EUREKA
Encyclopedia
EUREKA, often abbreviated as "E!" or "Σ!", is a pan-European research and development
funding and coordination organization. EUREKA aims to coordinate efforts of governments, research institutes and commercial companies concerning innovation. It does not partake in military research and follows a "bottom-up" approach to R&D funding, industry itself deciding which projects should be developed.
As of June 2010, EUREKA has 40 full members, including the European Union
(represented by the European Commission
). All 27 EU Member States
are also members of Eureka, with the last EU Member State, Bulgaria
, joining in June 2010.
EUREKA is not an EU research programme, but rather an inter-governmental initiative, of which the EU is a member. Cooperation and synergy are sought between EUREKA and the research activities of the EU proper, notably with European Union's Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development
and the European Research Area
.
(France) and Helmut Kohl
(Germany). Other important personalities involved were Hubert Curien
, French ex-Minister of Research and former Chairman of the European Space Agency and Jacques Attali
, adviser to François Mitterrand.
The EUREKA Chair rotates yearly among EUREKA’s member countries, with a mandate running from July to June of the following year. It implements a three-year rolling programme in cooperation with the previous and future Chairs (the 'Troika') with a goal of sustaining the momentum of EUREKA's work. Its role is to assist the chair country in organising the coming year's ministerial or conference (MC or IPC), as well as high-level group (HLG), executive group (EG) and national project coordinator (NPC) meetings, which it also chairs. The Chair represents EUREKA externally and agrees with the ESE (Secretariat) on the level of support it should provide, which is then incorporated into the ESE’s business plan.
Ministerial Conference – MC
The ministerial conference is the political branch of EUREKA where the ministers lay down political guidelines, decide on further developments, approve/dismiss members, and officially announce new EUREKA projects endorsed during the Chairmanship year. It biennially gathers the ministers from each member country and a Commissioner from the European Commission (EC).
Inter-Parliamentary Conference – IPC
Taking place in alternate years to the ministerial conference, the conference raises the public awareness of EUREKA’s role and possibilities and makes recommendations on strategic issues to be presented to ministers.
High-Level Group – HLG
The high-level group is the key decision-making body of EUREKA. The ministry responsible for EUREKA in each member country names its high-level representative (HLR) which in turn endorses new projects, takes decisions on the management of EUREKA and prepares new policy discussions for the ministerial conference.
Executive Group – EG
The executive group is a small group with members from the Troika countries, meeting at least eight times a year. It reports and implements the decisions taken by the HLG. It represents a balance of EUREKA members, whose role is to act as an executive body on behalf of the HLG. An EC member is also invited to attend EG meetings. The EG is also responsible for debating key policy issues, deciding on topics delegated by the HLG and advising successive Chairs.
National Project Coordinators – NPCs
National project coordinators run the national EUREKA offices at an operational level and are responsible for project generation, national and international support, and follow-up. They are the direct contact with project participants facilitating the setting-up and running of a project. NPCs meetings (4-5 times annually) are the forum for the exchange of experiences and best-practices discussions.
EUREKA Secretariat – ESE
The EUREKA Secretariat, based in Brussels, is an international association acting as the central support unit for the network. The ESE manages the EUREKA project database and undertakes marketing, communications and network-development activities. It is also responsible for the collection and dissemination of information on projects, and in cooperation with the Chair and the national offices promotes the EUREKA philosophy.
Executive Board - EB
The executive board has the same members as the executive group and is the body solely responsible for management of the ESE.
General Assembly – GA
The general assembly is the highest-level body of the ESE. It is vested with all the powers necessary to perform the objectives of the association.
High-Level Group Representatives – HLRs
High-level group representatives comprise the decision-making HLG. Each member country names a high-level representative (HLR) to EUREKA, who in turn endorses new projects, decides the management of EUREKA, and prepares policy discussions for the MC.
National Project Coordinators – NPCs
National project coordinators run the national EUREKA offices at an operational level and are responsible for project generation, national and international support and follow-up. They are the direct contact with project participants facilitating the setting-up and running of a project. NPCs meetings (4-5 times annually) are the forum for the exchange of experiences and best-practices discussions.
National Information Points - NIPs
Apart from preparing countries for full EUREKA membership, the national information points-status was set up to provide industry and research institutes with an easy interface with EUREKA and to facilitate participation in projects.
nor Bosnia and Herzegovina
are full members of EUREKA; however, R&D companies from those countries can address a National Information Point to receive funding through EUREKA. Several research projects put forward by participants from Albania and from Bosnia and Herzegovina have already been completed or are ongoing.
