A nicer new world from 2014? - On the way to Horizon2020 and the next generation of GÉANT
Dr.Bálint Lajos
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NIIF Intézet
Completely new, considerably improved conditions from 2014 are promised by the European Commission (EC) for research, development, and innovation in Europe. The EU Research and Technological Development Framework Programs (last time the soon concluding FP7) have provided with considerable financial support (in case of FP7, more than 50 billion euro project funding) the European R&D sector. As a continuation of these efforts, a most ambitious program will support the entire research-development-innovation chain within the old continent, by assuming a rapid increase in the competitiveness of Europe, thanks to the 2014-2020 Horizon2020 Program supposedly spending 80 billion euro for related projects.
The European research and education backbone (called GÉANT since 2000) has been for many years one of the flagship projects of the EU Framework Programmes and has received one of the highest amount of EC project funding by its EUR 20+ millions per year. For us, the Hungarian NREN, it is of outstanding importance that some 2,5 % of that EC funding is allocated to our development activities and our national research network operated by NIIFI.
From 2014, if everything proceeds in accordance with the 2012 plans, indeed we will be able to enjoy a nicer new world. Not only the name of the program (Horizon2020) but also the integrated handling of the as yet separately and parallel allocated resources, and also the principles and practice of making decisions on project funds, will change. Excellence requirements, critical mass aspects, innovation-orientedness, and risk-tolerance are just some of the key features of the intended new approach which devotes special, distinct role, especially in the area of developing research infrastructures, to EU structural funds.
We don’t yet know what all these novelties will mean for GÉANT, concerning the level and way of the EU financial support being indispensable not only for technical level, but also for financial sustainability and cohesion. However, it is more than obvious that a successful bridging project (the prospective 2013-2015 GN3+ project) is to be completed by the consortium of 40 European NRENs to bridge the gap between the 2013 closing of the last FP7 project (GN3) and the foreseeable 2015 start of the first Horizon2020 project (called today GN4). The GN3+ proposal has been submitted in December 2012 by the consortium to the EC and after the hopefully positive outcome of the evaluation process the project will be launched in the Summer of 2013.
During the last two years remarkable efforts have been devoted to the preparations of the basics and the directions of the new GÉANT period and its associated GN4 project, both with respect to funding research by due Horizon2020 projects, and regarding the directions of e-Infrastructures for research and education. The results of these efforts are promising but also challenging, in both relations. In case of a sustainable, stable, healthy economic environment the successful completion of GN3+ will enable the NRENs to start the development of a new generation of GÉANT by exploiting Horizon2020 (GN4) support and co-financing – a new GÉANT generation characterised by 100 Gbps transmission speed, an increasing width of the service portfolio, and a fast widening variety of demanding scientific applications.
We do hope that no obstacles will arise and nothing will disturb the fulfilment of the next GÉANT goals.