The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation defines and implements European Research and Innovation (R&I) policy with a view to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy and its key flagship initiative, the Innovation Union.
To do so, the DG contributes to the European Semester by analysing national R&I policies, by assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and by formulating country specific recommendations where necessary. It monitors and contributes to the realisation of the Innovation Union flagship initiative and the completion of the European Research Area. It funds excellent Research and Innovation through Framework Programmes taking a strategic programming approach.
Long-term Objective (2020)
Make Europe a better place to live and work, by developing and implementing R&I policy to improve Europe's competitiveness, boost its growth, create jobs, and tackle the main current and future societal challenges.
Why Europe Research?
European Research, and more specifically the creation of a European Research Area, are now high on the policy agenda in Europe. Conducting European research policies and implementing European research programmes is in the first instance a legal and political obligation resulting from the Amsterdam Treaty. The Treaty does in fact include a whole chapter on research and technologial development (RTD), so as to underline that RTD is an essential element in the functioning of industrialised countries, such as EU Member States: the competitiveness of companies and the employment they can provide depend to a great extent on RTD; and RTD is also essential for the support of other policies such as consumer protection of the environment. In short: the individual and collective wellbeing of citizens depends on the quality and relevance of RTD.
Horizon 2020
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market.
Themes
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