EC announces €780m strategic ICT research fund

But grant winners must invest "substantially" themselves, says Digital Agenda VP Neelie Kroes

EU cash up for grabs - but grant winners have to put their hands in their own pockets as well

The European Commission is calling for research proposals in areas including future internet technologies, robotics, smart and embedded ICT systems, photonics, ICT energy efficiency, and health.

The call was made at Europe's largest ICT research and innovation event: 'ICT 2010 – Digitally Driven', and is backed by grants worth €780m.

The grant awards state that €120m should be made available for future internet research and development and that this should focus on networking, digital media, and service infrastructure, with €200m set aside for photonics research.

Grants for health and ageing research total €200m, with grants of €135m to be awarded to enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings, as well as transport and logistics.

The announcement is part of the Digital Agenda for Europe, which has seen the EC committing to a 20 per cent increase in its annual research and development budget until at least 2013.

Commission Digital Agenda VP Neelie Kroes said: "Increasing overall investment into ICT research is crucial for our future, and this research will help Europe's industry to strengthen its competitiveness."

However, she added that grant support must also be accompanied by substantial additional investments by the beneficiaries themselves.

The €780m fund is part of the biggest ever annual work programme under the EU's 7th Framework Programme for Research.

Grant applicants can be universities, research centres, SMEs, large companies and other European organisations, and the cut-off date for proposals is 18 January 2011.

All proposals will be evaluated by independent panels of experts.

ICT 2010-Digitally Driven gathers researchers, business people, investors and policy makers in the field of ICT and digital innovation in Brussels Expo from 27 to 29 September.