Press Maria da Graça Carvalho hosts the European Forum for Manufacturing 'Innovation, Research & Manufacturing'
Maria da Graça Carvalho hosted the European Forum for Manufacturing 'Innovation, Research & Manufacturing' that took place yesterday in the European Parliament.
The main three topics for the first forum for manufacturing of 2011 were related to the Innovation Union, 8FP and the financing of both.
Maria da Graça Carvalho focused her speech on "Research and FP8" covering five main points that represented "what I feel to be the main lines of development that should be adopted under FP8, the successor of FP7" (see speech here).
These points included: firstly, a science-based funding system; secondly, the chain of innovation linked to frontier research; thirdly, the effectiveness of individual instruments in the context of simplification; fourthly, the need for a radical overhaul of the administration of the FP; and finally, enhanced international cooperation.
To conclude, Ms Carvalho said that "Europe has an active role to play in the field and to this end I am keenly in favour of enhanced and better funded research and innovation programmes".
During the debate participated the Director General of DG Research, Robert-Jan Smits, representatives from the leading manufacturing organisations AB VOLVO, BAYER, UMICORE, ATLAS COPCO, Teknikforetagen; MEPs Danuta Hubner, Malcolm Harbour, Judith Merkies, Gunnar Okmark, Marisa Matias and Paul Rubig; and the Counsellor of Sciences and Technologies of the Hungarian Permanent Representation Laszlo Szendrodi.
Maria da Graça Carvalho participated in the EFM of April 2010 concerning to 'Research & Innovation for Manufacturing' with the participation of Commissioner Geogeghan-Quinn, also held in the Parliament.
The EFM is a European Parliament initiative bringing together key MEPs across the political groupings, the Commission, Council Presidency and manufacturing companies to exchange views on issues of concern.