EU research for urban sustainability: Current status and future prospects for international cooperat

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EU research for urban sustainabilityCurrent
status and future prospects for international
cooperation, research projects and knowledge
transfer in the 7th Framework Programme
Global knowledge for local sustainabilityExpert
meeting on the future of EU International
Cooperation for Research and Knowledge
Transfer20 March 2007, Seville
Vincent Favrel European Commission - Research
DG Directorate I Environment Unit I.4
Management of Natural Resources Vincent.Favrel_at_ec.
europa.eu http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/envir
onment/index_en.htm
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, GLOBAL CHANGE AND
ECOSYSTEMS
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Presentation outline

• Few considerations about the EU Research
  Framework Programme (FP)
• EU research for urban sustainability past
  activities and current challenges
• New opportunities in the 7th Framework Programme
• Towards a new vision for international
  cooperation in the field of research for local
  sustainability - Main expectations for the expert
  meeting

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, GLOBAL CHANGE AND
ECOSYSTEMS
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Few considerations about EU Framework Programmes
(FP) for Research and Technological Development
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• Main financing instrument for EU research
  activities
• Also demonstration, dissemination and training
• Multi-annual 4 years (FP5, FP6) ? 7 years (FP7)
• Budget
• FP6 (2002-2006) 4-5 billion/year
• FP7 (2007-2013) 7.5 billion/year
• Co-financing 50 for RD, 30 for demonstration
• International co-operation 600M in FP6 incl.
• 315M for specific activities (INCO Programme)
• 285M for the participation of third country
  partners in the thematic research programmes.

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• Generate new knowledge and technologies (European
  Research Area)
• Other policy goals
• Competitiveness (main)
• The broad range of EU policies (incl.
  environment, development cooperation)
• Active dissemination, exploitation and policy
  interface activities
• e.g. EC/UN-HABITAT cooperation

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• 5th Framework Programme (1998-2002)
• 99 of the projects completed
• Specific efforts devoted to dissemination and
  valorisation of research results for science,
  practice, policy and the society
• 6th Framework Programme (2002-2006)
• Most of the projects are ongoing (20 of them
  have just started) and should be completed during
  the period 2008-2011
• Some results already available
• 7th Framework Programme (2006-2013)
• Formally adopted in December 2006
• First call for proposals launched on 22 December
  2006 and currently ongoing (Closure date May
  2007)
• First contracts should start end 2007
• Elaboration of annual work programmes for future
  calls for proposals is a continuous process

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EU research for urban sustainabilityPast
activities and current challenges
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EU Research on Urban sustainability Presentation
outline

• Main contributions
• 5th Framework Programme (1998-2002)
• City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage
  Key-Action
• "Sustainable Mobility and Intermodality
  Key-Action
• 6th Framework Programme (2002-2006)
• Thematic Priorities
• Global Change and Ecosystems (incl. SustaInfo)
• Sustainable Surface Transport
• Etc.
• Scientific Support to Policies
• Specific measures in support of International
  Cooperation

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5th Framework Programme The City of Tomorrow and
Cultural Heritage
http//www.cordis.lu/eesd/ka4/home.html

• Objective
• To provide the means for local and regional
  stakeholders to implement sustainable development
  practices in their own local circumstances.
• Four interrelated themes
• Urban governance and sustainable resource
  management
• Cultural Heritage
• Sustainable built environment
• Sustainable Transport

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Main issues addressed Clusters of projects

• 1. Urban governance and sustainable resource
  management Urban Governance and Citizen
  participation, Urban Planning and economic
  development, Green Space, Air Quality, Urban
  Waste Management, Urban Regeneration
• 2. Cultural Heritage Air Pollution Threshold
  Levels for Cultural Heritage, Salt Damage to
  Historic Buildings, Bio-deterioration,
  Environment inside Museums and Libraries, Urban
  Integration of Cultural Heritage
• 3. Sustainable built environment Sustainable
  buildings and neighbourhoods, Mitigating Seismic
  Risk, Brownfield Regeneration
• 4. Sustainable Transport Land Use and
  Transport, Tomorrows Solutions for Sustainable
  Urban Transport

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The original approach of the key-action

• Holistic approach and integration as absolute
  requirements at the proposal evaluation stage
• Strong emphasis on the development of affordable,
  effective and accessible tools for the
  application of SD in urban areas
• Involvement of all stakeholders within the
  research-demonstration-dissemination phases
• Contribution to a wide range of EU/MS policies

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City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage Two main
types of customers

• the urban practitioners e.g. local and
  regional authorities and their elected people
  (500 cities/regions directly and 1000
  indirectly involved in the projects!),
  environmental consultancies, industry (including
  SMEs), utilities, owners or managers of cultural
  heritage, mobility agencies, building sector
• policy-makers at all European institutional
  levels e.g. central governments, regional
  ministries, the European Commission.

