Eureka (organisation)

Eureka, often abbreviated as E!, or Σ! is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying through Eureka programmes can access funding and support from national and regional ministries or agencies for their international R&D projects.

Eureka
MottoInnovation beyond borders
Typeintergovernmental organisation
FocusMarket R&D support, innovation policy, science & technology
Location
Area served
Greater Europe, World
Members
41 members, 1 partner country, 4 associated members
Key people
  • Ulrich Schuh
    (Chair of the Eureka Network)
Websitewww.eurekanetwork.org

As of March 2018, Eureka has 41 full members, including the European Union (represented by the European Commission), one partner country (South Korea) and four associated members (Argentina, Canada, Chile, South Africa) All 27 EU Member States are also members of Eureka.

Eureka is not an EU research programme, but rather an intergovernmental organisation of national ministries or agencies, of which the EU is a member. Cooperation and synergy are sought between Eureka and the research activities of the EU proper, such as with European Union's Horizon 2020 and the European Research Area.

History

Founded in 1985 by prominent European political figures, Eureka has grown to one of the longest running European organisations dedicated to the financing of joint European R&D projects.

Foundation

Eureka was established with the "Paris Declaration" of July 17, 1985, and its principles are based on the later Hannover Declaration, subscribed by Ministers on November 6, 1985. The two main founders were former head of states François Mitterrand (France) and Helmut Kohl (Germany). Other important personalities involved were Hubert Curien, French ex-Minister of Research and former Chairman of the European Space Agency and Jacques Attali, adviser to François Mitterrand.

Briefly, it is about assuring the technological independence of Europe in the key domains of the future; encouraging, wherever possible, co-operation between European businesses and researchers; mobilising the necessary financial resources; accompanying the efforts of our enterprises by creating the necessary environment and supporting the unification of our internal markets.

There are numerous obstacles. Once the initial idea of Eureka was formulated, we were able to foresee the difficulties to be faced. But we know that each time we come together — for example to address high-energy physics, research into nuclear fusion, the development of an integrated space programme or the construction of crucial scientific equipment — our successes encourage us in the idea that we can work together in R&D areas close to industrial markets, despite the problems arising from the normal and legitimate competition between firms. François Mitterrand, Paris, 17 July 1985.[1]

Structure

Chairs

Before 1989, Eureka chairmanship changed hands every six months. Since then, the chairmanship rotates every 1 July, for a period of one year.

Year Countries
1985, 2nd semester  France
1986, 1st semester  Germany
1986, 2nd semester  United Kingdom
1987, 1st semester  Sweden
1987, 2nd semester  Spain
1988, 1st semester  Denmark
1988, 2nd semester  Austria
1989–1990  Italy
1990–1991  Netherlands
1991–1992  Finland
1992–1993  France
1993–1994  Norway
1994–1995   Switzerland
1995–1996  Belgium
1996–1997  United Kingdom
1997–1998  Portugal
1998–1999  Turkey
1999–2000  Germany
2000–2001  Spain
2001–2002  Greece
2002–2003  Denmark
2003–2004  France
2004–2005  Netherlands
2005–2006  Czech Republic
2006–2007  Italy
2007–2008  Slovenia
2008–2009  Portugal
2009–2010  Germany
2010–2011  Israel
2011–2012  Hungary
2012–2013  Turkey
2013–2014  Norway
2014–2015   Switzerland
2015–2016  Sweden
2016–2017  Spain
2017–2018  Finland
2018–2019  United Kingdom
2019–2020  Netherlands
2020–2021  Austria

Membership
Member country Joined
 Austria 1985
 Belgium 1985
 Bulgaria 2010
 Croatia 2000
 Cyprus 2002
 Czech Republic 1995
 Denmark 1985
 Estonia 2001
 Finland 1985
 France 1985
 Germany 1985
 Greece 1985
 Hungary 1992
 Iceland 1986
 Ireland 1985
 Israel 2000
 Italy 1985
 Latvia 2000
 Lithuania 1999
 Luxembourg 1985
 Malta 2006
 Monaco 2005
 Montenegro 2012
 The Netherlands 1985
 North Macedonia 2008
 Norway 1985
 Poland 1995
 Portugal 1985
 Romania 1997
 Russia 1993
 San Marino 2005
 Serbia 2002
 Slovakia 2001
 Slovenia 1994
 Spain 1985
 Sweden 1985
  Switzerland 1985
 Turkey 1985
 Ukraine 2006
 United Kingdom 1985
 European Union 1985
Associated Countries Joined
 Canada 2012
 Argentina 2019
 South Africa 2014
 Chile 2017
Partner Countries Joined
 South Korea 2009
National Information Points Joined
 Albania 1991
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2009

Significant projects

Eureka projects are numbered, preceded by 'E! '.

