The ETP 2009 Conference discusses cross-platform collaboration
Representatives of European Technology Platforms and Member States met in Brussels on October 13^th to discuss societal challenges, how ETPs can contribute to tackle them and how research policies can exploit synergies across technologies and across relevant policy instruments.

Strengthening the role of ETPs in Community policy-making
The ETP expert group, established to discuss the future of European Technology Platforms, advices the Commission services to align ETPs with broad societal challenges while extending the ETPs' scope to include innovation and education. The recommendations of the group were presented by the chair of the expert group, Horst Soboll, at the ETP conference on October 13^th.

The European Commission is preparing an Innovation Plan for Europe. All interested stakeholders are invited to submit comments by Monday 16 November 2009 to entr-innovation-policy-development@ec.europa.eu.

The Expression of Interest phase opens on 16 October 2009 and will close on 12 November 2009.

A dedicated time schedule is accessible here

Social Platform on sustainable lifestyles
The Socio-economic sciences and humanities call includes a support action to set up a Social Platform on sustainable lifestyles. The aim of the platform is to facilitate an exchange of experiences amongst a wide variety of stakeholders, leading to a strategic research agenda on sustainable lifestyles. The deadline for electronic submission of proposals is December 15th 2009 at 17:00.

For more information on open calls (aeronautics is included) click here.

Third workshop of BECOTEPS project on 24-25 November:
The bioeconomy ETPs will meet in Brussels at the end of November to discuss business and research opportunities for a European bioeconomy. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments before the workshop.

The Communication 'A public-private partnership on the Future Internet' proposes an EU-wide internet innovation strategy linking governments and different industry sectors across Europe. The strategy aims to improve key infrastructures to our economy and society by making them better able to process massive amounts of data in their daily tasks. Internet data traffic is today growing already by 60% every year.

The development of the European Research Area (ERA) policy in the medium to long-term was discussed during the 2009 ERA Conference held in Brussels from 21 to 23 October. 11 parallel sessions brought together 500 participants from universities, national governments and research organisations. A plenary session on 'Research and innovation in times of crisis', with six high level speakers from industry, highlighted the need for concerted action to achieve a sustainable recovery.

More than 300 technologists, business leaders and investors working on low-carbon technologies in Europe met in Stockholm on 21-22 October to discuss the opportunities to invest more in new energy technologies. The proposal of the European Commission for additional investment of €50bn in the next ten years in low carbon technologies was the focus.

In the context of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, the Commission estimates that an additional investment of €50 billion in energy technology research will be needed over the next 10 years. This means almost tripling the annual investment in the European Union, from €3 to €8 billion. Different sources of funding are considered, from public and private sectors at national and EU level, which should be used in a coordinated way and help to push forward a fast growing industrial sector.
This represents a step forward in the implementation of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), the technology pillar of the EU's energy and climate policy.

A Communication of the Commission adopted on 2 September 2009, analyses the achievements and lessons learnt during the last few years of innovation policy. Its conclusions call for a better exploitation of the potential of the partnership between the Union and its Member States by taking more focussed and better coordinated actions at all levels. The Communication builds on five staff working documents that were adopted a week later.

The European Commission has launched "SETIS", a SET-Plan online information system which provides the latest research results on the status, forecasts and R&D investment figures for low-carbon technologies. The Information System offers interactive tools to compare the maximum potential and energy production costs foreseen for the different technologies over time.

eMobility
General Assembly, 3 September 2009 in Brussels

Artemis
Artemis 2009 Autumn Event, 29 & 30 October, Madrid

ECTP
Annual conference, 24 & 25 November, Brussels

Manufuture
Annual conference, 30th November - 1st December, Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Photonics21
Annual Meeting, January 14-15 2010, Brussels