Designing a European Innovation Council: A Call for Ideas

The European Commission has launched a Call for Ideas for a European Innovation Council to support Europe’s most promising innovators.

Positive steps have been taken in recent years to integrate an innovation component into EU programmes and policies, in particular Horizon 2020. However, the array of support mechanisms can be difficult to navigate, and lacks the flexibility and responsiveness that disruptive innovation requires. Commissioner Moedas launched the ‘Call for Ideas’ at the Science|Business Annual Conference in Brussels recently, stating “Europe has excellent science, but we lack disruptive market-creating innovation. This is what is needed to turn our best ideas into new jobs, businesses and opportunities.” While the number of start-ups created in Europe is on a par with competitors such as the United States, Europe lags behind in disruptive innovation and in scaling start-ups into world-beating businesses. A European Innovation Council could contribute to solving this problem. However, it is important that the design of the European Innovation Council is based on the best possible ideas and evidence from all interested parties (notably: business, entrepreneurs, national and regional authorities, academia and representative bodies).

The Commission is therefore seeking the views of stakeholders via an online survey, and AIRTO members are encouraged to respond. An analysis of the responses will be published by June 2016 and feed into any possible proposals that the Commission will discuss with Member States and the European Parliament. The Call for Ideas involves a small number of questions set out in an online survey; the deadline for submission is 29 April 2016.

AIRTO will be responding to this call, and any members wishing to share their views for inclusion in the AIRTO submission should email enquiries@airto.co.uk by 20 April.