[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6814\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u0027Evolution, not revolution\u0027 will guide next EU research funding programme \u2013 Jean-Eric Paquet\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou previously worked in the team of Philippe Busquin when he was European Commissioner for Research (1999-2004). How has the research landscape changed in the meantime?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The overall context certainly has changed in the past 15 years. And what has changed is the challenges that our societies, our economies, the European Union is facing, such as climate change, where research and science are clearly holding part of the answer. The expectations of societies and the need for science to live up to these challenges is greater than ever.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do you see as the priorities going forward?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Carlos Moedas (the EU commissioner for research, science and innovation) has made a very strong push on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/key-themes\/open-science\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eopen science\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/key-themes\/open-innovation\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eopen innovation\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/key-themes\/open-world\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eopen to the world\u003C\/a\u003E, which I think is a very ambitious research policy on which we are progressively delivering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018On open science, a lot was done already, and Carlos asked \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/article\/open-access-scientific-publications-must-become-reality-2020-robert-jan-smits_en.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003ERobert-Jan\u003C\/a\u003E (Smits, the former director-general for research and innovation) to continue to work on access. That is a particularly important assignment he has.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018On open innovation (there are) ongoing discussions on the European Innovation Council (EIC) (and) on disruptive innovation. There is a lot which was done under \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/programmes\/horizon2020\/what-horizon-2020\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EHorizon 2020\u003C\/a\u003E, but the Commission is certainly very ambitious to do more. And this is, for me, a particularly interesting part of the mandate \u2026 because it really leads into a key discussion of how research results are then used.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018On open to the world, this is a particularly challenging area. Science is open by definition and I think flourishes on that. At the same time, we are in a complex international environment, probably more complex today than when this Commission started its work. There are a number of challenges.\u2019\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u0026#039;We need to pay a lot of attention to helping science, research, innovation results feed into market deployment.\u0026#039;\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EJean-Eric Paquet, EU Director-General for Research and Innovation\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat challenges in particular?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Our cooperation with key players. The world is in competition with China. Cooperation with Russia (may become) more complicated after the decisions which were taken at the European Council last week. We also have major challenges to continue to work with colleagues across the Atlantic. I think American science is a key partner for European science and rightly so \u2013 and we need to ensure our American colleagues can continue to engage.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat can you tell us about the UK\u2019s future involvement with EU research?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have now the guidelines of the European Council which were agreed by leaders, which I think are quite explicit. We clearly envisage, in terms of socio-economic cooperation, to continue to have a solid relationship with the UK \u2013 also in research and science.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019re coming into the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation at a time when plans for the next EU funding programme are 80% complete. What information can you give us about what they contain?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The overall structure is clearly emerging and is largely based on the existing structure of Horizon 2020. We are largely basing the work on the report of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/article\/next-eu-science-fund-should-be-doubled-size-pascal-lamy_en.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EPascal Lamy\u003C\/a\u003E, which mantra I find quite telling \u2013 which is \u201cevolution not revolution\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We will have an extremely strong science pillar, largely based on the European Research Council, which is clearly one of the successes of the framework programme and European research more generally. Marie Curie (the Marie-Sklodowska Curie Actions) obviously continues, infrastructure (funding) continues. There is a very high European added-value in this science pillar of Horizon 2020 and of the future framework programme.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018And then there will certainly be around the open innovation part a very significant effort to improve our instruments to promote disruptive breakthrough innovations at EU level. Around this innovation pillar is of course the work on the European Innovation Council, which Carlos Moedas has been promoting now over the last year and a half. So the structure is not a surprise.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s left to decide?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We now have two more months to fine tune and\u0026nbsp;fine-tuning is going to be an important part of the process. A key element is going to be the overall amount of the budget. The three scenarios (we are working with) are 80 (billion euros), 120 (billion euros) or 160 (billion euros).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018If I listen to my president, Jean-Claude Juncker, his remarks in the Parliament a few days ago (were) rather encouraging. I am indeed impressed by the fact that the framework programme seems to be one of the obvious priorities.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutside of the next funding programme, what are some of the other things you\u2019ll be looking at? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018How we manage to ensure that around the framework programme, we can also better organise the broader innovation or industrial agenda of the Commission. The structural funds are an obvious key programme in this regard. I strongly believe that we need to support all EU Member States in developing their research systems and capacities. I am rather struck by the fact that after 15 years this is still so heterogeneous. We need to look into ways where the European structural funds can effectively complement the framework programme to help all Member States to build up their capacity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What is also for me as important, is to help project promoters (from) research (and) science link into project promoters in industries, in public or local authorities in Member States, and help them effectively use the synergies between these programmes.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApart from the big question of the next EU research budget, what challenges can you see?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need to ensure we continue to support European science to remain top-class (in) worldwide science. We are at the top and that is where we need to stay. And it\u2019s demographically challenged, but also challenged by a number of political choices made by our competitors which are putting science and research very high on the agenda.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I also think that the European social model really depends heavily on our competitiveness, on our productivity, and I think we need also to pay a lot of attention to helping science, research, innovation results feed into market deployment. I think that the EIC will also be an extremely useful tool to work directly with economic actors at the level of start-ups and especially scale-ups.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAre you looking forward to getting stuck in?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I am absolutely delighted to take up this portfolio. It\u2019s a fantastic portfolio. For me it\u2019s looking into the future, working for scientists, working with industry but working ultimately for citizens and our society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I think we are doing amazing stuff. I discovered that we funded a project which has produced solar jet fuel, kerosene, from water and CO2. I mean this is \u2026 completely amazing. Whether this can reach industrial scale I have no idea, but I think the notion that EU research is (something) which captures the imagination (is) very important.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/newsalertsignup\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cimg class src=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/news-alert-final.jpg\u0022 alt width=\u0022983\u0022 height=\u0022222\u0022\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-pvbmxiuh5wu2yrcqjnxhlux0krelkmxy2do5omw5yba\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-pVBmXIUh5Wu2yrcqjnXhLux0KreLkmxy2Do5oMW5yBA\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]