Activities of Helga TRÜPEL related to 2011/0387(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Strategic Innovation Agenda of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): the contribution of the EIT to a more innovative Europe
Amendments (21)
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.1 – paragraph 3
Annex – point 1.1 – paragraph 3
A genuine change in our innovation systems and paradigms is therefore necessary, which requires the adoption of new principles and practices based, in particular, on open and inclusive research and on the development of tools for managing intellectual property rights which promote transparency and exchange, and the development of new financing tools to ensure that research efforts are targeted, effectively and as a matter of priority, at issues of major public interest. Still too often, excellence in higher education, research and innovation, while clearly existing across the EU, remains fragmented. Europe needs to overcome this lack of strategic co- operation across boundaries – countries, sectors and disciplines. Moreover, Europe needs to embrace a true entrepreneurial culture, which is essential for capturing the value of research and innovation, for setting-up new ventures and actual market deployment of innovations in potential high-growth sectors. Europe needs to foster the role of higher education institutions as engines of innovation, as talented people need to be equipped with the right skills, knowledge and attitudes in order to drive innovation forward.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.1 – paragraph 4
Annex – point 1.1 – paragraph 4
The EIT has been set up precisely to this end – to contribute to sustainable economic growth and competitiveness by reinforcing the innovation capacity of the Union and its Member States. By fully integrating the knowledge triangle of higher education, research and innovation, the Institute will strongly contribute to tackling societal challenges under Horizon 2020 and bring about systemic change in the way European innovation players collaborate to promote open and inclusive models.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.2 – paragraph 1 – bullet point 1
Annex – point 1.2 – paragraph 1 – bullet point 1
Overcoming fragmentation via long-term integrated partnerships and achieving critical mass through its European dimension: Building on existing cooperation initiatives, the EIT brings the selected partnerships in the KICs to a more permanent and strategic level. KICs allow world-class partners to unite in new configurations, optimizse existing resources and develop open and inclusive innovation models, access new business opportunities via new value chains addressing higher risk, and larger scale challenges. Moreover, while there are a significant number of centres of excellence across EU Member States, they often do not attain the critical mass for global competition individually. The KICs' co- location centres offer strong local actors the opportunity to closely connect to other excellent partners across borders, thereby allowing them to act and be recognizsed globally.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.2 – paragraph 1 – bullet point 2
Annex – point 1.2 – paragraph 1 – bullet point 2
Enhancing the impact of investments on education, research and innovation and testing new ways for innovation governance: The EIT acts as a catalyst, adding value to the existing research base, by accelerating the take-up and exploitation of technologies and research outcomes. Innovation activities contribute in turn to align and leverage research investments and to make education and training activities more responsive to business needs. To this end, the EIT has been equipped with a substantial degree of flexibility to test out new innovation models, allowing for true differentiation in the KICs' governance and funding models and quick adaptation to better cope with emerging opportunities. The EIT also has the potential to develop new financing models, such as innovation prizes, allowing to maximise the public returns of the financing of research, ensuring that innovation not only tackles the most urgent needs of society but also can benefit rapidly to European citizens.
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 2
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 2
The EIT will strongly contribute to the objectives set out in Horizon 2020, in particular by addressing societal challenges in a complementary way to other initiatives in these areas. Within Horizon 2020, the EIT will be part of the ‘tackling societal challenges’ objective but following the approach of seamless interaction across objectives, it will also contribute to ‘industrial leadership and competitive frameworks’ by stimulating results-driven research and fostering the creation of open and inclusive innovation models among high growth innovative SMEs. Finally, it will contribute to the creation of an ‘excellent science base’ by fostering mobility across boundaries – of disciplines, sectors and countries – and by embedding entrepreneurship and a risk-taking culture in innovative post-graduates degrees. The EIT will thereby significantly contribute to promoting the framework conditions that are needed to realise the innovative potential of EU research and to promote the completion of the European Research Area (ERA).
