Statsråd Kristin Clemet

Foredrag på Norsk Forsknings- og Innovasjonsforum, 11. juni 2004 Stanhope Hotel, Rue du Commerce 9, Brussels

National research policy within the framework of new European policies – what are the opportunities and challenges for developing the European Marine Research and Innovation area?

Commissioner, ambassador, ladies and gentlemen,

Our topic today is an important one for Europe, globally, and for my own country. I am therefore very pleased to participate in this event and to see that so many are present to discuss and reflect on future aspects of European collaboration within marine research and innovation.

Even if we are still in the middle of the 6th framework programme, we need to look ahead. Norway is fully prepared to contribute actively in discussions about the 7th framework programme in the time to come. We have so far participated broadly in the present and past framework programmes, but our aim is to further increase and strengthen our participation. I am very pleased that Norwegian scientists have been highly successful in the 6th framework programme so far, but there are still some challenges to be dealt with.

One central recommendation in the recent evaluation of our participation in the Fifth framework programme is that we should aim for more interplay and synergies between national programmes and the Framework Programme. This is an issue we will need to discuss further in the new White Paper on research which I am preparing for Parliament. I shall return to this later in my speech. Another recommendation was that Norway should consider the strategic advantage of a stronger liaison function in Brussels. I am pleased to announce that we are already following up this recommendation and will establish a Norwegian liaison office for research here in Brussels. The office will offer professional assistance to researchers, and provide a meeting place for actors involved in European research. The Research Council of Norway, in cooperation with Innovation Norway, will be responsible for this service, which should be in operation in the course of the autumn 2004. I trust that this Office will be of mutual benefit to Norwegian researchers and their partners abroad.

Our common future depends on our ability to develop and share knowledge in all areas of society and not least across national borders.

The EU framework programme is an important tool with respect to networking our research groups, achieving higher quality in research, broadening the knowledge base of our society and industries, and developing a dynamic innovative value creation. The development of the European Research Area creates new challenges for national policymakers. The time when policy makers could shape national research policies in isolation has definitely passed. Globalisation and internationalisation lead to more competition and more collaboration at the same time, not least in research. This affects the way public research is organised, the role of the different actors in the research system, as well as how industry organises its research and connects to public research.

The Norwegian government has the ambition that we should be in the forefront in terms of knowledge, expertise and new technology, and will present a White Paper on Research to Parliament next spring. I cannot yet reveal the contents of this White Paper as we have just started an open dialogue with researchers, research organisations, industry and the public. We also intend to strengthen our dialogue with other countries and learn from their experiences. But it is clear that the White Paper will have to address internationalization of research as a cross-cutting theme. Internationalization of research represents both major challenges and opportunities. In retrospect, the previous White Paper on research from 1999 seems to have been rather nationally oriented. In the years that have passed the patterns of international collaboration have increased and changed substantially, both in the private and public sector. Let me mention one example: Almost 50 percent of all scientific articles in 2002 from Norwegian scientists were co-authored with scientists from other countries.

The aim of this conference is to underline the particular importance of the oceans and marine science in a broad sense, and to stimulate a discussion on how these research fields can be strengthened in Europe in the years to come. One of the rationales behind ERA is the fragmentation of research in Europe. This also applies to marine sciences. Relevant aspects include the lack of SME participation and not least the insufficient degree of investments from industry in research. We should keep this in mind when discussing the opportunities and challenges in the development of marine research.

Oceans surround a large part of Europe. The oceans have played a critical role in economic development and will continue to do so. The oceans have important effects on the total climate of the earth. And not least; the oceans represent the largest remaining unexplored “area” on our globe.

The oceans have always fascinated people, both as a means of travel, as a source of food, and as a hiding place for unknown life and beauty.

The exploration of the seas started in the very distant times, when the people who fished for subsistence crossed open stretches in their small crafts. Later on, larger vessels crossed the High Seas and discovered new continents. The oceans became the first highways of the world. The ocean routes became the ties between peoples, countries and Continents.

Our future is closely linked to new knowledge!

Marine biodiversity is in need of extensive research. Compared with millions of species described on land, only a few thousand species of marine plants and animals have been scientifically described. There is an abundance of valuable resources in the oceans and below the sea floor: food, minerals, genes and molecules with unknown characteristics and potential for applications.

The generic technologies (biotechnology, ICT and material technology) are critical platforms for further development within marine science. This was an important issue when the novel Norwegian research vessel G.O. Sars was designed and put to sea last year. All these three technologies were challenged to create tomorrow’s marine infrastructure.

Let me mention some examples: In areas like aquaculture there is a tendency towards larger and more industrialised structures. These may have to be located in the open waters and designed to be towed from place to place or raised or lowered in the water to avoid algae. In the area of oil and gas, production is moving towards deeper waters, and in shipping there is a trend towards faster vessels. These developments require new and basic knowledge of ocean structures, of materials, about chaotic variations in ocean behaviour, and about how vessels, platforms and pipelines react when exposed to extreme physical and environmental stress.

The oceans should be well managed!

The beauty of our living marine resources is that they are renewable. They will, when cared for, reproduce year after year - within the variations of nature - but only if we exploit our common resources with wisdom. A better management of the oceans is crucial to realise potential commercial benefits as well as other benefits. We need to understand better how the climate and the oceans will be affected by various causes. This issue is so vital and complex that the world research communities should cooperate to ensure a scientific basis for future policies.

