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Issue 1 March 2007 IDEAS FACTORY Are we ready for the European Research Council? Descartes prize winners BREAKING NEW GROUND PROBLEM CHILD PLUS Is it time to re-think the EIT? Max Planck society Eureka network Philippe Busquin on STOA High profi le JANEZ POTOCNIK ON MAKING THE EU A GREAT PLACE EIROforum EIROforum is a partnership of Europes seven largest intergovernmental research organisations. In EIROforum, these organisations pursue joint initiatives, combine resources, and share best practices. Their excellence in their respective fields enables European scientists to perform world-le Collaborative systems for EU research projects dissemination activities during and after the project to groups of end-users and stakeholders. What do researchers need in an EU project? As researchers we need new research project tools that are better suited for support of our teams and properly alig GenderBasic: promoting integration of sex and gender aspects in biomedical and health related research Bringing gender expertise to life sciences research practices GenderBasic was nominated as a STAR project 2006 (success stories in DG RTD) Currently joint publication of these review articles is e Promotion of Migrants in Science Education SAFEGUARD FAIR ACCESS TO EDUCATION The project PROMISE, funded by DG Research under the FP6 has a clear focus on the human right to education aiming at a fair access to higher education. Equal opportunities in education for migrants build an inherent chara RESEARCH REVIEW Today is the future Dods Parliamentary Communications is proud to welcome you to the first issue of the Research Review T his new quarterly magazine comes as Europe sees an increasing dependence on research as a driver towards a modern knowledge based society. The official launch Issue 1 March 2007 Research Review Dods Parliamentary Communications is proud to welcome you to the first issue of the Research Review. This new quarterly magazine aims to complement the activities of Europe’s research establishment, by sharing in the successes of its star projects, and acting as CONTENTS 62 Lisbon = innovation Europe’s innovation policy should have the Lisbon agenda at for growth and jobs at its heart, argues Maria Joao Rodrigues 65 Supporting science It has an annual budget of €320m and employs 2,700 staff. But what exactly does the Joint Research Centre do? Martin EC-funded Project “DISMAL” Molecular Signatures as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targets for Disseminated Epithelial Malignancies Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Klaus Pantel Institute for Tumour Biology University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany E-mail: pantel@uke.uni-hamburg. carcinoma CATHERINE STIHLER | RESEARCH REVIEW Welcome W elcome to the Research Review, a quarterly magazine reflecting the ambitions of the EU research programme. The review will act as a forum to communicate success stories coming out of Europe’s research centres while keeping researchers and the EU insti RISET, European Commission encouraging research on organ transplantation Bringing together 15 academic partners and 5 industrial companies throughout the European Union, RISET develops a new vision of transplantation medicine. and bone marrow transplantation have been initiated. In preparation for t RESEARCH AND EU 14 Research boom Research has moved to the top of the EU’s political agenda and is now a key European priority, says commissioner Janez Poto č nik 20 EUR-Future Upcoming science and research events and conferences 23 Ideas factory Earlier this year, the European Research Council w RESEARCH AND EU | JANEZ POTO ÄŒ NIK Research has moved to the top of the EU’s political agenda and is now a key European priority, says commissioner Janez Poto č nik F Research boom 14 RESEARCH REVIEW March 2007 irst of all, my thanks to the Parliament Magazine for taking the initiative of st JANEZ POTO ÄŒ NIK | RESEARCH AND EU for scientists from across the EU, and attracting the best minds from outside. A lot of attention is being given to the new programme at this moment, and rightly so. But an important part of the work of a magazine like this will be reporting on successes from pre RESEARCH AND EU | JANEZ POTO ÄŒ NIK Janez Poto č nik is European commissioner for science and research won’t happen on its own. We need to be working together at European level to create the right conditions for a flourishing research base. This is about allowing researchers to carry out their “Active Biomimetic Systems” perturbed by thermal noise. In order to have some appreciable ‘impact’ onto their surroundings, these molecular machines have to act in groups. One objective of STREP is to study and clarify the cooperative behavior of small and large groups of molecular machines. EWF – European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting More than two decades ago the main welding bodies in