Retrofitting of research and development units

Subject: Retrofitting of research and development units

Proper financing of equipment and infrastructure is strategically important in any scientific or technological industry, particularly in the field of research and development (R&D).

For more than a decade in Portugal, there has been no specific funding for the retrofitting of R&D units, which has been a cause for concern among the scientific community.

Given that:

In the past, the main sources of funding for scientific and technological retrofitting were the structural funds;

Any cuts to those funds, or at least an absence of plans to increase them, will undermine the ability to respond to many needs, particularly in the R&D field;

The provisions of EU law on the Stability Pact, the Fiscal Stability Treaty, the European Semester and economic governance severely restrict the mobilisation of national resources for this purpose and others;

The strengthening of the Horizon Europe research framework, based on competitive funding, against a backdrop of lasting marked inequalities between countries may play a part in perpetuating or even exacerbating these inequalities between those countries with the most scientific and technological potential and the others:

What programmes and measures under the current and the next multiannual future framework can be used to support scientific and technological retrofitting in Portugal?

What measures can be taken to offset the above limitations?

Answer given by Mr Hahn on behalf of the European Commission

(17 September 2019)

The EU co-financing complements national public and private resources mobilised for Research and Development investment. As regards spending from the EU budget in the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), support to Research and Innovation from the European Structural and Investment Funds represents a large share of the total funds for Portugal. It is planned to reach EUR 3.5 billion in support, via shared management through regional and thematic operational programmes. EUR 1.3 billion have already been implemented.

Support to scientific and technological innovation will, in the 2021-2027 MFF, continue to have a central place in the Commission’s support programmes (1). For the period 2021-2027, the Commission has proposed (2) that the ERDF also supports, among other objectives, a smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation. Thematic concentration is a proposed requirement, to ensure an ambitious financial support is dedicated to this policy objective, which includes also the specific objective of enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies.

Synergies between cohesion policy and other EU policies, funding programmes and initiatives (e.g. Horizon Europe, InvestEU) are also being strengthened (3) . Together with an improved economic condition, they should ease the mobilisation of increased public and private resources.

Synergies require strategic choices by the regions and Member States in order to produce the possible best results. Already in the current MFF (4), Portugal has participated in six projects, among which one teaming project (bringing excellence to institutions). Within the latest Widening call (2018), two Teaming projects (in four proposals) were selected.

⋅1∙ Namely in the ESI Funds.

⋅2∙ In its proposal for a regulation on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund COM(2018) 372 final.

⋅3∙ Proposal for a regulation on common provisions on the ERDF, the European Social Fund+, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and

financial rules for those and for the Asylum and Migration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument, COM(2018) 375 final. ⋅4∙ Within the Widening actions in Horizon 2020.