Answers to frequently asked questions

  1. What is the forest-based sector?
  2. What are Technology Platforms?
  3. What are the next steps for the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA)?
  4. What will be the role of FTP management in the coming years?
  5. What is the relation between the SRA and the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme (FP7)?
  6. Industry has in the past benefited from the European Commission's Framework Programmes for Research. What is different today?
  7. Does funding of a project outside the FTP also require a national public contribution?
  8. Who decides on the research areas or projects that will be funded under the FP7 and what are the criteria for these decisions?
  9. How will research projects resulting from the SRA be included in the FP7?
  10. How do companies apply for research projects under FP7?
  11. Do companies have to go through the FTP to apply for research projects under FP7?
  12. How and when do companies form or join a consortium?
  13. How are EC finances for a research project distributed among consortium partners?
  14. What is the role of the research institutes in helping industry to be part of a research project under FTP?
  15. What happens with the results of a research project in which companies have participated? Do the the results become public knowledge and can they be used by other competing companies?
  16. What can be the consequences under competition rules when competing companies are together in a research project?

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1) What is the forest-based sector?
The forest-based sector includes all stakeholders with major interests in forestry, forest-based materials and products. It provides essential products and services for a more sustainable society. The sector accounts for 8% of manufacturing added value in the EU and provides between three and four millions jobs in industry. Its economic and social weight is also demonstrated by its 16 million private owners and the world-leading companies that can be found in Europe. The European forest-based sector enjoys global technological leadership and holds a leading research and business position at international level.

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2) What are Technology Platforms?
European Technology Platforms are expected to play a major role in mobilising Europe's research, technological development and innovation efforts. They bring the key stakeholders - industry, national and European public authorities, the academic community, the financial community, consumers and users - together around a common vision for the development of the technologies concerned. The platforms have as a primary objective, the definition of a Strategic Research Agenda for the medium to long-term and the establishment of the necessary, effective public-private partnerships for implementation of this agenda. 

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3) What are the next steps for the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA)?
European Technology Platforms have three stages: (1) defining a common vision; (2) developing a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA); and (3) implementing this Strategic Research Agenda. The FTP is now revising its SRA to bring it in line with the objectives of Horizon 2020, the next research and innovation framework budget (2014-2020). Implementation entails:

  • Developing the SRA into programmes and projects.
  • Carrying out research and development (R&D) projects which meet the objectives defined in the SRA.
  • Mobilising broad stakeholder participation from industry and the research community.
  • Encouraging investments in R&D from industry and public sources.
  • Stimulating innovation in terms of new products and processes.
  • Helping education and training system to adapt to changed requirements.
  • Communicating the necessity of R&D, innovation and their benefits to various audiences.

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4) What will be the role of FTP management in the coming years?
FTP management will undertake the following activities during the coming years:

  • Facilitate, communicate and monitor implementation of the SRA, for example, through mobilising the National Support Groups.
  • Continue to have a constructive dialogue with the European Commission and European Parliament.
  • Facilitate establishment and implementation of consortia, funding initiatives and action plans for successful implementation of the SRA.
  • Provide platforms for the dissemination of R&D findings.
  • Secure the necessary resources for European FTP work.
  • Secure communication, transparency and involvement.

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5) What is the relation between the SRA and the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme (FP7)?
The SRA is a long-term R&D roadmap formulated by the entire forest-based sector, but it is not an R&D funding instrument. FP7 is a policy instrument of the European Community to direct R&D during the period 2007-2013. It provides funding for R&D activities which are defined in Specific Programmes and derived Work Programmes. The SRA was taken into consideration during the formulation of FP7's Specific Programmes and Work Programmes. FP7 is one of several funding sources relevant to the sector. Other funding sources include additional EU programmes such as the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme 2007-2013 and ERA-Nets (i.e. networks for the linkage of National Programmes), national programmes, and industry contributions or loans.

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6) Industry has in the past benefited from the European Commission's Framework Programmes for Research. What is different today?
Industry participation in R&D projects under the different Research Framework Programmes has decreased over the years. Some of the reasons include unfavourable conditions concerning the issue of intellectual property rights (IPR), low participation in programme development, and complicated administrative requirements. Starting from the 6th Framework Programme, IPR issues have been dealt with in a much more favourable way for companies. Project consortia now have much more flexibility in allocating work and budget. The instrument of European Technology Platforms was created to facilitate private-public partnerships for research. Industry was actively involved from the beginning of this initiative. In FP7, a much stronger (and even leading) involvement of industry is expected. Partly thanks to the FTP, many issues of relevance for the sector have found their way into the Specific Programmes and the Work Programmes of FP7.

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7) Does funding of a project outside the FTP also require a national public contribution?
Often this will be the case. The SRA was developed together with nearly 1000 experts from all over Europe. Focus was on issues of importance to the entire sector but there will still be many areas outside the SRA where research and development are needed. Projects outside the SRA are facing the same challenge to acquire financing as projects under the FTP do. Sources of financing for these other projects can be from the FP7 as well as other EU and national programme as well as industry funding.