Europe foresaw the benefits of closer liaison and created the European Council for Cooperation in Welding (ECCW) in 1974, with the participation of 8 countries. The ECCW was later enlarg Accurate Simulation of Tailor-Welded-Blanks to Reduce Process Design Time for the Sheet Pressing Industry The main objective of the SIM-TWB project is to improve the design and manufacture of tailorwelded blank (TWB) components by using accurate numerical simulation and concurrent engineering method RESEARCH AND EU | EVENTS EUR-Future The EUR Future conference on crossing the borders of academia and industry takes place in Berlin, Germany, on 13-15 May and reflects the growing need to create the necessary conditions to attract and retain well-trained and highly motivated researchers within the EVENTS | RESEARCH AND EU EuroNanoForum 2007 The EuroNanoForum 2007, focusing on nanotechnology in industrial applications, will take place in the German city of Düsseldorf on 19-21 June, and will emphasise the rapid takeup of nanotechnology by European industry. Nanotechnology can help to improve EPIZONE: Network of Excellence for Epizootic Disease Diagnosis and Control Improving control of animal epidemics outbreaks of exotic animal diseases. Moreover, it will prevent duplication of expensive research and contribute to harmonizing the research conducted. The biggest challenge for EPIZONE i EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL | RESEARCH AND EU Ideas factory Earlier this year, the European Research Council was launched amid much fanfare. It has been, as Martin Banks reports, heralded as an idea whose time has come A ccording to Jack Metthey, the European Research Council (ERC) is a genuine “ RESEARCH AND EU | EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL “The ERC will enable the best ideas and talents on the continent to be recognised. In other words, a sort of research version of Manchester United meets Barcelona” In other words, a sort of research version of Manchester United meets Barcelona. The ER Advanced MEMS for RF and Millimeter Wave Communications End), MMID (Millimeterwave ID)) and promoting the participation to EU-funded initiatives (AMICOM partners participate in 10 FP6 projects). Guide European funding through research roadmapping (in close collaboration with the European specific su RESEARCH AND THE EU | EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Problem child? It may be better to start again rather than try to convert the EIT proposal into something that may, at best, only make a small impact, argues Tony Mayer E uroscience was created nearly 10 years ago in Strasbourg as a grassroo EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | RESEARCH AND THE EU Naturally, Euroscience becomes involved in debates surand suffer in comparison with the USA. Furthermore, they rounding new proposals, especially those as controversial as are also not particularly adept at the translation of discoveries that t Waste – an energetic resource improving their efficiency) and if the EU succeeds in diverting more waste from landfilling by boosting both, recycling and energy production from waste. The study is based on the assumption that an ambitious policy aiming at 60% recycling by 2020 (from 36% in 2004) a BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER | RESEARCH AND EU Leading from the front Bulgaria is enjoying something of a technology boom and, as Martin Banks reports, it could teach other member states a thing or two in their struggle to make the EU more competitive W hen it comes to IT growth, Bulgarian prime mini RESEARCH AND EU | BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER Improving ICT teaching in schools is a key project for Bulgaria greater the efforts directed to this fast-growing sector, the training methods in primary, secondary and higher education. It faster the pace at which the Bulgarian national economy as also w Controlling Mesoscopic Phase Separation (acronym: CoMePhS) FP6 STREP, Project no. 517039 Thematic priority “Nanotechnologies and nano-sciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices”. I n chemically homogeneous manganites one can achieve phase coexi Ceramics, the material of the future The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven coordinates a European consortium developing competitive technologies Left (top): Scanning electron microscope micrograph of ZrO2-based ceramic composite material Right (top) and Bottom: Ceramic parts produced within the MONCERA SEVENTH HEAVEN 34 Tomorrow today Brian Johnson takes a look at what’s in the commission’s €55bn seventh research framework programme 37 Breaking new ground Descartes prize Three research projects could help create cleaner energy, new medical treatments and a clearer understanding of our univer SEVENTH HEAVEN | FP7 Tomorrow’s world Brian Johnson takes a look at what’s in the commission’s €55bn seventh research framework programme E U research watchers could be forgiven