Changing governance of research and technology policy. The European Research Area

Abstract:

The European Union is often acclaimed as the only trading bloc capable of challenging the United States in world trade. Perhaps less acclaim is given to the potential of Europe to become the major power in research and technology. This book looks at the European Research Area, which represents a new way forward for research in Europe through collaboration and co-ordination of national research policies.

The work is organised three parts. Part one addresses the changing governance from a European perspective and explores such issues as mutual policy learning, the political dynamics of the ERA, and complex consensus-building. Part two looks at the sub-European level and addresses the impact of the ERA on national RTD funding programmes, and the differentiation of EU-R&D policy subsystems in Austria, Finland and Sweden. The position of accession candidates in the recent enlargement of the EU is also discussed. Part three considers the changing governance implications from a sectoral perspective with particular reference to biotechnology.

The book will interest international researchers, policy makers and students interested in research, technology and innovation policy in Europe.

Jakob Edler is a Senior Researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Karlsruhe, Germany. Stefan Kuhlmann is Head of the Department of Technology Analysis and Innovation Strategies at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, and Professor of Innovation Policy Analysis at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Maria Behrens is Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations and Comparative Politics at the Open University, Hagen, Germany.