This was the EUREKA Environmental Award established in 1994 by the then Norwegian Chair, in the town whose name it bears. With this award, EUREKA recognised the contribution made by a project to improving Europe's environment, developing sustainable solutions to the problems of waste and pollution.
Lynx Award
The Lynx Award was established in 2001 during the Spanish Chairmanship to highlight fast-growing, high-tech SMEs which offer good prospects for private investors. Companies eligible for the Award indicated additional turnover (approx. 25%) resulting from participation in a EUREKA project or EUREKA Cluster sub-project. The winner receives €10,000 and the "EUSY" trophy (the EUREKA symbol embodying the spirit and challenge of innovation, introduced by the Hellenic chairmanship).
EUREKA Clusters are:
EUREKA Umbrellas are:
A Eurostars project is any European R&D project addressing a civilian purposed technological area aimed at the development of a new product, process, or service.
Eurostars projects are collaborative efforts which must involve at least two separate participants from different Eurostars participating countries, and the main participant must be a research-performing SME from the list of member countries to join before mid-2002; including Cyprus but excluding Serbia.
The programme also requires that the SME participants have a significant role, contributing at least 50% of the project's core activity (with some allowance for minor contracting); and that it be a well balanced collaboration with no single participant or country being expected to contribute more than 75% of the total investment.
Eurostars projects are also limited to a maximum duration of three years, with the funded research's market launch occurring within two years of project completion; or, in the case of biomedical or medical projects, starting clinical trials within two years of project completion.
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
funding and coordination organization. EUREKA aims to coordinate efforts of governments, research institutes and commercial companies concerning innovation. It does not partake in military research and follows a "bottom-up" approach to R&D funding, industry itself deciding which projects should be developed.
As of June 2010, EUREKA has 40 full members, including the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(represented by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
). All 27 EU Member States
Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
are also members of Eureka, with the last EU Member State, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, joining in June 2010.
EUREKA is not an EU research programme, but rather an inter-governmental initiative, of which the EU is a member. Cooperation and synergy are sought between EUREKA and the research activities of the EU proper, notably with European Union's Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development
Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development
The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 through FP8, are funding programmes created by the European Union in order to support and encourage research in the European Research Area...
and the European Research Area
European Research Area
The European Research Area is a system of scientific research programmes integrating the scientific resources of the European Union . Since its inception in 2000, the structure has been concentrated on multi-national co-operation in the fields of medical, environmental, industrial and...
.
Objectives
The organization's primary objectives were to challenge the increasing migration of R&D and industrial innovation to Asian and North-American countries. More generally EUREKA's objective is to raise the productivity and competitiveness of European businesses through technology. It also aims to boost national economies on the international market and to strengthen the basis for sustainable prosperity and employment in Europe.History
Founded in 1985 by major figures of the European political scene, EUREKA's steady growth over the years has helped to make it one of the longest running European organisations dedicated to the financing of joint European R&D projects. EUREKA is loosely affiliated with COST, its non-competitive research counterpart, although the two focus on different aspects of R&D with COST's efforts geared towards more socially focused areas of public interest while EUREKA's mandate is to provide funding for projects envisaged, developed, and executed by private industry.Foundation
EUREKA was established with the "Paris Declaration" of July 17, 1985, and its principles are based on the later Hannover Declaration, subscribed by Ministers on November 6, 1985. The two main founders were former head of states François MitterrandFrançois Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
(France) and Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
(Germany). Other important personalities involved were Hubert Curien
Hubert Curien
Hubert Curien was a French physicist and a key figure in European science politics, as the President of CERN , the first chairman of the European Space Agency , and second President of the Academia Europæa and a President of Fondation de France.-Biography:Born in Cornimont, Vosges in Lorraine,...
, French ex-Minister of Research and former Chairman of the European Space Agency and Jacques Attali
Jacques Attali
Jacques Attali is a French economist, writer and senior civil servant.Former adviser to President François Mitterrand and first president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, he founded the non-profit organization PlaNet Finance and was nominated President of the Commission for...
, adviser to François Mitterrand.
Briefly, it [EUREKA] is about assuring the technological independence of Europe in the key domains of the future; encouraging, wherever possible, co-operation between European businesses and researchers; mobilising the necessary financial resources; accompanying the efforts of our enterprises by creating the necessary environment and supporting the unification of our internal markets.
