European Union News - Research & Innovation

The Industry Committee in the European Parliament amended the draft legislation on Galileo, the European GPS system, and the EGNOS programmes for improving GPS signal quality, for more of the new services to be offered free of charge. Moreover, MEPs approved new legislation to ensure that Europe's two satellite navigation systems can be funded and operated from 2014 to 2020.

A new Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Robotics has been agreed to be launched by the European Commission, industry and academia, to help Europe-based companies take a larger share of the €15.5 billion annual global robotics market. The European Commission stressed that robotics is a key driver for Europe's growth and competitiveness.

The European Commission launched an initiative to speed up the deployment of new transport means and solutions to achieve a competitive and affordable European transport system. In particular, it will focus on the definition of a set of roadmaps on the deployment of technologies and innovation in 10 critical areas of transport.

The European Commission presented a new strategy for developing international cooperation in research and innovation. The strategy proposes to further focus cooperation on EU strategic priorities while maintaining the tradition of openness to third country participation in EU research. It will be mainly implemented through Horizon 2020, the EU's funding programme for research and innovation from 2014.

The Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe (CNOSSOS-EU) presented by the European Commission will assess noise from road, rail and air traffic and from industry, and will provide consistent and comparable data on the noise levels to which people are exposed. Member States will have to start using the new methods for the next round of EU-wide strategic noise mapping in 2017.

The European Commission has adopted a Communication describing a set of initiatives aimed at achieving a more competitive European maritime and marine sectors and at ensuring their sustainable growth. Commission's document analyses the potential for growth ans competitiveness which marine and maritime sectors as a whole can make to the European economy through innovative activities such as marine energy or biotechnology.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed an agreement to work together on satellite-based services that can bridge the digital divide and bring economic growth to the Mediterranean region.

The European Commission announced the 536 early-career top researchers for funding totalling almost €800 million in order to develop their ideas at the frontiers of knowledge. Also the grants will allow them to build their own research teams with more than 3,000 postdocs and PhD students, thereby supporting a new generation of top scientists in Europe.