Spaans voorzitterschap ziet noodzaak samenwerking wetenschap en industrie (en)

European citizens appreciate how science has shaped our common history and recognise that science will define our future, as the EU 2020 Strategy will highlight.

But European science also lives in the present. Europe must recover from the worst economic crisis in recent decades and science must be part of the solution. The institutions and the people working to achieve a successful European Research Area understand that and want to play an active role in our recovery. From pure research to business-oriented technological development, all European science has much to contribute right here, right now.

Pure research in both natural and social sciences increases our understanding of the universe and ourselves. The quest for knowledge is a cornerstone of European culture and one of our abiding values but, at the same time, fundamental science is crucial to address the grand challenges we face as a civilisation. Many of these challenges—such as energy and climate change, healthcare and ageing populations—are of global scope and have a significant socioeconomic impact.

Basic research not only leads to groundbreaking innovations; it requires advanced materials, equipment and technological infrastructures, many of which are supplied by European companies.

For their part, the men and women involved in applied research and technological development—both in the public and business sectors—are working to make our companies more competitive in the medium term, developing new products with huge growth potential, whether in industry or in the home. And their ready-to-market solutions can help businesses hardest hit by the recession, especially less innovation-intensive sectors and SMEs.

European science wants to advance hand-in-hand with the people who finance it and who ultimately benefit from its insights, being concerned with the hard times the European economy is experiencing. They are committed to achieving a more sustainable and knowledge-based economy.