Towards a European Research Area

This book addresses a European audience, both academics and practitioners in the area of European RTD policies. It presents analyses of RTD policy at the European level and of its intertwining with the national policy level. It covers issues such as the role of the EU in basic funding, the need and implementation of Europeanisation and internationalisation of research, and the growing role of the Framework Programmes.

Insights into these issues may help to deal with recent questions that have come up with the Communication of the “Innovation Union” ”Flagship Initiative. These questions range from the idea of a choice between internationalisation of research versus its Europeanisation versus an assessment of the possibility of creating a strong European Research Area for international collaboration while also allowing for the national autonomy of its actors (c.f. proposal of the German Science Council 2010). Some signals (c.f. EUROHORCS/ ESF initiative) seem to indicate that Germany’s research institutions (MPG, DFG, HRK) head in this direction.