FP7 ERA-Net RUS Workshop
Moscow, Higher School of Economics, 27 January 2010
The ERA.Net instrument
Aims and benefits
Yves Maisonny
European Commission - Research DG
International Cooperation
European Research Area
3 concepts
 the creation of an "internal market" in research
(free movement of knowledge, researchers and technology)
 the restructuring of the European research fabric
(improved coordination of national research activities
and policies)
 the development of a European research policy
(taking into account other EU and national policies)
United States
Japan
China
Latvia
Cyprus
Luxembourg
Malta
Estonia
Lithuania
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Romania
Slovenia
Hungary
Ireland
Czech rep.
Greece
Portugal
Poland
Finland
Denmark
Belgium
Austria
Sweden
Netherlands
Spain
EU Commission
Italy
UK
France
Germany
Mio Euro
Restructuring a fragmented ERA
80000
Public Funding for Research (Source : ERA Key Figures 2005, EC )
EU27 + EC
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Why ERA-NET ?
To reduce fragmentation of research efforts
made at national level in Europe
Reasons for coordination:
 Achieving critical mass, to ensure better use of resources
 Join forces to provide common answers to common problems
 Addressing global issues
 Developing common approaches (e.g. ethics, standards)
 Addressing specific geographical issues
 Speaking with “one voice” outside the EU
In many cases several reasons apply but for all:
 Avoiding overlap and build up of expertise
 Exchange of good practices
 Access to expertise
Co-ordination & Integration of
public research in the ERA
Policy level Maximum Leverage
open method of coordination
mapping, benchmarking, etc.
Legislation (e.g. 3rd country researchers)
Programme level Medium Leverage
ERA-NET
ERA-NET Plus (EC topping up a joint call)
Article 169 initiatives (full integration)
Lower Leverage
Project level
FP7 funding schemes
ERA-NET
Objective
To develop and strengthen the
coordination of public research programmes
carried out at national or at regional level.
“Programmes” should be understood as entire research
programmes, or parts of such programmes, or similar
initiatives having the following characteristics:
1. be strategically planned
2. be carried out at national or regional level
3. be financed or managed directly by national or
regional public bodies, or by structures closely
related (e.g. agencies)
ERA-NET
Participants
All participants should be either:
 programme owners, such as national ministries or regional authorities
managing a research programme
 programme managers (e.g. research councils, agencies) which
implement research programmes under programme owners’
supervision
 in justified cases: programme owners without a research
programme but planning to set up one
Participants from at least 3 different Member States or Associated States
ERA-NET
Activities
A step by step approach is proposed:
ERA-NET may include the following activities to foster
coordination and cooperation between programmes:
1 – Systematic exchange of information & best practice
2 – Definition and preparation of joint activities
3 – Implementation of joint activities
4 – Funding of transnational research
ERA-NET achievements:
from FP6 to FP7
FP6: 71 ERA-NETs, more than 40 still running, 450
participating organisations committing about €1.1 billion
in 115 joint calls (€773 million) and 15 joint programmes
(€376 million)
FP7:
 WP 2007: 19 ERA-NET, 4 ERA-NET Plus
 WP 2008: 12 ERA-NET, 4 ERA-NET Plus
 WP 2009: 8 ERA-NET, 1 ERA-NET Plus
 WP 2010 (expected): 16 ERA-NET
 Majority of FP7 ERA-NETs on new topics
with a substantial number of new participants
Lessons learned from
INCO ERA-NET
 Need for focusing on clear objectives for joint
activities;
 Mapping relevant fields for joint actions is crucial
to avoid overlap and duplication;
 Ensuring that the scope of research topics under
joint actions is not too broad in order to avoid
oversubscription.
Impact assessment
Logic model
INPUT
PROCESSES
Systematic exchange
of information and
good practices
Undertaken by 67% of
respondents
•€181.76M overall
funding
•Average EC input per
ERA-NET: €2.56m
•EC funding covered 78%
of the total costs of
participation on average
Identification
&analysis of common
strategic issues
Undertaken by 75%of
respondents
Planning and
development of joint
activities
Undertaken by 43% of
respondents
Implementation of
joint research generating outputs
73% of respondents
participated in a joint call
OUTPUTS
OUTCOMES
Pilot calls:
•22 pilot calls
•€14,752,000 funding
•98 funding contributions
Joint calls:
•115 joint calls
•€773,810,749 funding
•597 funding
contributions
Impact on national
programmes:
•New opportunities to
enable trans-national
R&D activities
•Adoption of new
eligibility criteria to fund
non-resident researchers
(opening-up national
programmes)
Joint programmes:
Structuring effect:
•15 joint programmes
•€376,102,000 funding
•64 funding contributions
Intangible outputs:
•Multiple benefits
outweighed the costs
•Benefits from calls
•Strengthened research
networks
•Structuring effect
occurred in specific
research fields
•Existing networks
strengthened and
extended
•Behavioural
additionality occurred
ERA-NET benefits
 Building new networks and work relationships between
research public stakeholders and their peers in other
countries;
 Creating new opportunities for enabling transnational
research activities;
 Longer-term added value resulting from a better
coordination of R&D funding in Europe;
 Development of new approaches for some EU Member
States towards other countries outside Europe
Supporting initiatives
Optimise operational modalities and
Impact Assessment
 ERA-NET Learning Platform /  Aligning structures
and procedures for simplified and efficient joint
call activities towards a common organisational
framework
 ILN International Learning Network / Structuring
the information/experience exchange between FP7
INCO projects
 NETWATCH Information System
 Central information platform for transnational
R&D programme cooperation & analytical tools
www.ec.europa.eu/netwatch
Yves Maisonny
European Commission - Directorate-General for Research
International Cooperation Directorate
Email: [email protected]
Tel.: +32 2 29 85 724