Fraunhofer ISI - FET Open: Boosting the exploratory power of open research in Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Project

Fraunhofer Institute for
Systems and Innovation Research ISI

FET Open: Boosting the exploratory power of open research in Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

This study deals with the future of Open Collaborative Research in Europe. "Open collaborative" research is defined as research that is risky, potentially transformative, foundational, bottom-up, interdisciplinary, technology driven, and collaborative. The main findings of the study are as follows:

Societal and economic challenges require new models of research.
The internal dynamics of science requires a fast and collaborative approach to research.
Existing thematic (top-down) programmes are too slow and too narrow to respond to these societal, economic and scientific challenges. Thus, the Open Collaborative Reserach model will become more prominent in the future.
Fostering the Open Collaborative mode of doing reserach in Europe requires a firm decision for a centralised approach. Embedding many small Open Collaborative Research programmes into existing programme lines will not generate the required effects.

What is Open Collaborative Research?	What it is not:
it focuses on new ideas which are foundational and which may have a transformative character, it is risky (possibility to fail), it is bottom-up (defined by researchers), it has a fast and slim selection process, it is collaborative (involves several researchers), it is interdisciplinary, it is purpose-driven, which means that it aims at technology development.	it is not mainstream research, it is not about small changes of existing models or approaches, it does not follow a policy agenda, a work programme or pre-defined research topics, it does not rely on track record alone, it is not descipline-oriented research, it is not pure basic science.

FET Open today

The FET Open programme of the European Commission is positioned as 'the incubator for radically new research ideas and future research and innovation potential' (http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/fet-open/home_en.html). FET Open aims to stimulate and capture new opportunities and developments in science and technology as they emerge. FET Open:

-   Is open to any new ideas, it is bottom-up with no predefined themes
-   Is open at any time: a continuously open call
-   Is open to anyone: anonymous evaluation of first step proposals
-   Has a light and fast selection process: a two-step process starting with a short proposal

Vision: The future of Open Collaborative Research in Europe

The funding agency, the researchers and the wider world form a virtuous symbiotic relationship
The administrative processes capture the spirit of opportunity and keep new ideas flowing and capture the value from these ideas
Open Collaborative Research will be stronger and more significant than today
The European agency, institution or unit for funding Open Collaborative Research is well-known as a generator for ideas and innovations in Europe and even worldwide
The future funding of Open Collaborative Research not only covers ICT and neighbouring fields, but is open to all of science and technology
Open Collaborative Research has become a major pillar within the European research funding landscape and successfully complements the other pillars

Summary Paper (30 pages)
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