Эврика – это панъевропейская сеть промышленных исследований и разработок, созданная в 1985 году.
Programm Official Website: www.eurekanetwork.org
EUREKA is a pan-European network for market-oriented, industrial research and development. Created as an intergovernmental Initiative in 1985, EUREKA aims to enhance European competitiveness through its support to businesses, research centers and universities who carry out pan-European projects to develop innovative products, processes and services.
Through its flexible and decentralized Network, EUREKA offers project partners rapid access to a wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise across Europe and facilitates access to national public and private funding schemes. Through a EUREKA project, partners develop new technologies for which they agree the Intellectual Property Rights and build partnerships to penetrate new markets.
The network envisions three types of project; independent, umbrella and cluster projects. Independent projects are self explanatory in nature. Umbrella projects operate in specific technological fields and seek to facilitate the launch of new projects, in doing so selecting partners to comprise working groups. Cluster projects embrace strategic lines of cooperation within the Eureka network.
The EUREKA Clusters play a key role in building European competitiveness, driving European standards and the interoperability of products in a wide range of sectors.
The EUREKA Umbrellas are thematic networks which focus on a specific technology area or business sector. The main goal of an Umbrella is to facilitate the generation of EUREKA projects in its own target area.
Each year hundreds of individual projects are initiated by European companies, an increasing number of which are SMEs. These contribute to improved wellbeing, security, environment and employment in Europe and beyond.
Two award schemes operate under the Eureka network. The Lillehammer Award dates from 1994, when Norway was the chair of the network. Bearing the name of the Norwegian city which hosted the Winter Olympics the same year, it is awarded for outstanding environmental protection projects. The second award scheme, Spain’s Lynx Award, celebrates impressive advances in management and profitability.
By encouraging and assisting businesses to innovate, the EUREKA Initiative complements the European Union's Framework Program in working actively towards the common European objective of raising investment in R&D to 3% of GDP.
EUREKA currently counts 40 full members including Russia. Several countries participate in EUREKA projects through a network of National Information Points. The affiliation known as Associated Country Status was initiated as part of EUREKA's strategy to enhance cooperation with countries outside of Europe judged to have scientific and research potential. EUREKA’s organizational structure is composed of the following main bodies:
The Ministerial Conference (MC) is a biennial meeting of ministers from each EUREKA member country and a Commissioner from the European Commission. The MC is the political body of EUREKA and, during these meetings, ministers lay down political guidelines and officially announce the new EUREKA projects endorsed during the Chairmanship year. Ministers also take decisions on the further development of EUREKA and give approval on the admission or dismissal of members.
An Interparliamentary Conference (IPC) takes place alternate years with the MC. The IPC raises the public awareness of EUREKA’s role and possibilities and makes recommendations on strategic issues to be presented to ministers. The rotating Chairmanship country hosts the MC or IPC.
The High-Level Group (HLG) is the key decision-marking body of EUREKA and meets three times a year. Each EUREKA member appoints a representative to this group, which endorses new projects, takes decisions on the management etc.
The Executive Group (EG) is a small group whose role is to act as an executive body on behalf of the HLG, to whom it reports, and is responsible for debating key issues of policy, deciding on issues delegated by the HLG, as well as advising successive Chairs.
National Project Coordinators (NPCs) are at operational level, running the National EUREKA Offices. They are the direct contact with project participants – and potential project participants - in each member country. NPCs facilitate the setting-up and running of a project and are responsible for project generation, national and international support and follow-up.
EUREKA Clusters are longer-term, strategically significant industrial initiatives. They usually have a large number of participants, and aim to develop generic technologies of key importance for European competitiveness, primarily in ICT and, more recently, in energy and biotechnology. Initiated by industry in close collaboration with national funding authorities, each Cluster has a technological 'roadmap', defining its most important strategic domains.
The EUREKA Secretariat (ESE) in Brussels is an international association which acts as the central support unit for the Initiative. The ESE manages the EUREKA project database and undertakes marketing, communications and network-development activities. It is also responsible for the collection and dissemination of information on projects and on EUREKA – and promotes the EUREKA philosophy, in cooperation with the Chair and the National Offices.
The Executive Board (EB) has the same members as the EG and is the sole responsible body for the management of the ESE.
The General Assembly (GA) is the highest-level body of the ESE. It is vested with all the powers necessary to perform the objectives of this association.
The Eureka program activity extends to the following high-tech areas:
The program is open for enterprises and organizations of the respective innovation areas.
Russia has been a full Eureka member since 1993. It participates in various projects including in information technology, robotics, laser technology, medicine, environmental protection, and innovative materials. Russia has taken part in over 70 projects since joining the network.