EU research and innovation funding proposals under scrutiny by Assembly committee

It’s good to see we don’t need to rely solely on Welsh Government Ministers for economic answers, as the Business and Enterprise Committee is looking into possible Assembly legislation for EU Research monies for Welsh Universities.

The press release states ‘A National Assembly for Wales committee inquiry is set to examine legislative proposals for a new European Union research and innovation funding programme, called ‘Horizon 2020’.

The Enterprise and Business Committee will assess the potential opportunities for universities, research centres and businesses in Wales, presented by the European Commission’s draft proposals.
The Horizon 2020 programme has three strategic objectives – excellent science, industrial leadership and societal challenges – and funding will be allocated primarily through a centrally managed competitive bidding process in Brussels, open to organisations in Wales and across the EU (and in some cases beyond).

A total budget of £60 billion has been earmarked, although this may change during the negotiations that will take place in Brussels over the next 12-18 months to determine the actual amount of money available and the criteria to access funds.

The Committee will also look at the potential for establishing synergies with the future EU Structural Funds programmes in Wales, to help strengthen Welsh performance in the future Horizon 2020 programme.

“The Welsh Government has made it clear that it sees research and innovation as a key part of Wales’s economic future,” said Nick Ramsay AM, Chair of the Enterprise and Business Committee.
“This is potentially a large financial budget of European funding for which Wales is eligible to make bids, and it’s important we get a substantial share of it.

“Previous Assembly committee inquiries have highlighted how we have underperformed in acquiring funding in these areas and how closer relationships between universities, research organisations and technology companies should be developed.

“We believe Wales cannot afford to let opportunities like this slip by and this inquiry will establish recommendations to ensure that does not happen.”

Anyone wishing to submit evidence to the inquiry can either email enterprise.committee@wales.gov.uk, or write to: Clerk to the Enterprise and Business Committee, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1NA.

The closing date for written submissions of evidence is 23 April 2012.'

Lack of Welsh Government scrutiny and accountability exposed again

Apparently our First Minister Carwyn Jones is going to India to promote Wales as a film location to ‘Bollywood’ directors and producers and it’s a good idea as we have lots of beautiful scenery and locations for filming.  

But why do we have to read about this and ‘Mr. Jones said his government had just announced a further three years funding of £300,000 for the UK-India Education Research Initiative (UKIERI) from an article in the India newspaper The Hindu rather than the Western Mail or the Daily Post.

And for all the positives the article contained this worrying passage ‘The visit is aimed at tapping into the Indian market for Welsh goods and services. A similar initiative by the previous government apparently did not yield much. Few in the current Labour-led administration appear to know if anything came out of it.’

If we don’t know how Wales benefited last time Carwyn Jones or Rhodri Morgan went, it makes you wonder if anyone in the Welsh Government has set targets of what constitutes success from this Indian trip in the short, medium and long term? And if not will the press and opposition raise this with the First Minister on his return to Wales?

The Hindu article is HERE