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8) Who decides on the research areas or projects that will be funded under the FP7 and what are the criteria for these decisions?
The content of FP7, and especially of the Specific Programmes and the Rules of Participation were developed by the European Commission (EC) and subsequently adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council. The Work Programmes with their detailed description of objectives and activities have been developed by the EC in consultation with, for example, Programme Committees consisting of National Delegates at political level. Which projects ultimately obtain funding depends on the outcome of the evaluation procedure under a specific call for proposals for a Specific Area or theme in a Work Programme. Evaluation procedures are well-defined and involve unbiased, external experts.

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9) How will research projects resulting from the SRA be included in the FP7?
The FTP network has briefed the European Commission's DG Research, the National Delegates in the Programme Committees, members of the European Parliament, and the like on issues important to the sector. As a result, the Work Programmes and calls for proposals within FP7  provide possibilities to submit proposals for cooperative R&D projects that adhere to the SRA. It is the task of research institutes, universities and industry to form consortia, develop projects that meet the respective call, to prepare excellent proposals and to submit these in due time. FTP Management has a facilitating role in this process and will include under the FTP umbrella, those projects or proposals that contribute to the SRA and fulfil certain criteria.

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10) How do companies apply for research projects under FP7?
A call for proposals must be issued by the European Commission. This call describes the area of R&D which is announced, the regulations and the deadline for submission. In principle every legal entity can form a project consortium, and prepare and submit a project application. In reality, most project ideas are developed during discussions between partners from industry and research organisations and are in line with R&D needs expressed in the SRA. National or European research groupings, the FTP's National Support Groups and FTP networking events can support project preparation. Projects need to closely adhere to the content of the respective call. Companies are invited to participate or engage themselves in project preparation. As the period between publication of a call for proposals and the deadline for submission is usually rather short (3-4 months for a pan-European R&D project), preparation work usually starts earlier.

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11) Does one have to go through the FTP to apply for research projects under FP7?
No. In principle every legal entity is free to form a project consortium and prepare and submit a project application. Some organisations or companies will prepare proposals without informing the FTP or others, especially if they are going to apply for a project with a strong competitive edge. It could be beneficial to check if the proposed project has links with the FTP's SRA. If this is the case, information about the proposal could be entered into the FTP Database. In this way, the proposal will be taken into account in the FTP's efforts to implement its SRA and strengthen research and development coordination in the sector. 

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12) How and when do companies form or join a consortium?
Companies that want to participate in FP7 projects should collect information on the programme and its calls, for example from the official information sources of the European Commission (e.g., www.cordis.eu) and the National Offices for FP7. Other sources of information are the FTP's National Support Groups, FTP Management and organisations such as EFI, INNOVAWOOD and EFPRO. Companies can initiate or join consortia and prepare an application for a specific call for proposals. They can do so when a call is published or by anticipating the content of a call. Participation in a project consortium should start as early as possible. Joining a consortium after a proposal has been submitted will in principle not be possible. Participation in FTP activities can help companies with identifying promising calls, finding partners, and so forth.

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13) How are EC finances for a research project distributed among consortium partners?
Distribution of the EC's financial contribution to the individual partners is done according to the partners' workload and is based on approved costs. During the proposal preparation stage, partner contributions to the various work packages are allocated according to competences and capabilities. EC funding allocation depends on the allowable funding rate, which differs for activities like management, R&D, demonstration or training. Rules for maximim EC funding (as a share of total cost) also vary for different types of organisations, such as industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), R&D institutes or universities.

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14) What is the role of the research institutes in helping industry to be part of a research project under FTP?
Some (larger) research institutes have a long experience in carrying out R&D projects under the various Framework Programmes (FP). This experience comprises not only scientific expertise but also profound knowhow on planning, proposal writing, contract negotiation, and management and coordination of multi-partner projects. In the forest-based sector, industry so far has very seldom taken the lead in preparing FP-projects. Several institutions offer advisory services to partners within project consortia, from the planning stage until project completion. In the pulp and paper sector, for example, research institutes and universities in Europe have formed a network called EFPRO. This network, together with its partnering organisations in the forestry and wood research areas (EFI and InnovaWood), provide crucial support to the work of the FTP in implemeting its SRA.

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15) What happens with the results of a research project in which companies have participated? Do the the results become public knowledge and can they be used by other competing companies?
An FP7 R&D project usually has to have a European dimension and therefore requires a consortium consisting of partners in, typically, more than three countries. During the creation of a consortium each partner should be aware of other partners and what potential competition conflicts might arise. Still, each partner owns the intellectual property rights of the results that he has generated. It is up to the partner to protect the generated knowledge and to decide on making it public (or not). But partners have to provide access to this knowledge to those consortium partners which need it to carry out their own project tasks.

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16) What can the consequences under competition rules be when competing companies find themselves together in a research project?
R&D cooperation is generally permissible as technical development is good for the community as a whole and would be hampered if competitors were not allowed to cooperate. It is important that partners are free to carry out their own research and development work based on results obtained during the project and outside its control. However, caution is needed when competitors constituting dominant market positions participate in the same project. This situation must be analysed on a case-by-case basis and contract conditions regarding exploitation must be carefully drafted. Previous experience on competition matters should always be consulted.

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