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 3
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 3
Moreover, the EIT brings a fully fledged education dimension to the EU's research and innovation policy, including through open access to research publications. Via innovative, entrepreneurial education it plays an important bridging role between the research and innovation framework and education policies and programmes and provides the long term commitment needed to deliver sustainable changes in higher education. Notably through new, trans and interdisciplinary EIT-labelled degrees the EIT is leading a collaborative effort towards education for innovation with clear spill over effects on the broader European agenda for the modernisation of higher education institutions thereby promoting the European Higher Education Area.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 5
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 5
Joint Programming Initiatives, a key instrument for addressing fragmentation in research, should provide the nucleus of the pan-European KIC research base. In turn, KICs can speed up and foster the exploitation of excellent public research pooled together by the JPIs, thereby addressing fragmentation in innovation. The Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) and the newly established Public and Private Partnerships provide platforms for promotion of large-scale industry-driven research and enhance the development of major technologies. The establishment of ‘patent pools’ in certain areas and open research will encourage the opening-up of research and act as a catalyst for efforts by both the public and private sectors (and by SMEs in particular). KICs can help in catalysing these major research investments to boost technology transfer and commercialisation and to develop new ventures within existing business via entrepreneurial talent. Through its knowledge triangle approach, the EIT will complement investment of the European Research Council (ERC) on world-class frontier research by addressing the whole innovation chain from ideas to application and exploitation and provide additional opportunities in innovation and exposure to entrepreneurship tofor 'Marie Curie' researchers and 'Erasmus for all' students.
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Annex – point 1.3 – paragraph 5 a (new)
The EIT should promote the development of new tools for information and transparency on intellectual property rights intended to provide both public and private research stakeholders (including SMEs) with information allowing them to engage in research and the application of inventions, the acquisition of industrial property rights and the exploitation of research on an informed basis. The measures to be taken include ensuring price transparency, developing methods for assessing the quality of intellectual property rights at European level and developing common benchmarks for transactions involving patents.
Amendment 48 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.1 – paragraph 4
Annex – point 2.1 – paragraph 4
The '‘EIT investor'’ approach stands for a focus on identifying best strategic opportunities and selecting a portfolio of world-class partnerships – the KICs – to deliver on these. As part of this approach, the EIT awards the annual grants to the KICs based on their past performance and proposed activities in their business plan. The assessment of the business plans will be supported by external, independent experts. In this perspective, the EIT should not only set out broad directions and visions, but needs to provide KICs with an appropriate level of support and monitor their performance. At the same time, KICs are given a substantial degree of leeway to define their internal strategies and organisation as well as to deliver their activities and mobilise the talent and resources needed. The EIT can thus promote the establishment of ‘patent pools’ for sharing intellectual property rights in order to accelerate research on the basis of payment of adequate compensation to the holders of these rights.
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.1.1 – paragraph 3
Annex – point 2.1.1 – paragraph 3
A good balance between co-operation and competition is equally important for bringing KICs to maximum performance. The EIT will incentivize KICs to engage in cross-KIC work in areas which offer a strong potential for synergies, e.g. via joint professional development courses, joint research activities, masters or PhDs degrees or cross-KIC mobility between academia and business, but also via joint research activities or the establishment of ‘patent pools’. At the same time, the EIT will provide incentives for a certain degree of competition to encourage KICs to stay focused on results and impact and take appropriate measures in case of underperformance.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.1.1 – paragraph 4
Annex – point 2.1.1 – paragraph 4
KICs not only build on their partners' existing excellent research base, but are also the front-runners for promoting and implementing the EIT's educational mission. The objective is to educate and train talented people with the skills, knowledge and mindset needed in a global knowledge economy. To this end, the EIT actively promotes, inter alia, the EIT- labelled degrees by monitoring their quality and coherent implementation across KICs. In this endeavour ta series of quality criteria will be applied by KICs for EIT- labelled degrees, to ensure the upholding of high academic standards and the reputation of European universities. They will also make extensive use of peer and expert evaluations, and establish a dialogue with national and quality assurance bodies. This will enhance the national and international recognition of the EIT labelled qualifications and raise their attractiveness globally, while providing a platform for collaboration at international level. In the future, KICs will be encouraged to expand their educational activities beyond post- graduate education to a greater variety of study modes to cater for a wider range of innovative, professional development activities, involving executive education, tailor-made training courses and summer schools. To enhance the impact of KICs' educational activities and to reach out to a wider audience, KICs may envisage the design, on an experimental basis, of modules for undergraduate courses or packages targeted ato school education.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.1.2 – paragraph 4
Annex – point 2.1.2 – paragraph 4
The assessment of the themes proposed in the EIT draft as well as by the wider stakeholder community clearly showed a certain degree of variation regarding potential impact the establishment of a KIC would offer. As a result, a number of themes were discarded entirely; others were redefined in order to better respond to the specificities of the European and global context in this area. The regular assessment of the evolution of research potentials and the possible emergence of new innovation dynamics should be taken into consideration for future KICs in sectors that are not yet considered but fulfil the given criteria (as for instance in the maritime field).