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City of Tomorrow - Achievements From good
principles to common practice
Environmental Technologies
Indicators
Guidelines
Training tools
Codes of practice
Management and monitoring systems
Forecasting scenarios
Models and simulation tools
Participatory approaches
Decision-support systems
Database
EU Urban Research
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Achievements Three categories of deliverables

• Practical tools to enhance the capacity of city
  managers, public authorities and enterprises to
  identify from a range of options the most
  effective practical measures e.g.
  decision-support systems, simulation tools,
  guidebooks for planners, participatory
  approaches, training systems and assessment tools
  for the sustainable planning
• New urban environmental technologies that have
  the potential to improve the quality of the urban
  environment while contributing to urban growth,
  leading to the emergence of a new market for
  environmental products and services e.g.
  non-destructive techniques for cost-effective
  contaminated site assessment new urban mobility
  forms
• Science-based policy recommendations supporting
  the formulation of sustainable policies at EU,
  national, regional and city levels

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City of Tomorrow and Cultural HeritageHow to
access the outcomes?

• Content and objectives
• http//www.cordis.lu/eesd/ka4/home.html
• Projects and clusters
• http//www.cordis.lu/eesd/ka4/library.htm (see
  directory of FP5 projects)
• Database of projects
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/environment/pro
  jects.cfm
• SUD-LAB portal
• http//www.sud-lab.com/ (see solutions)
• News and documents
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/environment/the
  mes/article_1354_en.htm

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Urban research within the 6th Framework Programme

• Urban research no more appearing as a single
  entity but relevant issues addressed in several
  thematic and cross-cutting Programmes
• Thematic Priorities
• Global Change and Ecosystems incl. Strategies
  for sustainable land management Water management
  and Technologies for water supply and sanitation
• Sustainable Surface Transport
• Sustainable Energy Systems
• Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based
  society
• Scientific Support to Policies
• Specific measures in support of International
  Cooperation
• Coordination of national urban research programmes

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Current challenges under the 6th Framework
Programme

• International cooperation (1)
• Collaboration with UN-Habitat
• Joint publications and events (e.g. Nanning
  Conference)
• Memorandum of Understanding signed between EC
  Research Directorate General and UN-Habitat in
  February 2006 ? set the framework for the
  international cooperation dimension of EU urban
  research
• Participation of third country participant
  encouraged and required in a number of thematic
  research projects

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Current challenges under the 6th Framework
Programme

• International cooperation (2)
• Dissemination and knowledge transfer
• Publication series, events, on-line project
  database, citizen conference,
• Specific Support actions e.g.
• Susta-Info Information System on Sustainable
  Development for EU and UN-Habitat common
  database of tools and good practices
  www.susta-info.net
• NETSSAF - Network for the Development of
  Sustainable Approaches for Large Scale
  Implementation of Sanitation in Africa
  (www.netssaf.net)
• ANTINOMOS - A knowledge Network for solving
  real-life water problems in developing countries
  Bridging contrasts
• SIMBA - Transforming road transport through
  worldwide cooperation (www.Simbaproject.org)
  participants from 4 emerging countries (China,
  India, South Africa and Brasil)
• GLOBAL VIEW - Strengthening Rail Research
  Cooperation between Europe and Emerging
  International Markets for an Integrated
  International Research Area (globalview.uic.asso.f
  r) participants from India, China and Russia.

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International cooperation specific research
activities funded within the 5th and 6th
Framework Programmes

• Specific research activities specific attention
  paid to
• Urban water management e.g. LOGOWATER - Towards
  effective involvement of local government in
  Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in
  river basins of the Southern African Development
  Community (SADC) region (http//www.iclei-europe.o
  rg/index.php?id1541)
• Peri-urban agriculture and resource management in
  Asia (MAMAS, etc.) and Latin America (NEGOWAT,
  www.negowat.org)
• PRINWASS barriers to private sector
  participation in water and sanitation management
  in Latin America and Eastern Africa
  (http//users.ox.ac.uk/prinwass/)
• See also the review of international cooperation
  project addressing Integrated Water Resource
  Management (http//ec.europa.eu/research/water-ini
  tiative - IWRM)

