Framework’s annual call for research proposals will be worth about €7 billion this year, research commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn announced in Brussels today (19 July).
At a press briefing, Geoghegan-Quinn insisted that investing in research in innovation could provide the “light at the end of the tunnel” for countries afflicted by the economic crisis.
This year’s Framework calls focus on bridging the gap between research and the market, and giving Europe a competitive edge in emerging technological fields, the commissioner said.
She stated: “EU-wide competition for [Framework] funds will bring Europe’s best researchers and innovators together to tackle the biggest issues of our time, such as energy, food security, climate change and our ageing population.”
The call also responds to “cold, hard, business sense”, as scientists and business seek to meet global demand for products and services that are energy efficient, don’t damage ecosystems, and relieve illness without straining healthcare systems, she told journalists.
Framework puts “more focus than ever before” on small businesses, as close to €1bn is available specifically for SMEs, Geoghegan-Quinn said. This includes pilot schemes both within the health scheme and through the European Investment Bank’s so-called Risk-Sharing Finance Facility for SMEs.
The money will be split into 53 calls in total, of which 39 will be published on 20 July. €1.3bn will go to ICT research; €656 million to health; €488m to new materials; €314m to energy; €313m to transport; €307m to the bio-based economy; €265m to environment; €242m to security; €89m to social sciences and humanities; and €84m to space.
The European Research Council’s annual budget for basic research rises to €1.6bn, while the Marie Curie actions will spend about €900m to fund about 10,000 researchers.
Last year’s call was worth €6.4bn, but Framework 7’s structure plans yearly increases, so that the annual Framework budget doubles between 2007 and 2013.
The total Framework budget for 2012 is around € 8.6 bn. The remaining €1.6bn will go for instance to public-private partnerships, such as Joint Technology Initiatives, and funding for activities run by member states, such as Article 185 initiatives.