The European Commission has published roadmaps on four joint technology initiatives (JTIs), describing how the public-private initiatives may be pursued under Horizon 2020.
The roadmaps outline the Commission’s position on the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH) and CleanSky JTIs, as well as details of a proposed PPP on bio-based industries under Horizon 2020. The documents form part of on-going consideration by the Commission of the future of public-private collaboration.
However, the Commission added that the roadmaps do not prejudge the final decision on whether all of the JTIs would actually be pursued.
The roadmap on the IMI JTI confirms it is likely to be expanded into a broader Life Sciences JTI that would address the whole drug-development chain. The Commission also appears to support the continuation of the FCH initiative as a JTI, which would “evolve towards deployment along the whole innovation chain” and with an optimised governance structure.
According to the roadmap on the future PPP for bio-based industries, announced in September, this could also take the form of a JTI to decrease administrative burden and increase its leveraging effect.
The Commission supports the continuation of the CleanSky JTI, to include mid- and long-term goals for 2030 and 2050. CleanSky has previously been lauded as the most successful JTI under Framework 7 (see RE 22, Nov 12).
A separate report on the continuation of Clean Sky under Horizon 2020, published in late December following a consultation on the initiative, showed that both industry and academic partners are in favour of pursuing a Clean Sky 2 under Horizon 2020.