ICT industry calls for changes to Horizon 2020 rules

Digital Europe, the trade association of European digital technology companies, has said Horizon 2020 needs better rules on intellectual property and a more international outlook.

The recommendations, published on 24 April, argue there is a need for the EU to reconsider its "Europe-first" policies on intellectual property for digital technologies. Digital Europe argues that existing commercialisation policies under Horizon 2020 do not take into account the international nature of ICT, and prevent European industry from leading the global field.

However, Digital Europe advises against mandatory open data policies for Horizon 2020 projects. It argues this would lower the commercial value of project data, and discourage industry participation, especially at a time when IP regulation remains unclear.