EVALUATION

AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF THE LCNF
An ex-post evaluation of FP7 was carried out in late 2015. This evaluation concluded that
FP7 has:
• increased competitiveness of Europe's industry and had a positive impact on growth
and jobs (estimated GDP increase of €20 billion per year over the next 25 years,
creating over 130,000 research jobs per year and 160,000 additional jobs);
• strengthened scientific excellence;
• achieved greater scale and complexity of projects than otherwise possible. This is
because many of the projects funded were of a scale and complexity that meant they
needed to achieve critical mass and could only have been carried out at the EU level;
• increased investment; and
• created durable cross-border, cross-sectoral, inter-disciplinary networks.
The evaluation of the programme also identified some elements of the programme which
could have functioned better. This included some components that are thought to have
hindered its efficiency. While there was collaboration in the programme it was concluded
that there was scope for greater synergies.
Recommendations from the ex-post evaluation of FP7, which were to inform Horizon 2020
but are also relevant to other innovation programmes, are as follows:
• it should be ensured that the focus is on critical challenges and opportunities in the
global context;
• research and innovation instruments and agendas in Europe should be aligned;
• the key components of the Framework Programmes should be integrated more
effectively to avoid fragmentation and the emergence of 'silos' that can undermine
efficiency and coherence;
• science should be brought closer to the citizens through engagement of the general
public; and
• strategic programme monitoring and evaluation should be established.
An example of an FP7 project is the DISCERN project, where the aim was to learn how to
enhance the electricity network by using distributed intelligence.
The LCNF has also been set up so that it provides tangible value to customers, which is
an aspect that does not appear as obviously in other international mechanisms, and as
the projects have in many cases involved stakeholders LCNF projects have made inroads
into one of the FP7 post evaluation findings of engaging with the general public.
Other relevant observations from the FP7 post evaluation findings are to integrate and
align research and development which the LCNF did, to some extent, by having the
competition for Tier 2 projects, which often followed on from Tier 1 investigative projects.
However overall programme monitoring to ensure the learning in each technology area is
readily available, together with an industry agreed strategic direction for next steps, and
has not occurred.
6.2.3 LCNF and Horizon 2020
Both LCNF and Horizon 2020 have similar objectives in terms of stimulating innovation.
However, as LCNF/NIC is more GB network and market-focused and due to the specific
energy landscape in the UK (as an island location) having specific and separate UK
funding for network innovation is important. In fact, the Horizon 2020 requirements on
PÖYRY MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
October 2016
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