Join us @fet_eu on Thursday 5 February using #FETinnov to share your views and ideas on FET and innovation! We plan two dedicated time slots, from 11:00 to 12:00, and then from 3:00 to 4:00pm.

The discussion aims at identifying the main ingredients of an ecosystem that can stimulate innovation from FET research and the actions necessary to put them in place. It takes place in the context of the preparation of the FET Work Programme 2016-2017. The results of this discussion, and from a dedicated workshop, are expected to feed into the preparation of this new FET Work Programme. A report will also be produced.
 

Context

FET is about exploring new technologies of the future. It lays the basis for the renewal of European industrial leadership, a better society and better lives for the world's citizens. The discussion should focus on innovation in the specific context of FET research that is high-risk, visionary and multidisciplinary research focusing on early-stage scientific foundations where technology opportunities are uncertain and often unpredictable. The participation of SME and industry in FET research is by nature very limited.
The discussion will build notably on the following earlier work:

• FET session in the Competitiveness week (2012) – This first event was focused on understanding some of the grass-roots processes that took place in concrete FET projects, to see how they lead to growth and competitiveness. It delivered various general recommendations for different stakeholders (see the event report).
• The COFET conference on 'innovation and competitiveness' (2013). The objective of the Conference was to solicit views from academia, industry and selected stakeholders on how Innovation and competitiveness could be addressed within the context of FET in Horizon2020 (see the conference report).
• The latest FET Advisory Group report (2014) produced as input to the preparation of the next FET Work Programme which includes various statements on innovation, notably related to building an innovation ecosystem around FET.

Purpose

We propose to center the debate around the following topics, asking for your input:

• 'The genesis of an innovation ecosystem from FET research'

What are the ingredients? What are the conditions? How does it work? What is implied by 'an innovation ecosystem' around FET? What are the optimal conditions in which such an innovation ecosystem can emerge, and thus turn the results of long-term research into contributions to growth, jobs and investment (Juncker agenda)?

• Making it happen - How to get more innovation out of FET?

What are the bottlenecks for the emergence of an innovation ecosystem? Where intervention can be useful to stimulate effective innovation opportunities in FET? What actions should be taken up at European level versus local level and why?