Europe must invest more money and create better infrastructure to support science in order to remain globally competitive, said an independent panel of scientists advising the European Union in a report released today (October 6).

Image: Wikimedia

The group, called the European Research Area Board (ERAB), pointed out that Europe spends only 1% of its GDP on research, in comparison with 1.69% in the US and 2.62% in Japan. And although European researchers produce a third of all research papers world-wide, research published in the US is more highly cited. In today's report, the board proposed six strategies to unify and strengthen science in Europe -- from improving mobility of scientists to promoting scientific excellence over nationalism.

The ERA initiative was created in 2000 to provide a unified structure for science, but efforts to integrate research across nations soon stalled. Last year, the European Commission assembled 22 academic, non-profit, and industry scientists from different countries to advise the Commission on how to focus its efforts.

"Many of us have a very firm intention to realize [the recommendations] as fast as possible," Norbert Kroo, vice president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and a board member of the European Research Council, told The Scientist. He added, though, that the global economic crisis might slow the process.

Some of the ERAB's recommendations have already been promised by European leaders. Last month, upon being sworn in for his second term as president of the European Commission (EC), Jose Manuel Barroso said that he would promote the creation of a new position, a chief scientific officer of Europe, who would represent European science and advise the EC. The ERAB document, too, makes this suggestion; European science "should be represented by one single voice," said Kroo.

Broadly, the aim of the ERAB recommendations is to create "a more cohesive society from a research perspective," said John Wood, chair of the ERAB and a professor of engineering at Imperial College London -- to "use all the brains we've got." The report outlines six major themes to accomplish that goal: creating a unified research strategy; focusing research on societal needs such as sustainable energy and healthcare; increasing the interaction between science and policy, and between academia and industry; and promoting cohesion as well as excellence among European researchers.

To make Europe more competitive for global innovation, the board recommended simplifying and unifying intellectual property laws and patent procedures, which currently vary across all member nations. "We find people from China come here, and they don't want to talk to 27 different [nations]" of the European Union, said Wood.

The board also suggested taking steps to increase mobility for European scientists across institutions and borders. "In the Cold War, national security was the priority," said Kroo. "Countries very carefully guarded their research to keep it within their borders. Now, the priorities are competition and job creation," which require greater collaboration among EU nations. The problem of simplifying scientists' mobility, however, is "a tricky one," said Wood, as it can be impossible for researchers to keep their retirement savings when moving to another country.

Some recommendations, for example ensuring that by 2030 "half of all scientist and research policy makers, across all disciplines and at all levels of the science system, are women," do not include specifics about how the goals might be met. In the coming weeks and months, however, the ERAB plans develop concrete proposals on just how the European Union can deliver on those goals, said Wood.

The ERAB's proposals will eventually be discussed in European parliament. However, Kroo said, member nations don't have to wait for the EU to begin implementing the recommendations. "There is an article in the treaty of Rome" -- one of the treaties that was the basis of the European Union -- "article 169, which makes it possible for member countries to create consortia" around particular initiatives . An often-quoted example is that of the particle accelerator project, CERN, which was built with support from multiple nations. But it may not be easy -- although there are precedents for country collaboration, said Kroo, "there are some legal obstacles" which make the process more cumbersome than is necessary.


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