for feeling a touch of déjà vu after attending yet another launch event for the seventh research framework pr FP7 | SEVENTH HEAVEN The first, with around two thirds of the overall FP7 budget, closer together, and the introduction of the risk-sharing is the ‘cooperation’ programme. Promoting research in ten finance facility to improve access to the European Investment key thematic areas, such as health, Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Skierniewice, Poland control and technologies of fruit storage and processing. Due to a very active extension and implementation programme and close cooperation with growers’ organizations, processing industry and wholesalers, Institute’s achiev DESCARTES AWARDS | SEVENTH HEAVEN Breaking new ground Three groundbreaking research projects could help create cleaner energy, new medical treatments and a clearer understanding of our universe T he Descartes prize for research, named after French ‘natural scientist’ René Descartes, one of E SEVENTH HEAVEN | DESCARTES AWARDS As a result, the research team also had to develop the complex software needed to collect and analyse data from the array, which include the first survey of the central region of our galaxy and the discovery of a stellar black hole generating gamma rays. Funding fo ICT from artificial cells: Engineering emergence for complex molecular systems PACE (Programmable Artificial Cell Evolution), an integrated project funded by IST-FET, is creating a new bottom-up version of synthetic biology, starting with raw chemical components, in contrast to the conventional appr Development of flood warning and forecasting systems in the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Network of the terrestrial stations is comprised of several types of stations depends on elements measured: meteorological stations, precipitation stations and hydrological stations. Doppler weather rada RESEARCH FOR BUSINESS | SEVENTH HEAVEN In business Zoran Stan č i č explains how the new FP7 research programme can be good for European business T he EU’s 7th framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities, or FP7 as it is more commonly known, was of SEVENTH HEAVEN | RESEARCH FOR BUSINESS “FP7 is a powerful instrument to help achieve the Lisbon objectives and to address a series of research challenges in a way that caters not only for the concerns of universities and research centres but also for the needs expressed by industry and SMEs. It i Novel Sustainable Bioprocesses for European Colour Industries SOPHIED www.sophied.net • To develop new safe enzyme-assisted processes for the production of existing dyes. • To create new molecules of dyes which are less toxic and synthesised biotechnologically for high added value markets. The AUSTRIAN COOPERATIVE RESEARCH Cooperation with Competence prises (SME) 99,7% of all enterprises are SME. 87% of these enterprises have less than 10 employees. Only a few SME can afford their own research personnel or have their own research department. But this does not mean that they are not innov FRAMEWORK PROGRAMMES | SEVENTH HEAVEN Villain or hero? European framework programme projects are heralded as a great generator of ideas. But some argue they are not as good as they are cracked up to be. Martin Banks reports W hen it comes to framework programme projects, Maarten Laga reckons ther SEVENTH HEAVEN | FRAMEWORK PROGRAMMES Laga’s reservations over FP7 are shared by Jean Stephenne, up to the industry to take advantage of these opportunities president of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, who also spoke and I very much hope they will.” at the summit. “Framework programme projects p e-LUP A Project and its Environment The project e-LUP is about training in Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA), especially for land use issues, through an electronic freeware textbook/ tool. The project task is demanding, but welldefined. External factors and the resulting larger context, are le SEVENTH HEAVEN | ETP Stepping up 48 RESEARCH REVIEW March 2007 ETP | SEVENTH HEAVEN The European Business Summit saw a lively debate on European Technology Platforms, reports Filipe Rufino E uropean Technology Platforms are forums where top EU industry leaders in key high-tech sectors meet to discuss business strategies and coordinate research activities. Pa Global mountain biodiversity under climate change pressure The ground proof A nthropogenic climate warming will affect all ecosystems represented on Earth. This process is on its way to alter life in largely unknown directions, speeds, and with incalculable consequences. Moreover, it is overlaid b JOINED-UP THINKING 53 Finding solutions ICT is the single biggest benefactor from EU funding under FP7 – a reflection of its growing importance, says Fabio Colasanti 56 Time to commit Europe has an innovation policy in place – but it needs the full commitment of member states before it starts to Everything falling into place Self