ERA-NET is the European Commission’s strategy within the sixth Framework Programme and aims to foster growing collaboration and coordination of the research, development and innovation support programmes backed by the different governments of the countries and regions of Europe.
ERA-NET is one of the Basque Government and Eurobulegoa’s key goals. At the close of FP6, the Basque Ministry for Industry, Trade and Tourism’s firm commitment to ERA-NET had left the Basque Country in a highly competitive position: together with Flanders, the Basque country is the most successful European region in this field, with eight projects.
The following are some of the ERA-NETs with Basque involvement:
- MANUNET SSA (completed). Area: Manufacturing. Led by the Basque Government. www.manunet.net
- MANUNET CA. Area: Manufacturing. Led by the Basque Government and Eurobulegoa.
- MNT. Area: Micro - Nanotecnología. . Led by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). www.mnt-era.net
- EUROTRANSBIO (ETB). Area: Biotechnology. Led by the French Innovation Agency (ANVAR). www.eurotransbio.net
- ETRANET. Ámbito: Area: ICT for Traditional Manufacturing Industries. Led by the UK Department of Trade and Industry. www.etranet.net
- PERIAPT. Area: Food Safety. Led by the Dutch Food Safety Agency (VWA)
(VWA). www.periapt.net
- SAFEFOODERA. Area: Food Safety. Led by the Norwegian Innovation Centre. www.safefoodera.net
- COMPERA. Area: Competence Research Centres. Led by IWT-Flanders (Belgium). www.comp-era.net
Some ERA-NET projects have already made considerable progress. The present stage (2006 onwards) aims to get business and the science and technology system on board and involved in this activity.
Effort is focused on:
- Carrying out projects successfully, with meticulous Basque involvement.
- Getting business involved in the joint calls.
- Ensuring appropriate development of standards and procedures in line with new INTEK BERRI standards.
- Effectively communicating the projects to society at large.
- Medium-term administrative structuring of the activity. (Eurobulegoa as the direct agent of this management with Europe).
- Relating the FP6 ERA-NET projects with the FP7 ERA-NET PLUS projects, ERA-NET projects and Technology Platforms, and direct involvement in High Level Groups (HLGs) to achieve a highly competitive government position in FP7.
