Draft Report of the Expert Group on International STI Cooperation to ...

Research and innovation infrastructure is an important building block for international
cooperation. The EU should give priority to ensuring mutual access, mutual benefits and c<strong>of</strong>unding
for research and innovation infrastructure needed to tackle global challenges. The
strategy should also recognize <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> European research infrastructures for
European attractiveness in order to bring talent and investment to Europe.
The needed strategy should be based on <strong>the</strong>matic foci or global challenges, it should tackle
different parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world in different ways, and be selective about Europe’s choice <strong>of</strong>
preferred partners.
Addressing industry and innovation
Firms go international to access markets that may be faster growing or more dynamic than
mature European ones, search for skilled labour, participate in increasingly international
value chains, de-locate production, source knowledge and access raw materials, to name a
few reasons. These drivers generate sector- and firm-specific patterns <strong>of</strong> international
cooperation. In many cases, internationalising firms are moving beyond being ‘multinational’
in <strong>the</strong> sense <strong>of</strong> retaining strong ties to a ‘home’ country and becoming more ‘transnational’
with production, R&D and ownership spread across multiple countries. For many
multinational companies it is necessary to have both research and production outside Europe
in order to keep and expand activities in Europe. In many cases research activities outside
Europe can also be directly used in Europe.
A strategic approach to international cooperation that includes a focus on industry and
innovation needs to balance two aims: streng<strong>the</strong>ning international R&D cooperation; and
promoting framework conditions that underpin a global ‘level playing-field’ in innovation.
Streng<strong>the</strong>ning R&D cooperation involves ensuring that Europe is attractive as a region for
lead markets, pilots and demonstration, infrastructure for testing and technology verification,
and that Europe take a lead in technology platforms and standardisation through cooperation
with stakeholders, all with a view to reduce uncertainty for industrial innovation. These aims
in turn require that Europe stimulates mobility <strong>of</strong> researchers and students and access to talent
and research.
Ensuring a level playing field means that
• The EU should lead projects aiming to set global standards and norms. This represents
an opportunity to take <strong>the</strong> initiative and have a decisive influence on market
opportunities
• The EU should lead key projects addressing some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> grand challenges, where a
global effort is beneficial for everyone. This is especially useful in ‘horizontal’ issues
where IPR is not a major concern
• More broadly, EU international projects should have clear and transparent IPR and
exploitation rights. The EU should work towards more harmonised international rules
and practices in relation to IPR
• The EU should ensure coherence with traditional trade and industry policy aspects
such as reduction <strong>of</strong> trade barriers and encouraging entry under fair conditions
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