assembly of nanoparticles is one of the hot topics of current research that offers great potential for innovation in the biomedical, energy and communication sectors. COLLOIDAL NANOCRYSTALS are fabricated by chemical synthesis. Stateof-the-art research has achieved INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | JOINED-UP THINKING Finding solutions ICT is the single biggest benefactor from EU funding under FP7 – a reflection of its growing importance, says Fabio Colasanti I n June 2005, commissioner Viviane Reding launched the i2010 initiative, a comprehensive s JOINED-UP THINKING | INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Fabio Colasanti is director general of the commission’s information society and media department EU, member state and industry funds into public-private research partnerships called joint technology initiatives. We are trying to ensure Innovation and Knowledge Centre of Food Science at the Corvinus University of Budapest the three faculties (Faculty of Food Science, Faculty of Horticultural Science and Faculty of Economics) from 1 October, 2006’Research and development in the food chain’ announced by the Office of National Res JOINED-UP THINKING | INNOVATION POLICY Time to commit 56 RESEARCH REVIEW March 2007 INNOVATION POLICY | JOINED-UP THINKING market areas that are globally most potential are, for example, energy, healthcare and ICT. Despite these suggested specific areas, all types and forms of innovation, technical or non-technical, should be promoted and included in Europe’s policy actions. Onl The UPMAN project Understanding Protein Misfolding and Aggregation by NMR characteristics of the different states of a protein en route on the pathways of folding, misfolding or aggregation. Scientific background of diseases associated with protein misfolding or aggregation The failure of proteins INNOVATION | JOINED-UP THINKING Stemming the brain drain FP7 is just one of many new EU initiatives aimed at boosting European innovation, argues Jorgo Chatzimarkakis W hen I was asked to write a short article on what was achieved in ‘innovating Europe’ last year, dozens of things came to min JOINED-UP THINKING | INNOVATION Jorgo Chatzimarkakis was the European parliament’s rapporteur on the competitiveness and innovation framework programme The recent studies on climate change have helped fuel the European commission’s latest crusade: to reduce CO 2 emissions. After years of debat ECNIS A Network of Excellence on cancer causation and prevention million cancer deaths every year in the European Union. The vision of ECNIS is to contribute to a decrease of cancer incidence by: • identifying chemicals or other factors in the environment and food which cause cancer, • elucidat JOINED-UP THINKING | LISBON AGENDA Lisbon = innovation By forming networks and clusters, European business and academia can help boost innovation 62 RESEARCH REVIEW March 2007 LISBON AGENDA | JOINED-UP THINKING Europe’s innovation policy should have the Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs at its heart, argues Maria Joao Rodrigues T he Lisbon agenda is designed to prepare Europe for globalisation, with programmes at EU and member state level focusing on elements such as Companions Intelligent, persistent, personalised multimodal interfaces to the Internet T he four-year €13 million COMPANIONS project, coordinated at the University of Sheffield with fifteen EU and US partners, aims to change the way we think about the relationships of people to computers and the JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE | JOINED-UP THINKING Supporting science It has an annual budget of €320m and employs 2700 staff. But what exactly does the Joint Research Centre do? Martin Banks reports E urope faces mounting public concern about complex issues ranging from food contamination to nuclear s JOINED-UP THINKING | JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE • Standardised food safety procedures: JRC scientists regularly develop, certify or improve test methods used in checking food safety and quality. The development of nuclear forensics, the illegal trade in nuclear materials, and the threat it poses to th SESAME: Southern European Seas: Assessing and Modelling Ecosystem Changes SESAME is a 4-year Integrated Project (IP), funded by the EU’s 6 th Framework Programme. It is designed to study the past, present and future environmental changes in the Mediterranean and Black Sea ecosystems, and their abi EU COMPETITIVENESS depends on an educated citizenry. Modern research, planning, design and engineering require education about the opportunities of eInfrastructure – connected computing in every laboratory, office and home with access to international collections of data and facilities. Agile edu STARRING ROLES 71 Future perfect Investment in basic research yields long-term benefits, as a recent exhibition in Brussels displayed 77 Cluster culture The EUREKA network has been successfully