  • E! 45 helped to fund the Prometheus project for safer road vehicles, such as through autonomous driving with 745 million euros.[N 1]
  • E! 95 was a 730 million euros HDTV project, which created the HD-MAC standard for high definition television.[N 2]
  • E! 147 was a 93 million euros digital audio broadcasting project whose technologies went into Musicam, and which was used as the basis for MPEG-1 Layer II (MP2) and used in DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast), and ASPEC (Adaptive Spectral Perceptual Entropy Coding), which was used in a modified form in MP3 audio.[N 3]
  • E! 127 paid 3.8bn euros into the JESSI project (Joint European Submicron Silicon Initiative) whose goal was to regain ground lost to Asia and the US in microchips.[N 4]
  • E! 2551 cost 6.1 million euros for the integration of existing CAD/CAM programs under a common user interface, part of which was paid to Vero Software.[N 5]
  • E! 3674 is Information Technology for European Advancement (ITEA2), an industry-driven cooperative R & D programme for maintaining European leadership in software-intensive systems, with the project due to end in January 2014 having received 3.0bn euros. ITEA2 Projects notably include WellCom, OSAMI-E Open Source AMbient Intelligence) and Easy Interactions.[N 6]
  • E! 4986 AlienVault developed a security software called OSSIM (Open Source Security Information Management) that is now not only a reference in the field but also an essential component in modern cyber-wars. E! 4986 received 1.2 million euros.
  • E! 3728 OMIM (MIMO) invented a new method of medical waste disposal. MIMO is safe for the environment and treats infectious waste by applying a combination of heat and pressure. This is an alternative to incineration methods that use fossil fuels. The project was an initiative between Spain, Portugal and Morocco. E! 3728 received 0.37 million euros.

Programmes

The Eureka annual report describes the following programmes:[2]

Eurostars

Eurostars is Eureka's flagship SME funding programme that supports R&D-performing SMEs (alongside other types of organisations) leading international project consortia. It is co-funded by 36 participating Eureka national funding bodies and the European Union Horizon 2020 framework programme.

Clusters

Clusters are long-term, strategically significant industrial initiatives. They usually have a large number of participants, and aim to develop inclusive technologies of importance for European competitiveness mainly in ICT, energy and more recently in the biotechnology and automation sectors. Eureka Clusters are known to have had a particular impact on the ability of the European microelectronics sector to compete with other continents.

Eureka Clusters are:

  • CELTIC NEXT: Telecommunications
  • EURIPIDES: Electronic packaging and smart systems
  • ITEA 3: Software-intensive systems
  • PENTA: Micro and nanoelectronics enabled systems and applications
  • EUROGIA2020: Low-carbon energy technologies
  • METALLURGY EUROPE: New metals
  • SMART: Advance manufacturing programme
Network projects

Network projects is a flexible funding programme for all organisations collaborating on international R&D projects. It is open for applications all year, but there are also country-specific calls for projects launched frequently. These are sometimes thematic and can be for bilateral or multilateral collaborations.

Globalstars

Globalstars follows the same programme model as Network projects. Calls for projects are launched between Eureka countries and one non-Eureka country. In recent years, national funding ministries/ agencies from e.g. Brazil, India, Japan and Singapore have collaborated with Eureka using this programme.

InvestHorizon

InvestHorizon is the only Eureka programme that doesn't offer funding, but rather trainings, workshops and international events. It is a European Union-funded joint investment readiness programme in collaboration with Eureka that supports deep tech SMEs seeking Series A investment.

Umbrellas

Umbrellas no longer exist as Eureka programmes. Umbrellas were thematic networks within the Eureka framework focusing on a specific technology area or business sector. The main goal of an umbrella was to facilitate the generation of Eureka projects in its own target area.

Past Eureka Umbrellas:

  • Eureka Tourism (ended 30.06.2012)
  • Eureka build 2 (2010–2013)
  • EuroAgri Foodchain (2009–2013)
  • Pro-Factory (2007–2011)[EL 1]
  • E! SURF (2010–2015)
  • Eniwep (ended 1.2.2010)
  • Eulasnet II (ended 31.5.2010)
  • Logchain + (ended 21.2.2011)

References
  1. "20TH Anniversary Report – Two decades of support for European innovation". Belgium: the EUREKA Secretariat. September 2005. pp. 68 p. 12 (PDF-p. 18). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  2. https://issuu.com/eurekaassociation/docs/annual_report_2019

Notes
  1. "EUREKA Project > 45 PROMETHEUS – PROgramMe for a European Traffic system with Highest Efficiency and Unprecedented Safety". Eureka. 1995-03-30. Archived from the original on 2012-04-03.
  2. "EUREKA Project > 95 HDTV (IMP) – Compatible High Definition Television (HDTV) System (Phase III Implementation)". Eureka. 1994-07-05. Archived from the original on 2012-04-03.
  3. "EUREKA > 147 DAB (IMP) – Digital Audio Broadcasting system". EUREKA. 2001-04-08. Archived from the original on 2012-04-03.
  4. "EUREKA Project > 127 JESSI – Joint European Submicron Silicon Initiative". Eureka. 1997-06-05. Archived from the original on 2012-04-03.
  5. "EUREKA Project > 2551 VISI-XX – Integration of Existing CAD/CAM Programs under a Common User Interface — Vero International Software". EUREKA. 2004-12-21. Archived from the original on 2012-04-03.
  6. "Eureka Project > 3674 ITEA 2 – European Leadership in Software-Intensive Systems — Information Technology for European Advancement". EUREKA. 25 June 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-01-14.
  1. profactory.eu
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