UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT

UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT
Figure 9.6: Innovation performance of EU regions, 2004 and 2010
2004
2010
Innovation leaders
Innovation followers
Moderate innovators
Modest innovators
Source: European commission (2014c), Regional Innovation Union Scoreboard 2014; maps created using Region Map Generator
such as expensive patenting, market fragmentation, slow standardsetting
and skills shortages – and revolutionize the way in which
the public and private sectors work together, notably through
innovation partnerships between European institutions, national
and regional authorities and businesses. By 2015, considerable
progress had been made for all but one commitment (Table 9.7).
Commitment 5 focuses on building world-class research and
innovation infrastructure to attract global talent and foster
the development of key enabling technologies. The European
Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures has identified 44
key new research facilities (or major upgrades to existing ones).
The construction and operation of this infrastructure requires
the pooling of resources by several member states, associated
countries and also third countries. The target is for 60% of this
research infrastructure to have been completed or launched
by 2015.
Commitment 7 stresses the key role of SMEs in driving innovation
as catalysts for knowledge spillovers. Tapping the full innovation
potential of SMEs requires favourable framework conditions but
also efficient support mechanisms. SME access to EU funding
is hampered by the fragmentation of support instruments and
administrative procedures ill-adapted to SMEs. With Horizon 2020,
a new dedicated SME Instrument has been designed for highly
innovative SMEs with the ambition of ensuring that a significant
share of funding is reserved for SMEs.
Commitments 14 to 18 all serve to promote the single
innovation market by making it easier for companies to innovate
and to protect their intellectual property rights. European
companies filing for patent protection currently need to do
so in all 28 member states, piling on additional administrative
requirements and translation costs. The ‘unitary patent package’
agreed upon by 25 EU member states (all but Croatia, Italy and
Spain) between 2012 and 2013 includes regulations creating a
unitary patent and establishing a translation regime applicable
to the unitary patent, as well as the establishment of a single
and specialized patent jurisdiction, the Unified Patent Court.
The costs of a unitary patent related to procedural fees and
translations are expected to fall considerably for all 25 member
states, leading to savings of an estimated 85%. The Unified
Patent Court is expected to start functioning in 2015 and
should result in annual savings of between € 148 million and
€ 289 million (European Commission, 2014c).
To meet its ambitions for research, the EU will need to augment
the number of researchers in the EU, a significant share of
whom will have to come from third countries. For the EU
to be able to compete with the USA in attracting research
talent, for instance, EU legislation will need to be applied to
the letter. Member states have already reformed their higher
education sectors as part of the Bologna Process 11 and special
scientific visas have been designed to help researchers obtain
authorization to live and work in any member state more easily.
11. On the Bologna Process, see the UNESCO Science Report 2010, p. 150.
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