bringing innovation onto Europe’s markets since its foundation more than 20 years ago, says Michel Vieil Research of the Institue of Labour and Social Studies as the Answer to European and Polish Challenges of new indices and research techniques in researching poverty and social exclusion, the range of poverty, its social causes and consequences, applied methods of counteracting and suggestions of new MAX PLANCK SOCIETY | STARRING ROLES Future perfect Investment in basic research yields long-term benefits, as a recent exhibition in Brussels displayed T he Axolotl is as a strange an animal as its name sounds. A diminutive pink salamander from Mexico, it has the rare ability to regenerate lost l STARRING ROLES | MAX PLANCK SOCIETY And although EU funds only represent around five per cent of research funding in Europe, the new programme will help to stimulate both cooperation and competition between partner institutions and their scientists Trepte believes. For Trepte, the EU’s rules help Influenza viruses and immune escape subtype in the population. Such a shift results in the rapid spread of the new subtype, causing a pandemic, an event that is feared for with the recent zoönotic avian H5N1 infections. A universal mucosal influenza A vaccine based on the extracellular domain of M2 Diagnostic Molecular Imaging (DiMI): A Network of Excellence for Identification of new molecular imaging markers for diagnostic purposes T he Network of Excellence DiMI (Diagnostic Molecular Imaging) for identification of new imaging markers for diagnostic purpose has been initiated in April 2005 European Molecular Imaging Laboratories (EMIL) A European network of excellence for molecular imaging of cancers T he Network of Excellence EMIL (European Molecular Imaging Laboratories) for Non Invasive Molecular Imaging of Cancer has been initiated in July 2004 under the coordination of Bertrand ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿ EUREKA NETWORK | STARRING ROLES Cluster culture trial-led research in Europe over the last few years. These large groupings of projects are aimed at filling the gaps in competitive areas of research, such as microelectronics and nanotechnologies, where Europe has already gained a foothold and needs STARRING ROLES | EUREKA NETWORK Michel Vieillefosse is head of the EUREKA secretariat in Brussels European leaders such as Alcatel, Ericsson, Nokia and Thomson as well as operators such as British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Italtel. Around a third of the cluster’s participants The European steel industry develops breakthrough technologies to cut CO 2 emissions significantly by the middle of the century option to move into an ULCOS-II project to demonstrate it on an industrial scale pilot. The initial 5-year ULCOS-I project started in the middle of 2004, with a total budge STARRING ROLES | LIVING TOMORROW Tomorrow’s world Thinking up new products is one thing but, as Martin Banks reports, making them is another thing altogether T he opening words of the European commission’s renewed window,” said De Vos. “When you decide to go in the selfLisbon strategy are LIVING TOMORROW | STARRING ROLES your pda (narrowcasting) or when you use your smartcard and wipe it in front of the screen, the link information is stored on the smartcard. At home, you can download the specific information to your personal computer or you can take the information with you to the ������� ������� ������� � ������� ���� ������� ��� ���� ������� ����� ��� ��� ����� ��� ������� ������� ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿ ITER | STARRING ROLES Next steps Jennifer Hay provides an update of progress at the ITER site in Cadarache T he ITER project has had a long gestation. At the Geneva superpower summit in November 1985 Premier Gorbachev, following discussions with President Mitterrand of France, proposed to Preside STARRING ROLES | ITER of 2007 by the members of the organisation (the ITER Parties) who will bear the costs of ITER. With respect to the construction of the ITER plant, most of the components will be contributed by the members in kind (i.e. the components themselves, rather than the financing for t D I S S E M I N A T I O N Four European regions work together for the development of a general methodology to assess regional innovation policy impact on SMEs Gerardo Díaz. President of the Employers Confederation of Madrid. President of the Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madrid. In CROSS-CUTTING 88 Top priority Boosting research in the EU is a key priority of the European parliament’s industry committee, as new chair Angelika Niebler tells Anne-France White 91 Ready for take off Europe needs to invest more in its space research if it wants to compete with the rest of the wor cross-cutting | angelika niebler mep Top priority Boosting research in the EU is a key priority of the European parliament’s industry committee, as new chair Angelika Niebler tells Anne-France