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7th Framework Programme(2007-2013) New
prospects for land use and urban research
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7th Framework Programme Structure and objectives

• FP7 will be organised in 5 Specific Programmes
• Cooperation Trans-national cooperation in
  policy-defined themes
• Ideas Investigator-driven research based on the
  initiative of the research community (European
  Research Council)
• People Support to individual researchers
• Capacities Support to research capacities
• Nuclear Research (indirect and direct activities
  - JRC)

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7th Framework Programme Budget
Total 53 b (2007-2013)
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Ideas European Research Council

• Frontier (basic) research is a key-driver to
  innovation and economic performance
• Establish the European Research Council (ERC)
  the first pan-European funding agency for
  Frontier Research
• Support investigator-driven frontier research
  over all areas of research
• European added-value through competition at
  European level
• Budget 1 billion per year (2007-2013 7.46
  billion)
• Autonomous scientific governance (Scientific
  Council)
• Support projects of individual teams
• Excellence as sole criterion

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People Human Potential

• Initial training of researchers
• Marie Curie Networks
• Life-long training and career development
• Individual Fellowships
• Co-financing of regional/national/international
  programmes
• Industry-academia pathways and partnerships
• Industry-Academia Knowledge-Sharing Scheme
• International dimension
• Outgoing and Incoming International Fellowships
• International Cooperation Scheme
• Reintegration grants
• Support to researcher diasporas
• Specific actions
• Mobility and career enhancement actions
• Excellence awards

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Capacities Research Capacity

• Supporting key-aspects of European research and
  innovation capacities
• 6 parts
• Optimising the use and development of Research
  Infrastructures
• Research for the benefit of SMEs
• Regions of Knowledge (development of regional
  research driven clusters)
• Unlocking the Research Potential in the EUs
  convergence and outermost regions
• Science in Society
• Coherent development of policies
• Horizontal activities of International Cooperation

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Cooperation SP Land use and urban research
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Cooperation SP Budget
Total 32 b (2007-2013)
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3. Information and Communication Technologies
ICT Technology Pillars
Integration of Technologies
Applications Research ICT for the
Environment Sustainable mgmt of natural
resources, risk mgmt
Future and Emerging Technologies
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3. Information and Communication Technologies
Urban-related activities

• Integration of technologies
• Personal environments
• Home environments
• Robotic systems
• Intelligent infrastructures
• Applications research
• ICT meeting societal challenges including
  health inclusion and equal participation
  mobility environment, risk management and
  sustainable development governments.
• ICT for content, creativity and personal
  development

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5. Energy
Hydrogen and fuel cells
Renewable electricity generation
Renewable fuel production
Renewables for heating and cooling
CO2 capture and storage technologies for zero
emission power generation
Clean coal technologies
Smart energy networks
Energy efficiency and savings
Knowledge for energy policy making
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5. Energy Urban-related activities

• Integration of strategies and technologies for
• energy efficiency (including co- and
  poly-generation),
• the use of new and renewable energy technologies
• and energy demand management measures and
  devices,
• Demonstration of minimum climate impact buildings.

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7. Transport (inc. Aeronautics)
Aeronautics and air transport
Surface transport (rail, road and waterborne)
Support to the European global satellite
navigation system (Galileo)
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7. TransportUrban-related activities

• Activity  Surface Transport  - 5 areas
• The greening of surface transport
• Encouraging modal shift and decongesting
  transport corridors
• Ensuring sustainable urban mobility
• Innovative organisation schemes
• Safe and non-polluting means of transport
• New public transport modes
• Rationalisation of private transport
• Communication infrastructure
• Integrated town planning and transport
• Improving safety and security
• Strengthening competitiveness

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8. Socio-Economic Sciences and the Humanities
Growth, employment and competitiveness in a
knowledge society
Combining economic, social and environmental
objectives in a European perspective
Major trends in society and their implications
Europe in the world
The citizen in the European Union
Socio-economic and scientific indicators
Foresight activities
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8. Socio-economic sciences and humanitiesUrban-re
lated activities

• "Combining economic, social and environmental
  objectives
• The role of cities, urban development and related
  governance issues, as well as cities and social
  cohesion.
• Topics currently open
• "Regional development challenges in an evolving
  international context" (Collaborative or CSA)
• "Social platform on cities and social cohesion"
  (CSA)
• "Major trends in society and their implications
  
• The implications of demographic change for urban
  development, and interactions between diverse
  cultures in urban spaces
• How culture and creativity have interacted in the
  historical experiences of European cities?

