Under the scope of the 5th European Innovation Summit - Knowledge for Innovation and in her quality of K4I Governing Board Member and Rapporteur for the Specific Programme Implementing Horizon 2020, Maria da Graça Carvalho hosted the conference Horizon 2020: from intentions to impact. The event took place this morning in the European Parliament.
Horizon2020, the EU's new programme for research and innovation, has been designed to support the objectives of the Innovation Union flagship, one of the political drivers for creating sustainable growth and jobs in Europe. A variety of areas (from excellent science, industrial leadership and societal challenges) and a variety of instruments and bodies (such as the European Research Area, the European Research Council, the European Technology Platforms, Public-Private Partnerships, European Innovation Partnerships, High-level Groups, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its KICs) have been re-shaped, re-inforced or simply initiated to make sure that, on the one hand, our excellent European research base is further supported and, on the other hand, the research results actually become innovations that, once brought to the market, lead to the competitiveness of our industries and address the challenges of our European societies.
With such an impressive agenda, the issue of practical implementation and alignment towards the delivery of the set objectives is critical, especially with regards to the governance structures and processes needed to ensure that relevant partners are connected across value chains, that national and regional activities are building up towards European added value outcomes and that social innovation meets technological advances.
The seminar aimed to debate How do these instruments build on the European strengths and mend the gaps towards bringing research to the market? What do we need to do to ensure that strategies and activities in the various separate fields lead to practical results that connect in the end towards the desired overall objectives? What KPIs do we need to set ourselves to ensure that good intentions lead to good impact?
The spaeakers included Loredana Ghinea, Manager Innovation Policy, CEFIC; Robert-Jan Smits, Director General, DG Research and Innovation; Ivailo Kalfin, MEP, Rapporteur Multiannual Financial Framework; Edit Herczog, K4I Governing Board Member, MEP; Pedro de Sampaio Nunes, Head of Secretariat, EUREKA; Steven Newhouse, Director, EGI.eu; Gernot Klotz, Executive Director, Cefic; Dr. Andreas Wild, Executive Director, ENIAC; Bert de Colvenaer, Executive Director, FCH JU; Dr. Monica Dietl, Director, COST; Jordi Curell, Director, Higher Education and International Affairs, DG Education and Culture, European Commission.