The Commission document on the future of European research policy is due in a few days. I understand that the aim is to start a broad dialogue before the more formal proposal on the 7th framework programme will be presented early next year. We welcome this opportunity for a science policy discussion at European level. I feel certain that this discussion will provide valuable input into our work on an new White Paper on research. Six axes for the future research cooperation in Europe have already been indicated by the Commission.

Let me use the Oceans and marine science as an illustration in this context: The scientific challenges linked to the oceans encompass all the six structural elements indicated for the next European framework programme:

• There clearly is a need for consolidating cooperation, collaboration and networking in marine science,
• There is a need for innovation in technology and products through public-private-partnerships, for example through the establishment of a technology initiative on marine research
• There is a need for basic knowledge about the oceans, and a possibility to increase the scientific competition among excellent European marine research teams
• There is a need for increasing human resources and mobility dedicated to marine sciences
• There is a need for new infrastructure and for coordination of existing marine research infrastructure and vessels,
• There is last but not least the need for co-ordination of science policy, strategies and science plans in the areas of sustainability, competitiveness and management of marine resources and biodiversity.

Why Community level financing of marine research?

We have a strong tradition for cooperation in European Marine research. Take for example the Belgica Expedition in 1897-98 to Antarctica, which was the first expedition to focus on scientific research. This expedition was lead by the great explorer and naval officer de Gerlache (Full name: Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery). His small crew consisted of carefully selected men from 5 different countries. Among them the American Frederick A. Cook, who later claimed to have conquered the North Pole in 1908, and Roald Amundsen, who lead the first successful expedition to the South Pole 1911. The experiences from the Belgica expedition were instrumental for both Cook and Amundsen in their later accomplishments. What can we learn from this? Already more than a hundred years ago, when Europe was the leading area for marine science, there was a strong will in Europe to cooperate globally in order to understand global phenomena – and we learn that cooperation is essential – to disseminate knowledge and to gather new experience. The marine laboratory and station in Naples also demonstrate how European researchers have been collaborating on such research for more than a century.

Marine research and management is a priority area in Norway due to our geography, the great importance of our fishing industry and our traditions as a seafaring nation, and the need for developing management skills for a sustainable utilization of these resources. But this cannot be done in isolation.

Today international cooperation is more essential than ever as knowledge is developing much faster than before. The large and complex infrastructures and investments that are needed in science cannot be provided by a single nation. The geographic coverage and the lengthy timescales required for certain initiatives are also important. In this context it should also be pointed out that the observations we have made during decades on marine temperature and climate turn out to be critical for our understanding of climate change. Our understanding of and research on the oceans also have a bearing on our understanding of manmade changes in the weather. The changes taking place in the polar areas seem to be particularly sensitive indicators for such changes. I will point to the unique research facilities at Svalbard that are well suited for this research.

As you know, Commissioner Busquin, from our visit to Svalbard during the international conference on climate research last year, New Ålesund in an impressive international research site. I am pleased to announce that Norway is building an arctic marine laboratory in New Ålesund. I have been invited to place the foundation stone for this laboratory on June 26 ^th>,when I am organizing a visit to Svalbard for a number of my European colleagues, after the 8 ^th> Conference of European Ministers of Education which I am hosting in Oslo on June 24-25 ^th>. The marine laboratory will provide new and exiting possibilities for research activities on Svalbard, and even more extended international cooperation. I invite you all to make use of this facility. The building of the laboratory is proceeding according to plan, and we expect it to be operational by summer 2005.

Today’s challenges in marine research span the whole spectrum of fundamental research, applied research and practical problem solving. There is a need for new equipment and financial commitments of such a scale that marine research is heavily dependent on multinational joint cooperation. Fortunately, there already exist co-operational structures at European level in marine science – these structures should be further developed to achieve common European goals, and to revitalise Europe as an important marine research actor also in a global context.

While the possibilities for developing and exploiting new knowledge in the marine area are greater than ever, the risks are often so high that market failure and the lack of sufficient venture capital may explain why private actors are not fully involved in new areas like marine biotechnology. Due to such market and system failures, public financing is necessary to release investments by private enterprises and to ensure wealth creation and innovation for the benefit of society at large.

Extreme environments

There are two particular areas where the need for new knowledge is extensive; the polar regions and the deep seas. Most poorly known is probably the combination of the two: the deeper areas of the arctic polar basin. Several international organisations (such as the WMO - World Meteorological Organization), as well as the main actors in marine and polar sciences are preparing for an International Polar Year from 2007-2009. Global Change, the environment, basic geophysics and ecosystem studies will be key-words, but also other initiatives may be covered, including social cohesion and cultural values. This will provide a good opportunity for further advancement of science in such areas.

The deep sea: The new scientific frontier.

The oceans’ deeper sections are still largely unexplored. Europe has the opportunity to participate in exploring the fundamentals of the Oceans’ deep areas. Such research is demanding in terms of technology and equipment, but offer the possibility of new knowledge about important global geophysical and biological processes, properties of marine organisms, compounds, etc. Several of the newly discovered deep sea species show traits of great physiological and even ecological importance. Still they have been left undiscovered until now.

We would like to see themes like the ones I have been referring to, reflected in the future framework programme.

So, let me end this presentation with a challenge:

Europe could take on a more active role in the exploration and management of the oceans, and ERA and the 7th framework programme could be crucial in strengthening our scientific knowledge base and our collaboration – Norway is fully prepared to contribute in this development!

Thank you for your attention.