Strengthening Cooperation in S&T in support of Policy Making

Strengthening Cooperation in S&T in support of Policy Making

Ladies and gentlemen,  

It is a great honour for me to take part in the opening of this event. I would especially like to welcome the representatives of the Joint Research Centre to Norway. I would also like to thank the organisers, that is the Joint Research Centre and the Research Council of Norway, for organising this information day.  

I believe this is a very timely initiative. It will clearly increase the awareness of the Joint Research Centre in Norway.  I hope it will also lead to increased cooperation between the JRC and Norwegian actors in R&D.  

The Joint Research Centre is an important knowledge actor in the EU. It supports policy development and decision making in the EU through its activities in science and technology. This includes activities in a number of areas, such as health and consumer protection, environment, energy and materials and nuclear safety.  

The importance of the work done by the Joint Research Centre is seen in a number of areas. The JRC has made contributions to chemicals legislation in Europe – the REACH regulation. It has also contributed to the new European Energy Technology policy – the SET plan, and to the new Maritime Policy in the EU.  

The potential for increased collaboration between the JRC and Norwegian research institutions will be explored in more detail here today. However, let me already from the outset state that the JRC is obviously involved in a number of areas of great importance, that compare well to Norwegian research priorities. This should provide for increased and better institutional collaboration.   

Also from a policy point of view I will argue that there is good reasons for increasing cooperation between Norway and the JRC. The topic of the day is science and technology in support of policy making. This is a topic of increasing importance in research policy, both in Norway and within the European Union. Knowledge stemming from research is both an input to research policy to meet the challenges facing us. As well it is an instrument to solve the problems following these.   

The challenges are many, and include climate change, energy and the environment, widespread global poverty and health issues of epidemic proportions. High on the agenda in all European countries and the EU are also changing demographics, increased global competition and energy supply.        

Both Norway and the EU are increasing their efforts in research to meet these challenges. The Lisbon strategy is obviously central to the EU efforts in this respect. New initiatives such as the Strategic Energy Technology Plan – the SET plan - complement the Lisbon-strategy.   

The Norwegian government is strengthening Norwegian efforts in research and development based on a framework for policy development and new initiatives. Three main pillars form the basis of this framework:   

The first pillar is Global challenges, Climate change and the High North. This is a broad topic. We are for one thing increasing our efforts in climate change. An important background for this is of course the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The work done by the IPCC has included many Norwegian researchers. It has made an important contribution to our knowledge on the relationship between climate change and human activity.  

In Norway, there was a broad political settlement on climate policy earlier this year. This will lead to a substantial increase in funding of research in renewable energy and CO2-capture up to 2010. 

I just returned yesterday from Tromsø. Tromsø and Svalbard are central for the Norwegian High North strategy. Climate change is clearly seen and  strongly felt in arctic areas with melting glaciers and permafrost. In “Aftenposten” of today there is an article stating that both the Northwest passage (north of Canada) as well as the Northeast (to the north of  Russia) are open at the same time.  This has not happened as far back as reports state (The Norwegian Polar Research Institute/Nolan Coc). The IPCC forecasted earlier an ice-free Polar see by autumn 2070. Then this has been revised to the summer of 2030.  Newer theories from the US state that the ice will be gone within five years. The conclusion then is clear – we face a very serious situation! 

We are also aware that the JRC has made important contributions to new EU-initiatives to combat climate change. 

The second pillar is Health and Welfare. Health is an important topic both in international and Norwegian research. Making medical research relevant to all parts of society both nationally and globally is a big challenge. Another challenge is to uphold and strengthen the Nordic welfare model. We believe it is important that research contributes to increased welfare, social cohesion and increased social participation.    

The third pillar is Research for Value Creation.  The policy of the government is that Norway should approach increasing global competition by increasing innovation and the use of knowledge. This should be done not by lowering costs, taxation or giving subisidies. Research is at the very centre of this approach. We base research for value creation on national priorities. They include marine and maritime research, energy, ICT, health, nanotechnology and biotechnology. Specifically we should from our side mention marine biotechnology from arctic species. 

Later this year, the government will also present a White Paper on innovation. We do to strengthen our policy in to positively challenge and support the research investments made by our trade and industry.   

A main point I would like to put to you here today is the following: For all three pillars we see a clear need for strengthening the knowledge base for policy making and for increased European and international cooperation.     

Strengthening the knowledge base is an obvious prerequisite to support and realise research in the three mentioned areas. This is about developing new knowledge through research, and also through social sciences studies on research and innovation. It is also about securing a sufficient number of researchers and upgrading the necessary research infrastructures.  

International cooperation within R&D is an essential ingredient. Norway gives high priority to international cooperation in research. We want and need structured and easy access to the large amounts of knowledge developed outside of Norway. Likewise, Norway develops knowledge of relevance to other countries.  

These are actually two sides of the same coin. Just think of how important international cooperation was in building up our knowledge base in offshore petroleum-activities and fish farming. Today, Norway is an attractive knowledge partner internationally in the very same areas.  

We need to build on this and ensure a portfolio of international research cooperation that is in line with our ambitions and national priorities in research.  

The United States has traditionally been an important knowledge partner to Norway. The European Union has established itself as an another main knowledge partner to Norway. The Framework Programme on Research is at the very core of this cooperation. Through this programme, the EU and Norway has worked together in research for more than twenty years.  

Norway is currently participating in the 7th Framework Programme. Being a small country, I believe it is quite impressive that Norwegian actors now are taking part in 14 percent of the approved projects in this programme.  

We hope to build on the cooperation that was established in the 6th Framework Programme. Norway and the Joint Research Centre here became partners in 73 joint projects. This is close to 10 percent of all projects with Norwegian participation in this Framework Programme.  

More directly related to support of policymaking, we are very pleased to have taken part in the development of the ERAWATCH portal, with the JRC as a central actor. This is in our view a very useful instrument to gain information on research policy and programmes both in European countries and countries outside of Europe.   

Norway has high ambitions for our participation in the 7th Framework Programme. We have established a national strategy for our cooperation with the EU in this programme. It is our aim to strengthen Norwegian participation in the programme. We also aim at increasing our return, both in terms of knowledge and innovation and funding of research.  

The Research Council of Norway is our main operational instrument for realising the strategy. I am confident that a strengthening of the Norwegian participation also will lead to increased cooperation with the JRC.    

This would be a very positive development. The JRC is clearly an important actor in European research and research policy. Norwegian competence should be made more available to the JRC in this work. And Norway should make better use of the knowledge base of the JRC and increase learning about the JRC.  

One way of doing this is to increase the number of seconded Norwegian researchers and experts to the JRC and develop further institutional links.  

I trust this will be discussed more in detail later today. I will limit myself to say that I am pleased with the areas for cooperation that will be discussed here today  - climate change, energy, health and marine and maritime research. These are all areas that are well in line with the policy framework I have presented here today. They are also areas where there is a need for strengthening science and technology in support of policy making.   

I welcome this information day very much. I am confident that increased collaboration will follow as a result, and wish you all a fruitful seminar.   

I participate in the seminar a few hours from now, and wish you success with all of it.

Thank you for the attention!