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European Framework Programme
Scores Well with
Israel's Research Community
An overwhelming proportion of academic researchers and industry executives believe
that participation in the European Framework Programme yields value
A Dahaf survey, conducted by Prof. Mina Tzemach, reveals that
most researchers in industry and academia believe the European
Framework Program is worthwhile for Israel and we should
continue to participate.
Israel has participated in the European Framework Programme
(FP) for the past nine years. The Programme requires academic
researchers, commercial firms and even public offices to adopt
management and practices in accordance with accepted practices
of the various European research groups. Does the Israeli research
community know how to integrate into the European program and
get the most out of it?
Important funding for academia
The initial probe conducted by the ISrael Europe Research
and Development Directorate (ISERD) revealed that successful
outcomes justified the cost of Israeli participation in the EFP. Israel
has paid 190 million euros to be a partner in the Sixth European
R&D Framework Programme, and has, to date, recouped 203
million euros directly, via research grants awarded to Israeli
organizations. Most of these funds - 112.4 million euros—were
channeled to Israeli universities. Thus, the European Union has
become the most significant source of academic funding in Israel,
second only to the Israel Science Foundation.
The value of knowledge
Israel’s participation in the FP was not intended to serve as a
source of revenue, but how does one estimate the Programme's
true value? One possible answer is an assessment of the value of
the knowledge gained by Israeli researchers. Data provided by
ISERD, which facilitates the relationship between Israel and the
EU in R&D matters, demonstrates that Israel' participates in a
broad range of programs (with funding of 3.55 billion euros). The
Framework has afforded Israeli researchers access to over NIS
200 million in grants, granting them access to knowledge whose
monetary value is more than six times that sum.
To gain feedback from participants in Framework programs,
ISERD’s steering committee commissioned a survey. To assure
complete anonymity, the Dahaf research institute, led by Prof.
Mina Tzemach, was commissioned to conduct the survey.
Strategic importance
Although the results of the survey are not yet final, initial
data reveals the participants’ attitude toward the FP. There were
316 persons interviewed for the survey: 291 researchers and 25
executives.
When asked if the project was relevant to the main focus of their
work, or addressed secondary subjects, 76 percent of industry
respondents said it was relevant to their main work topic and
the overwhelming majority felt their projects were of strategic
importance to their company’s work: 18 percent defined the
projects as “highly strategic,” while 48 percent defined them as
“quite strategic.” Only 8 percent felt they were “of no strategic
importance.”
One survey question investigated the respondents’ assessment of
their own contribution to the European projects: Among executives,
68 percent said their participation contributed to their marketing
efforts. Seventy-four percent of executives said they were exposed
to advanced knowledge (the rate was 71 percent among academics).
The FP provided 74 percent of executives and 53 percent of
academics with access to new technology in which they would
otherwise not have been involved.
A very high percentage of interviewees concurred that their
participation in the FP made a qualitative contribution to their
knowledge or careers: Ninety percent of executives and 93 percent
of academics said they encountered new ideas. Ninety percent
of executives and 89 percent of academics said they acquired
new skills. Eighty-eight percent of executives and 89 percent of
academics agreed that their involvement in the program advanced
their professional connections, and 88 percent of executives said
the projects had improved the image of their companies.
Integrity of intellectual property
The Dahaf survey also examined the issue of possible damage
to researchers or their organization due to the exposure of their
knowledge to the other participants in their specific projects.
Only 2 percent of academic respondents reported any harm to
their intellectual property, and there was no report of any damage
from industrial researchers.
The final questions, regarding the interviewees’ attitude toward
their participation in the FP, revealed similar feelings among
academics and executives. Ninety-five percent of respondents from
academia and 92 percent from industry said their involvement in
the projects was worthwhile or very worthwhile for them.
Is the program worthwhile for Israel? One question noted that
the government pays considerable sums for Israel’s partnership
in the EU’s research program, and that not all of the funds are
returned in the form of research grants.
If so, asked the survey, is it worthwhile for Israel to participate
in the program? Ninety-six percent of respondents from industry
and 80 percent from academia felt that it would be worthwhile,
even an the event that only 80 percent of the participation costs
are recouped. Seventy-one percent of executives and 15 percent
of academics felt it would be worthwhile even if only 60 percent
of the participation costs were returned to Israel in the form of
R&D grants.