Europe must invest more in IT research: report

And ditch the red-tape, while you're at it

By Lucy Sherriff • Get more from this author

Posted in Science, 17th January 2005 16:20 GMT

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Information technology research in Europe is vital for the continent's competitiveness, but needs more investment according to a new report from the European Commission.

It also warns that the tangle of red tape is making it increasingly more difficult to motivate high-level people from industry and academia to take part in vital work.

As well as calling for an increase in funding for IT/telecoms R&D, the report called for greater collaboration between firms and academia, and to step up the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

The EU - which spends more than €1bn (£703m) a year on IT/telecoms R&D - is adamant that such research is essential to the future wealth and prosperity of Europe.

Responding to these concerns Viviane Reding, Information Society and Media Commissioner said today: "I intend to respond very quickly to the panel's concerns about red tape which is a general problem of EU Research programmes, but felt most directly in IST Research where we operate in a particularly dynamic and fast evolving environment.

<p She said there was a need for a change in mentality in the EU, poinTing out that bureaucracy "does not eliminate risk, and can merely hide it".

She added: "Fast-changing IST research is, and must remain, a key driver for the rapid, economy-wide technological innovation, on which Europe’s skilled jobs ultimately depend."

The report was written by a panel of independent experts, including Professor Gago, former Portuguese science minister and co-author of the Lisbon strategy. The panel was asked to assess how the EU had performed between 1999 and 2003 against its fifth and sixth research framework programme targets. ®