There are numerous obstacles. Once the initial idea of EUREKA was formulated, we were able to foresee the difficulties to be faced. But we know that each time we come together — for example to address high-energy physics, research into nuclear fusion, the development of an integrated space programme or the construction of crucial scientific equipment — our successes encourage us in the idea that we can work together in R&D areas close to industrial markets, despite the problems arising from the normal and legitimate competition between firms.
Timeline
- 1985Launch of EUREKA Initiative on 17 July • The European Union and 18 countries sign the Hannover Declaration on 6 November • The first ten projects are announced
- 1986Three strategic initiatives - E! 127 JESSI, E! 45 Prometheus and E! 95 HDTV - are approved, with a combined value of almost €5.3 billion • First Umbrellas (thematic networks) are created to share expertise across technology areas or business sectors • The EUREKA Secretariat is established in Brussels • IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
joins - 198758 new projects are announced • Total since start-ups reach 167 • EUREKA database is initiated
- 1988With funding of €20 million, project E! 24 GTO is first to reach completion, delivering thyristors for faster, smoother and more efficient high speed rail locomotive propulsion
- 1989Strategic initiative JESSI is launched to rebuild European competitiveness in microelectronicsMicroelectronicsMicroelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture of very small electronic components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre-scale or smaller,. These devices are made from semiconductors...
- 1990After the fall of the Berlin WallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, EUREKA opens the door to central and eastern European countries • HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
becomes the first CEEC partner (participating in the €55 million E! 226 EUROLASER SOLID) - 1991The Budapest Conference invites closer CEEC National Information Points are set up to facilitate participation
- 19927 September is named 'EUREKA Day' at the World EXPO, Seville • Hungary acquires full membership
- 1993"L'innovation au quotidien" exhibition in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
highlights impact of EUREKA on everyday life • 150 new projects launched with an estimated €1.0bn funding • Russian Federation joins - 1994Lillehammer Award established to reward environmental achievement – E! 160 FERMSEP is the first winner • Vision EUREKA event in Lillehammer attracts 2,000 researchers and industrialists to 17 conferences • SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
joins - 1995FACTORY Umbrella for manufacturing succeeds FAMOS • Special relationship forged with European Space AgencyEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
• Czech Republic and PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
join - 1996First EUREKA website comes on-line • E! 1588 ORACLE) begins to tackle landmine clearance problem
- 1997E! 1535 MEDEA Cluster takes over from JESSI as vehicle for system innovation in microelectronics • Continuous and Systematic Evaluation scheme deployed • RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
joins - 1998ICT Clusters E! 1884 EURIMUS (microsystems) and E! 2023 ITEA (software-intensive systems) launched • EUREKA participates in Pavilion of the Future at World EXPOExpo '98Expo '98 was an official specialised World's Fair held in Lisbon, Portugal from Friday, May 22 to Wednesday, September 30, 1998. The theme of the fair was "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future," chosen in part to commemorate 500 years of Portuguese discoveries...
in LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... - 1999Strategic review of EUREKA identifies networking as key to success in innovation • E! 1888 PIDEA Cluster (electronic interconnection and packaging) launched • LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
joins - 2000Guidelines EUREKA 2000plus adopted by 18th Ministerial Conference in Hannover on 23 June • EUREKA launches Treasures Exhibition at EXPO 2000Expo 2000Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in Hannover • CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
join - 2001Lynx Award introduced to recognise innovative SMEs • French software house Coheris collects first award • EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
join - 2002Major new projects launched in automotive sector • CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, and MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
become full members - 2003Project Assessment Methodology adopted for harmonised project assessment • Industrialists appointed for the first time as High-Level Group Chairman and Head of Secretariat • ICT Cluster E! 3187 CELTIC (telecommunications solutions) launched
- 2004Ministerial Conference in Paris announces 212 new projects (budget €518 million) and six new Clusters • Completed project total reaches 1,800 with a total value of €18.0bn
- 2005Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
becomes the first Eastern European country to chair EUREKA • MonacoMonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
and San MarinoSan MarinoSan Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
join - 2006MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
join EUREKA - 2007Launch of the Eurostars programme in partnership with the European Commission, which invests 800 million euros in the project
- 2008Launch of the I AM EUREKA advertising campaign which aims to bring EUREKA closer to the public • MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
joins - 2009Running projects hit the 1000 mark • South Korea becomes an EUREKA associated country and Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
joins as a National Information Point - 2010BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
joins EUREKA • IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
assumes the Chairmanship for the first time
Hierarchy
ChairThe EUREKA Chair rotates yearly among EUREKA’s member countries, with a mandate running from July to June of the following year. It implements a three-year rolling programme in cooperation with the previous and future Chairs (the 'Troika') with a goal of sustaining the momentum of EUREKA's work. Its role is to assist the chair country in organising the coming year's ministerial or conference (MC or IPC), as well as high-level group (HLG), executive group (EG) and national project coordinator (NPC) meetings, which it also chairs. The Chair represents EUREKA externally and agrees with the ESE (Secretariat) on the level of support it should provide, which is then incorporated into the ESE’s business plan.
