EUREKA's anniversary report: two decades of support for European innovation

Brussels, 23 Sep 2005

On the occasion its 20th anniversary, EUREKA, the intergovernmental pan-European network for market-oriented, industrial research and development, has published a report on its impact.

Michel Vieillefosse, head of the EUREKA Secretariat in Brussels, explains: 'This report explains how substantial public and private funding has been deployed through EUREKA to support critical market-oriented R&D [research and development] in transnational and collaborative projects involving industry, research centres, universities and national administrations since 1985'. 'With over 11,000 partners involved, 40 per cent of which are SMEs, industry values our bottom-up, non-bureaucratic, flexible and near-to-market character.'

Some 2,600 projects have been completed, with funding of more than 24,000 million euro. On average, public investment is returned less than two years after project completion.

Since 1985, EUREKA has strengthened European competitiveness by promoting cross-border, market-oriented, collaborative R&D. During this period, EUREKA has enabled industry and research institutes from 35 member countries and the EU to collaborate on developing and exploiting innovative technologies. EUREKA also pioneered research cooperation between East and West Europe far in advance of EU enlargement.

With regards to future of the initiative, Mr Vieillefosse explains: 'EUREKA will continue to ensure the success of European industry - particularly through its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and its closeness to the market,' Moreover, EUREKA is playing an important role in ensuring Europe reaches the Barcelona Objective of increasing national R&D funding to 3 per cent of gross domestic product.

For further information on EUREKA and to access the report, please consult the following web address:
http://www.eureka.be

For further information on 20 years of EUREKA, please visit:
http://www.eureka-20years.net

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities
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