potential through a European Innovation Council.
3. Educate for the future and invest in people who will make the change
Action: modernise, reward and resource the education and training of people for a creative and innovative Europe.
4. Design the EU R&I programme for greater impact
Action: make the future programme’s pillars driven by purpose and impact, fine-tune the proposal evaluation system and increase flexibility.
5. Adopt a mission-oriented, impact-focused approach to address global challenges
Action: set research and innovation missions that address global challenges and mobilise researchers, innovators and other stakeholders to realise them.
6. Rationalise the EU funding landscape and achieve synergy with structural funds
Action: cut the number of R&I funding schemes and instruments, make those remaining reinforce each other and make synergy with other programmes work.
7. Simplify further
Action: become the most attractive R&I funder in the world, privileging impact over process.
8. Mobilise and involve citizens
Action: stimulate co-design and co-creation through citizen involvement.
9. Better align EU and national R&I investment
Action: ensure EU and national alignment where it adds value to the EU’s R&I ambitions and missions.
10. Make international R&I cooperation a trademark of EU research and innovation
Action: open up the R&I programme to association by the best and participation by all, based on reciprocal co-funding or access to co-funding in the partner country.
11. Capture and better communicate impact
Action: brand EU research and innovation and ensure wide communication of its results and impacts.
Background:
The High Level Group of twelve persons presenting this report was set up in September 2016 by the European Commission (more information available here).
Next steps:
The Commission will respond to these 11 recommendations in a Communication to be issued this year.
The report can be found here.
