Editor's note

Science and research matter much for the future of Europe. Besides, European scientific leadership is famous for its global incredible legacy: numerous world achievements have come from the European continent.  

Important to note that innovations have become a growth multiplier; it is high time in the member states to think about the links between excellent European knowledge and perspectives in creating more jobs, as well as increasing economic growth.   

To support European science, a special program was established in the EU. Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation program ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014-20), in addition to the private investment that this money would attract.

The program promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and globally important innovations that would take great ideas from the lab to the market.

EU Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC)

STAC is an independent and informal group of science and technology experts from academia and business, covering a broad range of disciplines and uniting expertise from across the European Research Area.

Established in January 2013 by the Commission President J.M. Barroso, the task of the Council is to examine areas where research and innovation can contribute to Europe's growth, with a particular focus on benefits and risks of advances in science and technology and how to address and communicate the scientific achievements for the social-economic benefits.

Scientific priorities

The European Commission has launched a report prepared by STAC. The report outlines some key opportunities for Europe that could be provided by science and technology, looking ahead to the year 2030. It is structured around citizens' priorities, as identified by a new Eurobarometer survey (Special Eurobarometer 419 on "Public perceptions of Science, Research and Innovation").

The survey underlines that health and medical care provide good incentives for job creation; they are seen by European citizens as the top priorities for science and technology innovation over the next 15 years.

On the topic of health and medical care, the STAC’s report highlights the potential opportunities of personalised medicine, performance enhancing technologies, brain imaging and the microbiome (microbes in the human body). These could help medical facilities in the EU member states to understand and tackle diseases more effectively in future.

Other initiatives

As to jobs, ICT and learning, STAC underlines the challenges of dealing with the growing amounts of information, especially in online. Therefore the report recommends that the EU institutions and the member states must focus on training old and young alike to "learn how to learn", so that knowledge, skills and critical thinking can be acquired throughout a working lifetime.

The report also includes commentary on additive manufacturing (3D printing), numerous ICT developments and mobile technologies.

In relation to environment, climate and energy, the report highlights research aimed at replacing and/or finding new materials (e.g. graphene) as well as providing potentials for developing bio-based industries for production. The report recommends that investments in resource exploration should be assessed according to the resources’ sustainability.

Finally, the report outlines the Council's vision for a knowledge-guided society in Europe, where it is citizens that make the choices about the future of Europe, using shared knowledge and scientific evidence.

The report praises the Commission's activities in scientific foresight and recommends that prospective activities should be linked to the EU sectoral policy development, so that Europe would be better prepared “for the future beyond Horizon 2020”.

General reference: “The Future of Europe is Science”, European Commission, IP/14/1092; 06/10/2014 at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-1092_en.htm?locale=en