EU Competitiveness Council to discuss Member States’ investments in research and development

The EU ministers responsible for competitiveness will discuss the future of the European Research Area (ERA) at their meeting on research and innovation on 27 November 2020. Finland’s representative at the informal video meeting of competitiveness ministers (research, innovation) will be Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.

The ministers will discuss the research and development activities and innovation objectives of the Member States. The European Commission’s proposals on the future of the ERA will serve as a basis of the meeting.

“The ERA must be developed in such a way that it strengthens sustainable growth, employment and social development. Our national target for R&D expenditure is 4% of gross domestic product. We can only achieve this target through cooperation between the public and private sectors,” Minister Lintilä says.

Goal to develop research and development in all of EU

In autumn 2020, the European Commission published a Communication entitled “A new European Research Area for research and innovation.” The European Research Area (ERA) is an initiative launched in 2000 to link research activities in the EU area.

One goal that the recent communication sets is raising the EU’s research and development expenditure to 3% of Member State’s GDP. In spring 2020, Finland published a national roadmap for research, development and innovation activities, which sets the objective of increasing the share of R&D expenditure to 4% of its GDP by 2030.

Inquiries:
Nina Alatalo, Adviser to the Minister (EU and international affairs), Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7171
Timo Haapalehto, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7218
Petteri Kauppinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Education and Culture, tel. +358 29 533 0147
Taru Löyttymäki, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7177