European Commission proposes a Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme
The European Commission has outlined its intentions to boost Europe's competitiveness and innovation through a new programme, which shall run from 2007 until 2013 with a budget of 4.2126 billion euro.
The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) is the Commission's response to calls for greater coherence and synergy between the Community programmmes and instruments relevant to the Lisbon strategy. The programme will comprise three sub-programs:
It shall bring together activities relating to entrepreneurship, SMEs, industrial competitiveness and innovation. 'Insufficient innovation is a major cause of Europe's disappointing growth performance,' states the CIP proposal. 'The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme will therefore support horizontal activities to improve, encourage and promote innovation (including eco-innovation) in enterprises. This will include fostering sector-specific innovation, clusters, public-private innovation partnerships, and the application of innovation management,' the paper continues.
Furthermore the programme shall address access to finance, which is often quoted as the largest barrier to entrepreneurship and enterprise innovation. It shall do this through Community Financial Instruments operated on behalf of the Commission by the European Investment Fund (EIF). For example, the High Growth and Innovative SME Facility (GIF) shall 'share risk and reward with private equity investors providing important leverage for the supply of equity to innovative companies,' according to the Commission. The SME Guarantee Facility shall continue to provide counter or co-guarantees for guarantee schemes, and direct guarantees to financial intermediaries.
ICT Policy Support Programme
It shall promote the adoption of ICT in businesses, administrations and public sector services. These actions have been in the past funded under the eTEN, eContent and MODINIS programmes. The programme shall build on lessons learned from these three programmes, and increase synergies between them.
'Although most financial support for the deployment and best use of ICT comes from the private sector and the Member States, Community support enables, in particular, the development of common approaches and coordinated actions, the sharing of good practices and the deployment of interoperable solutions across the Union,' states the proposal.
The Intelligent Energy
It shall be continued and enlarged under CIP. The programme's objective is to support sustainable development as it relates to energy, and to contribute to the achievement of the general goals of environmental protection, security of supply and competitiveness. It shall do this by focusing on the removal of non-technical barriers, the creation of market opportunities, and by raising awareness. Under CIP, the programme shall seek to facilitate the implementation of the energy regulatory framework, to increase the level of investment in new and effective technologies, and to increase both the uptake and demand for energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy diversification.
The programme shall have three separate strands:
For further information on the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, you can visit the site: www.cordis.lu/innovation/en/policy/cip.htm
- the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme
- the ICT [information and communication technology] Policy Support Program
- the Intelligent Energy - Europe Programme
It shall bring together activities relating to entrepreneurship, SMEs, industrial competitiveness and innovation. 'Insufficient innovation is a major cause of Europe's disappointing growth performance,' states the CIP proposal. 'The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme will therefore support horizontal activities to improve, encourage and promote innovation (including eco-innovation) in enterprises. This will include fostering sector-specific innovation, clusters, public-private innovation partnerships, and the application of innovation management,' the paper continues.
Furthermore the programme shall address access to finance, which is often quoted as the largest barrier to entrepreneurship and enterprise innovation. It shall do this through Community Financial Instruments operated on behalf of the Commission by the European Investment Fund (EIF). For example, the High Growth and Innovative SME Facility (GIF) shall 'share risk and reward with private equity investors providing important leverage for the supply of equity to innovative companies,' according to the Commission. The SME Guarantee Facility shall continue to provide counter or co-guarantees for guarantee schemes, and direct guarantees to financial intermediaries.
ICT Policy Support Programme
It shall promote the adoption of ICT in businesses, administrations and public sector services. These actions have been in the past funded under the eTEN, eContent and MODINIS programmes. The programme shall build on lessons learned from these three programmes, and increase synergies between them.
'Although most financial support for the deployment and best use of ICT comes from the private sector and the Member States, Community support enables, in particular, the development of common approaches and coordinated actions, the sharing of good practices and the deployment of interoperable solutions across the Union,' states the proposal.
The Intelligent Energy
It shall be continued and enlarged under CIP. The programme's objective is to support sustainable development as it relates to energy, and to contribute to the achievement of the general goals of environmental protection, security of supply and competitiveness. It shall do this by focusing on the removal of non-technical barriers, the creation of market opportunities, and by raising awareness. Under CIP, the programme shall seek to facilitate the implementation of the energy regulatory framework, to increase the level of investment in new and effective technologies, and to increase both the uptake and demand for energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy diversification.
The programme shall have three separate strands:
- energy efficiency and the rational use of energyparticularly in the building and industry sectors (SAVE)
- new and renewable energy sources for the production of electricity and heat, as well as their integration into the local environment and energy systems (ALTENER)
- and the energy aspects of transport (STEER)
For further information on the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, you can visit the site: www.cordis.lu/innovation/en/policy/cip.htm
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