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.1.2 – paragraph 5 – introductory part
Annex – point 2.1.2 – paragraph 5 – introductory part
The following thematic areas have been identified as those where the establishment of a new KIC has greatest potential to add value to existing activities and bring about a real boost to innovation. However this list of areas is neither closed nor exhaustive:
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 2
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 2
In the future, the EIT must work to make the KIC experience understandable and replicable and build it into a culture that can act as a role model in Europe and beyond. By identifying, analysing and sharing good practices, as well as new governance and funding models from the KICs, the EIT seeks to ensure that knowledge generated within the EIT and its KICs is disseminated and capitalised upon for the benefit of peoplethe citizens, private entities and institutions, including those not directly participating in the KICs.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 4
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 4
Main drivers of learning at EIT level may be: innovation-driven research for the creation of new businesses and new business models, management of IP portfolios and new approaches to IP sharingthe development of new methods and new tools to provide greater transparency of IP portfolios and their management, improve IP sharing and systematise the modelling of licences facilitating transactions, including the possibility for SMEs and public institutions to participate more actively in innovation, entrepreneurship and new integrated forms of multi-disciplinary education; innovative governance and financial models based ion the concept of open innovation or involving public authorities, particularly for targeting research at the priority needs of society. This will help the EIT to be a role model and to act as a '‘game shifter'’ in the European innovation landscape and to become an internationally recognised innovation institution.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 7
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 7
Moreover, the EIT has a clear role to play in attracting talent from outside the EU. By creating a strong brand and forging strategic relations with key partners from around the globe, the EIT can add to the attractiveness of the partners within the KICs. In close cooperation with the KICs, the EIT should develop a strong international strategy, identifying and liaising relevant interlocutors and potential partners. In this context the EIT and its KICs should take full advantage of existing EU initiatives in the area, such as the 'Erasmus for all' programme and the Marie Curie Actions. In addition, the EIT can fosterUnion’s research, education, training and youth programmes. In addition, the EIT can foster open access, inclusive innovation, knowledge sharing, mentoring and networking by encouraging the setting up of an EIT alumni network.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 9 – bullet point 2 (inside the box)
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 9 – bullet point 2 (inside the box)
Set up/customise a web based tool to provide a platform for knowledge sharing and networking around the EIT, which will provide students, teachers and researchers who are not involved in existing KICs with easy access to information about ongoing work and the results of completed research.
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 9 – bullet point 2 a (new) (inside the box)
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 9 – bullet point 2 a (new) (inside the box)
Develop tools to facilitate the identification of intellectual property rights involved in a field or in the context of research, as well as their acquisition, assignment or transmission as appropriate and depending on the needs of stakeholders.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 9 – bullet point 4 (inside the box)
Annex – point 2.2 – paragraph 9 – bullet point 4 (inside the box)
Make lessons learned and successes from KICs systematically accessible to the wider EU innovation community and beyond. This maywill include, in particular, the development of a repository of open course ware from the EIT's and KICs' educational and training activities which is accessible to all.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 2.3 – paragraph 3
Annex – point 2.3 – paragraph 3
The KICs will provide an ideal testing ground for new approaches to funding and management of innovation. The establishment of innovation prizes associated with specific licensing arrangements can accelerate research in areas of key social importance with a view to obtaining precise scientific and technical answers at short notice. Through KICs' experimentation and experience, the EIT will deliver a simplification agenda in key areas such as contractual agreements, simplified reporting, lumps sums and flat rates.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – point 3.2 – paragraph 2
Annex – point 3.2 – paragraph 2
Moving away from a merely administrator role, the EIT headquarters will optimise their operational functions to steer the KICs to maximum performance and make good results widely available. There are efficiency gains to be achieved from providing a number of centralised services and functions, rather than at individual KIC level. While all KICs work on specific themes, a number of elements are of a cross-cutting nature and it is precisely there where the EIT can provide tangible added value. Such knowledge provider functions can relate notably to the EIT headquarters becoming an information broker and resourceful interlocutor, e.g. in fostering cross-KIC exchange and, transparency, information provision (in the field of intellectual property rights in particular), and developing mutual learning, facilitating relations with the EU institutions and other key organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD), or. It can thus focus on specific cross-cutting issues, such as counselling on IP,open research, collaborative research, IP and competition law, and technology and knowledge transfer, benchmarking against international best practices, or undertaking anticipation and foresight studies to identify future directions for the EIT and the KICs. The EIT and KICs should decide together where these tasks can be most effectively dealt with. In this regard, it will be of crucial importance for the EIT and the KICs to establish viable mechanisms for systematic collaboration around cross- cutting issues.