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9. Space
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6. Environment (including Climate Change)Policy
framework

• Further development of the European Research
  Area ERA
• Contribution to the Lisbon Agenda
• Support to EU policies e.g. Sustainable
  Development Strategy, Environment (Thematic
  Strategies), Fisheries, Development,
  Agriculture,
• International commitments UN conventions -
  Biological Diversity, DesertificationIPCC
  Group on Earth Observations Regional agreements
  HELCOM, OSPAR

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6. Environment (including Climate Change)

• Objective
• To promote sustainable management of the
  environment and its resources through
• advancing our knowledge on the interactions
  between the biosphere, ecosystems and human
  activities, and
• developing new technologies, tools and services,
  in order to address in an integrated way global
  environmental issues.
• Specific emphasis on
• Prediction of climate, ecological, earth and
  ocean systems changes
• Tools and technologies, for monitoring,
  prevention and mitigation of environmental
  pressures and risks including on health and for
  the sustainability of the natural and man-made
  environment.

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6. Environment (inc. climate change)
Climate change, pollution and risks
Sustainable Management of Resources
Environmental Technologies
Earth observation and assessment tools
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6. Environment (inc. climate change)
Climate change, pollution and risks
Pressures on environment and climate
Environment and health
Natural hazards
Sustainable Management of Resources
Environmental Technologies
Earth observation and assessment tools
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6. EnvironmentActivity 1 Climate change,
pollution and risks

• 3 sub-activities
• Pressures on environment and climate e.g
• Megacities, air quality and climate
• Climate change consequences for cities
• Adaptation strategies to climate change
• Environment and Health e.g.
• Indoor air pollution
• Integrated assessment of urban environment and
  health
• Urban green areas and health
• Natural Hazards e.g.
• Floods
• Multirisk assessment and mitigation strategies

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6. Environment (inc. climate change)
Climate change, pollution and risks
Sustainable Management of Resources
Conservation and sustainable management of
natural and man-made resources and biodiversity
Evolution of marine environments
Environmental Technologies
Earth observation and assessment tools
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6. EnvironmentActivity 2 Sustainable management
of resources

• Sub-Activity Conservation and sustainable
  management of natural and man-made resources -
  including soil protection and sustainable
  management and planning of urban environment
  e.g. indicative topics
• Urban metabolism and urban resources optimisation
• Externalities of urban activities
• Common approaches to promote sustainable
  urbanisation at world level
• Development of geo-spatial tools for the
  monitoring of urbanization processes to meet the
  Millenium Development Goals

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6. Environment (inc. climate change)
Climate change, pollution and risks
Sustainable Management of Resources
Environmental Technologies
Environmental technologies for the natural and
man-made environment
Protection, conservation and enhancement of
cultural heritage, including human habitat
Technology assessment, verification and testing
including LCA/LCT, etc.
Earth observation and assessment tools
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6. EnvironmentActivity 3 Environmental
technologies

• 3 sub-activities
• Environmental technologies for the natural and
  man-made environment including technologies
  related to urban environment and protection of
  the built environment e.g
• Sustainable water management in urban areas
• Technologies for waste sorting
• Tools for soil contamination assessment and
  characterization
• Low resource consumption buildings and
  infrastructure
• Protection, conservation and enhancement of
  cultural heritage, including human habitat,
  e.g.
• Technologies for cultural heritage monitoring and
  preventive maintenance
• Technology assessment, verification and testing

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6. Environment (inc. climate change)
Climate change, pollution and risks
Sustainable Management of Resources
Environmental Technologies
Earth observation and assessment tools
Earth Observation
Assessment tools for sustainable development
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6. EnvironmentActivity 4 Earth observation and
assessment tools

• 2 sub-activities
• Earth observation (with contribution to the 9 GEO
  benefit areas incl. health, socio-economic data
  and land use)
• Forecasting methods and assessment tools
  including developing the knowledge base and
  methodologies for sustainability impact
  assessment on key issues such as land use e.g.
• Methodologies for scaling down the analysis of
  policy impacts on multifunctional land uses, from
  economic-wide to the regional and local level

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FP7 Participating countries
Full participants of FP7
Candidate Countries
MEMBER STATES
ASSOCIATED COUNTRIES
ACC (TR, BU, RO, HR)
NON-ASSOCIATED CANDIDATE COUNTRIES
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION PARTNER
COUNTRIES Mediterranean partner Countries,
Western Balkans, Eastern European and Central
Asian countries ACP, ASIA, Latin America
INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES
Third Countries
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7th Framework Programme International Cooperation

