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Kurt Vandenberghe,
Director for Climate Action and
Resource Efficiency,
DG Research and Innovation,
European Commission
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Well, in terms of investments in science, research & development, I believe that we can always do more and do better. And this is true not just for the amount of money invested but also in terms of the quality of research and development investments. Horizon 2020 -
the new EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation – is designed to help take a major step in this direction. Talking about money, not only is Horizon 2020 the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020), the programme also aims at leveraging investments from the private sector and from other EU sources such as structural funds. Horizon 2020 will support to much greater extent research and innovation activities which have a market impact and provide a concrete answer to the societal challenges Europe is facing today and will be facing in the future.
Are you optimistic about technological innovations developing in time to boost economic growth and help overcome today’s environmental/societal challenges?
More and more pressure is being placed on the environment, with consumption of
resources unsustainably increasing over the last decades. At the same time, an agenda
for jobs, growth and investments is needed if we want to take Europe out of impact of the
financial and economic crisis of these last years. I believe that Horizon 2020 has the
potential to be successful in both these challenges. The programme strongly supports a
systemic approach to eco-innovation, where the need for advanced technical solutions is
combined with the shift towards new and resource-efficient business models, going
beyond the classical patterns of production and consumption. At the same time, ad-hoc
instruments – such as, for example, innovative public procurement, new financial
instruments or the SME Instrument – have been designed to make innovations happen
and foster their market uptake.
Is circular economy a realistic answer to today’s uncertain economic climate?
In replying to this question, let me just quote a short paragraph from of the
Communication "Towards a circular economy: A zero waste programme for Europe" that
the European Commission presented last July: "…Moving to more circular economic
models promises a much brighter future for the European economy. It would allow
Europe to rise to the current and future challenges of global pressure on resources and
rising insecurity of supply. Pumping resources back into productive use again and again,
cutting waste and reducing dependence on uncertain supplies is a direct route to
improving resilience and competitiveness…". In these few lines, I think you can clearly
see why we consider the shift towards a circular economy and the adoption of a systemic
approach to eco-innovation as a powerful source of growth for Europe. Did you know that
the environmental goods and services sector in Europe has enjoyed an employment
growth rate of 20% even through the recent recession years?
How can the European plastics industry contribute to innovation? How will this affect
Europe’s growth?
There was a time when plastic materials were an attractive solution to many demands
from both industry and consumers. Nowadays, plastics are at risk of being seen by many
people around the world as a major source of environmental problems. I believe that, by
getting actively involved in EU research and innovation, the plastics industry has an
opportunity to show that plastics as part of closed production and consumption loops can
remain an attractive solution and a key actor of the transition towards a circular economy.
According to you, what focus should Europe have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will these efforts suffice if the rest of the world is not following?
I strongly believe that putting a price on carbon is the most essential to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. This must be coupled with appropriate measures to avoid
carbon leakage. Europe is already doing a lot in this context and initiatives like Horizon
2020 to facilitate the transition towards a circular economy will further reinforce Europe's
global leadership in resource efficiency. If Europe is able to show that investments in
resource efficiency are not only needed but that they are also profitable and lead to
growth and jobs, we will be a model again for the rest of the world – in terms of
competitiveness and quality of life.
We are delighted to welcome DG Research and Innovation at the “Innovation Hub”.
Would you care giving our readers a glimpse of what they can find on the stand?
We as well we are delighted to have this opportunity to provide information on the
initiatives we have been supporting as Climate Action and Resource Efficiency
Directorate of DG Research and Innovation. And I take advantage of this blog to invite
you to use our stand as an opportunity to share with us your views on how make
innovation, and systemic eco-innovation in particular, the key engine of industrial growth
in Europe.