White A s the new chair of the European parliament’s industry, research and energy committee, Angeli ANGELIKA NIEBLER MEP | CROSS-CUTTING But she says she supports the commission’s proposal as it now stands, and likes the idea of building research networks and helping to deliver scientific findings to the market. “I think we have a gap in that area,” she says. She notes, however, that the ke PANDA N ETWORK PANDA (Permanent Advisory Network for Diseases of Aquaculture) a networking mechanism for obtaining expert scientific advice in support of EU policy on aquatic animal diseases The most important constraint to the development and sustainability of European aquaculture is infectious dis EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY | CROSS-CUTTING Ready for take off Europe needs to invest more in its space research if it wants to compete with the rest of the world in the space race, René Oosterlinck of the European Space Agency tells Daisy Ayliffe T his year is an important one in the space calendar. CROSS-CUTTING | EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY The US and Russia have lines would go down and we traditionally taken a lead in would turn to space for help. exploiting the military and We need to rely on our own commercial uses of space. systems for tracking where But on this side of the pond, the problems Coordinating research effort in clinical diagnostics and cell biology at Europe’s synchrotron infrared beamlines Large meets small: In the DASIM project, synchrotron light sources such as ANKA in Karlsruhe are used to detect health and disease in single cells. Inset: Infrared microspectroscopy im CROSS-CUTTING | SPACE RESEARCH Funding the final frontier Former cosmonaut Vladmír Remek argues that the EU needs to keep its own access to space if it wants to benefit from research S In March 1978, Vladimír Remek became the first person from a country other than the Soviet Union or the US to SPACE RESEARCH | CROSS-CUTTING Former astronaut Umberto Guidoni says the EU needs to do more to promote US-style support for the European space industry n the EU constitution, space is defined as a sector of strategic importance for Europe, a sector that could be fundamental for the future growth o cross-cutting | space research Ring of power Galileo, Europe’s proposed ring of navigational satellites, will be a key driver of space research, argues Norbert Glante G Norbert Glante is parliament’s shadow rapporteur on Galileo alileo, the European satellite navigation system, is a ring of SOLID-DER Reaching large-scale integration of Distributed Energy Resources in the enlarged European electricity market demand response and DER energy market integration. Cost-benefit case studies to investigate cost-benefit flows when increasing shares of DER in the electricity supply systems. An im KAROLINSKA COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTRE Karolinska university hospital may be an interesting model. In many countries comprehensive cancer centres are established as cancer hospitals more or less isolated from the universities. A well organized comprehensive cancer centre within in a university hospi STOA | CROSS-CUTTING Advising EU policymakers STOA can be proud of twenty years of scientific advice at the European parliament, says Philippe Busquin T he world today is increasingly driven by scientific progress. We enjoy the benefits of science and technology in every aspect of our lives, as cross-cutting | stoa Former research commissioner Philippe Busquin MEP is chair of the STOA Panel human health. The exhibition will also see the launch of the MEP-scientist pairing scheme. This will bring together MEPs and eminent scientists in order to get the two sides acquainted with each other Energy and the Environment Real-SOFC* A Joint European Effort to Improve Fuel Cell Durability Project Approach The project will generate materials and components of two subsequent waves of improvement, termed ‘Generations 2’ and ‘3’. Firstly, degradation causes were explored with the existi ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿ regional policy | cross-cutting The vital link Regions and cities are the vital link between innovation, business and society, suggests Jyrki Myllyvirta T he challenges presented by rapid technological change and globalisation have highlighted the necessity of promoting research and innovation as CROSS-CUTTING | REGIONAL POLICY Jyrki Myllyvirta is president of the CoR’s culture, education and research committee and mayor of Mikkeli, Finland The CoR has always emphasised that innovation can come from any part of Europe, and from establishments of any size and type. Even small institutions An ERA-NET financed by FP6 Materials a key for a better future MATERA Partners • Finland / Coordination Tekes • Belgium/ Flanders IWT • Belgium/ Wallonia DGTRE • Finland AKA • Germany/ North Rhine – Westphalia MIWFT • Iceland RANNIS • Ireland EI • Israel MOST • Italy MUR • Lat SmartCaP