• International cooperation will be supported in
  all 4 Specific Programmes (FP) COOPERATION
  CAPACITIES,PEOPLE and IDEAS
• Dedicated International Cooperation Activities
  within the CAPACITIES SP will support the policy
  making and priority setting, that should then be
  used to shape the Themes approach
• Cooperation SP will support the bulk of
  international ST cooperation activity (real
  research) within the context of the individual
  themes. 2 mechanisms
• opening of mainstream activities
• specific cooperation actions with mutual interest
  and benefit

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7th Framework Programme International
Cooperation Cooperation SP

• The opening of all activities to third countries
• ICPC and Industrialised countries can in
  principle participate in all themes
• ICPC may be funded in all cases, while
  Industrialised countries only if indispensable
• In some areas of mutual interest within a Call,
  the participation of third countries may be
  encouraged
• ICPC partners come in addition to the minimum
  consortium requirements
• Specific co-operation actions in each thematic
  area dedicated to ICPC
• Dedicated calls or separate dedicated parts of
  calls targeted to ICPC countries within each and
  every theme
• Specific consortium requirements 2 MS 2 ICPC
• Specific evaluation criteria

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Dissemination, knowledge transfer and broader
engagement in FP7 (1)

• More pro-active approach to dissemination in FP7
  compared with FP6 (essentially reporting
  requirements)
• Activities at Work Programme level
• through specific topics of the call dedicated
  to dissemination
• expert calls (framework contract)
• Activities at project level
• through introduction of activities in the
  Contract and reporting requirements
• Offering targeted assistance to projects to
  optimise the dissemination and promote the actual
  use of results
• legal helpdesk
• exploitation strategic seminars

?

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Dissemination, knowledge transfer and broader
engagement in FP7 (2)

• Specific actions (bringing together researchers
  and potential users ) to disseminate results from
  across a range of projects (including projects
  outside FP7).
• Dissemination to policy makers (incl.
  standardisation bodies) to facilitate the use of
  results
• synthesise knowledge/results
• organise dissemination and awareness events
• special events targeting the European
  Institutions
• Cordis services
• Initiatives to foster dialogue and debate with
  actors beyond the research community (science in
  society)

?

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Rules for Participation Funding schemes

• Funding schemes (formerly instruments)
• Collaborative projects (range from small focused
  actions to large integrating projects)
• Networks of excellence (same scope and
  objectives as in FP6)
• Coordination actions and Support actions (same
  scope and objectives as in FP6)
• Actions to promote and develop human resources
  and mobility of researchers

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7th Framework Programme(2007-2013) Further
information

• EU research http//ec.europa.eu/research
• Seventh Framework Programme http//ec.europa.eu/r
  esearch/fp7
• Information on research programmes and projects
• http//cordis.europa.eu
• RTD info magazine
• http//ec.europa.eu/research/rtdinfo
• Information requests
• http//ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pgenquiri
  eslgen

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Towards a new vision for international
cooperation in the field of research for local
sustainability Main expectations with regard
to the expert meeting
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Future of EU International Cooperation for
Research and Knowledge Transfer Main expectations

• Objective
• To contribute to the development of a vision for
  international cooperation in the field of
  research for local sustainability
• Two main contributions expected
• In reference to the relevant FP7 themes,
  identification of critical issues and research
  questions deserving specific attention in the
  work programmes
• Defining the suitable ways to stimulate the
  capitalisation, dissemination and uptake of
  knowledge

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Future of EU International Cooperation for
Research and Knowledge Transfer Research Needs

• Requirements
• Should relate to one or several FP7 Activities
  defined in the Cooperation SP
• Research challenges requiring scientific
  cooperation at the international level (Europe
  and beyond)
• State of the art and past research activities to
  be considered
• Issues of high societal and policy relevance at
  the global or regional level
• Due to the limited resources available,
  prioritization is a must

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Future of EU International Cooperation for
Research and Knowledge Transfer Stimulating
knowledge exchange

• Requirements
• Knowledge characterisation (scientific evidence,
  tools, methodologies, technologies, etc.)
• Critical analysis of the exchange and transfer
  mechanisms in terms of efficiency and adequacy
  with the knowledge types and user needs
• Knowledge validation
• Critical developments requiring international
  cooperation and specific funding with indication
  of the preferred mechanisms (web-based tools,
  stakeholder platforms, others?)

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Global knowledge for local sustainabilityExpert
meeting on the future of EU International
Cooperation for Research and Knowledge Transfer

• Thank you for your attention!
• Further information
• vincent.favrel_at_ec.europa.eu