Stempra newsletter
Eurochat
As I write the LHC has just cranked up to (half) speed and is colliding protons. And the machine is not only churning out high-energy physics, its communication channels are also fully ramped up and broadcasting to world via webcasts, twitter as well as traditional media.
It is a measure of how far science – or at least one of its leading institutions –has come in terms of communication that CERN is confident enough to broadcast directly – with no filters or time lag - to the global public.
It takes courage and a commitment to openness and that deserves recognition. It also allows for some very straight talking at times. The eventual LHC switch on was truly a great day for science – not only a technical triumph but also a great piece of engagement and outreach.
Mañana
Back in Brussels January 2010 brought in a new era for the EU as the Spanish took the reigns of the presidency of Europe – for the first time operating under the allegedly streamlined rules of the Lisbon Treaty.
Although the actors are still learning the ropes, things do not appear more streamlined in this bright new political environment – in fact it may turn out to be a backward step with regulation mired in more complex horse-trading between the Commission, Council and Parliament than ever before.
With innovation and equality at the core of its programme, Spain has pledged to drive forward the realisation of the European Research Area (ERA) during its six-month Presidency. However the ‘mañana’ attitude doesn’t seem to be pushing much along at present. Even the cultural aspects of their reign have only just got into gear in Brussels.
As part of the new way-of-working Spain, Belgium and Hungary have put together an 18-month work programme with research, development and innovation at its core. Plucky Belgium gets to chair everything from 1 July with Hungary sitting in the driving seat at the beginning of 2011. In addition to the creation and governance of the ERA, the triumvirate has prioritised analysis of the mid-term review of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and better coordination of national research programming. Of course as Belgium currently doesn’t have a government, this may cause a few presidential hiccups!
Science
The new European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, pledged to move research, innovation and science 'to the heart of European policy' in her appointment hearing before the European Parliament. She is keen to ‘speed up innovation along the policy chain from research to retail’.
The mighty Quinn hopes to focus on completing the ERA (it seems to be on everyone’s to-do list), addressing societies' grand challenges, and creating an innovation research culture. She has also underlined the importance of bringing more small and medium-sized enterprises into the EU's research programmes, and leveraging complementary structural funds for research – again well-rehearsed Directorate-General for Research mantras.
European Research Council
It was all change at the top at the European Research Council (ERC) where Professor Helga Nowotny has been elected as the successor to Imperial College’s Prof. Eotis Kafatos as part-time President and Chair of its Scientific Council.
Kafatos resigned unexpectedly in mid-term at the end of 2009 saying (to paraphrase) that he needed to spend “more time with his research”. Apparently he had underestimated the time that might be required to run a pan-European, multi-disciplinary research council. His decision to step down was unrelated to a review of the ERC published in July that voiced concern that the complex governance structure of the Council was "a source of great frustration and ongoing low-level conflict" – and might just bring the new ERC institution to its knees.
Nowotny is a renowned Austrian social scientist who has a lot of experience of European institutions having been Chair of the European Research Advisory Board for the European Commission from 2001 – 2005. A safe pair of hands.
A bientôt - Tim
Tim Reynolds
Inta Communication Ltd
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