Injectable macroporous biomaterial based on Calcium Phosphate cement for bone regeneration area of medical devices, tissue engineering, and biomaterials, leading to increased employment opportunities. Providing an excellent platform for training programmes and exchange of personnel from hig regional policy | cross-cutting Regional opportunities Research, technological development and innovation are at the core of the knowledge economy and seen as drivers of EU competitiveness. But what does FP7 mean for Europe’s regions? Martin Banks reports R esearch is currently high on the EU a CROSS-CUTTING | REGIONAL POLICY cutting” item in the priorities of FP7, since it is the source of instruments that can be used by regions in the coming years an as yet untapped potential for European growth. According thanks to FP7, the European technology platforms are an to Martini the developm ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿ The Nanodialogue project An integrated approach to communication E ngaging citizens in dialogue and discussions about emerging science and technologies has been recognized by the European Commission as a fundamental component to create the knowledge economy at the basis of the European Union’s L A NEW ERA 113 Dawn of a new... The commission is set to take the wraps off a new, improved version of the European Research Area. Martin Banks reports 115 Web wonders Research commissioner Janez Poto č nik is fascinated by volcanoes and Mars, as his personal choice of interesting websites shows ISMAEL – Intelligent Airport Surveillance Based on Low Cost Magnetic Field Detectors existing taxiway light housings, providing easy and cheap installation and maintenance. ISMAEL detectors have been tested successfully at Thessaloniki airport, Greece and Frankfurt airport, Germany. Application IS A NEW ERA Dawn of a new... The commission is set to take the wraps off a new, improved version of the European Research Area. Martin Banks reports E RA has been described by the commission as “pivotal Potočnik says that now that FP7 is up and running, it is to securing Europe’s economic and NEWAC – Technology for environmentally friendly aero engines Global air traffic is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of around 5% in the next 20 years. This high level of growth makes the need to address the environmental penalties of air traffic all the more urgent. Consequently, Europeâ MY FAVOURITE WEB PAGES | A NEW ERA Web wonders Research commissioner Janez Poto č nik is fascinated by volcanoes and Mars, as his personal choice of interesting websites shows T he information society has helped to revolutionise the world of research, as several articles in this issue of the Res A NEW ERA | MY FAVOURITE WEB PAGES new technologies that are around to keep it interesting – there’s an audiovisual CV and a forum where you can comment on my theme of the week. When I was in India I kept a video diary and that’s up there too.” But while Potočnik sees his own site as a vit European Primate Network EUPRIM-Net – A network coordinated by the German Primate Center focusing on specialized infrastructures and procedures for biological and biomedical research EUPRIM-Net creates a virtual European Primate Centre for internationally competitive state-of-the-art research and AERONEWS: Improving health monitoring of aircraft through the application of Non-linear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy The maintenance and health monitoring of aircraft requires being able to detect and evaluate early signs of damage in the form of microcracks or delaminations, the weakening of adhesive ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� �� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ��ï European Platform of Women Scientists Concerned about Europe’s competitiveness? scientific excellence and innovation? the future of your daughters? Europe needs leading-edge science and scientists in order to become the world’s most competitive knowledge-based society. All potential contributors ������ Science to the rescue of cultural heritage In most European libraries and archives, 7 out of 10 books will become unusable in the next two centuries. The cultural, scientific, artistic and political achievements from ca. 1850-1990 may thus become inaccessible. Should this happen, wageindicator2.pdf 15-2-2007 17:10:41 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Max Planck Institute for Chemistry MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT (Otto Hahn Institute) Our institute is the oldest among the currently 80 research institutes of the Max Planck Society. We operate at the forefront of the Earth sciences Energy powers the world. Who develops new technologies? The world is becoming smaller thanks to modern communication tools and unprecedented opportunities for travel. Borders are fading away and economic markets are becoming more and more international also in the liberalizing energy sector. Joint