Ministerial Conference – MC
The ministerial conference is the political branch of EUREKA where the ministers lay down political guidelines, decide on further developments, approve/dismiss members, and officially announce new EUREKA projects endorsed during the Chairmanship year. It biennially gathers the ministers from each member country and a Commissioner from the European Commission (EC).
Inter-Parliamentary Conference – IPC
Taking place in alternate years to the ministerial conference, the conference raises the public awareness of EUREKA’s role and possibilities and makes recommendations on strategic issues to be presented to ministers.
High-Level Group – HLG
The high-level group is the key decision-making body of EUREKA. The ministry responsible for EUREKA in each member country names its high-level representative (HLR) which in turn endorses new projects, takes decisions on the management of EUREKA and prepares new policy discussions for the ministerial conference.
Executive Group – EG
The executive group is a small group with members from the Troika countries, meeting at least eight times a year. It reports and implements the decisions taken by the HLG. It represents a balance of EUREKA members, whose role is to act as an executive body on behalf of the HLG. An EC member is also invited to attend EG meetings. The EG is also responsible for debating key policy issues, deciding on topics delegated by the HLG and advising successive Chairs.
National Project Coordinators – NPCs
National project coordinators run the national EUREKA offices at an operational level and are responsible for project generation, national and international support, and follow-up. They are the direct contact with project participants facilitating the setting-up and running of a project. NPCs meetings (4-5 times annually) are the forum for the exchange of experiences and best-practices discussions.
EUREKA Secretariat – ESE
The EUREKA Secretariat, based in Brussels, is an international association acting as the central support unit for the network. The ESE manages the EUREKA project database and undertakes marketing, communications and network-development activities. It is also responsible for the collection and dissemination of information on projects, and in cooperation with the Chair and the national offices promotes the EUREKA philosophy.
Executive Board - EB
The executive board has the same members as the executive group and is the body solely responsible for management of the ESE.
General Assembly – GA
The general assembly is the highest-level body of the ESE. It is vested with all the powers necessary to perform the objectives of the association.
High-Level Group Representatives – HLRs
High-level group representatives comprise the decision-making HLG. Each member country names a high-level representative (HLR) to EUREKA, who in turn endorses new projects, decides the management of EUREKA, and prepares policy discussions for the MC.
National Project Coordinators – NPCs
National project coordinators run the national EUREKA offices at an operational level and are responsible for project generation, national and international support and follow-up. They are the direct contact with project participants facilitating the setting-up and running of a project. NPCs meetings (4-5 times annually) are the forum for the exchange of experiences and best-practices discussions.
National Information Points - NIPs
Apart from preparing countries for full EUREKA membership, the national information points-status was set up to provide industry and research institutes with an easy interface with EUREKA and to facilitate participation in projects.
Chairs
Before 1989, EUREKA chairmanship changed hands every six months.| Year | Countries |
|---|---|
| 1985, 2nd semester |  Early Modern France |
| 1986, 1st semester |  Germany |
| 1986, 2nd semester |  United Kingdom |
| 1987, 1st semester |  Sweden |
| 1987, 2nd semester |  Spain |
| 1988, 1st semester |  Denmark |
| 1988, 2nd semester |  Austria |
| 19891990 |  Italy |
| 19911992 |  Finland |
| 19921993 | Early Modern France |
| 19931994 |  Norway |
| 19941995 |  Switzerland |
| 19951996 |  Belgium |
| 19961997 | United Kingdom |
| 19971998 |  Portugal |
| 19981999 |  Turkey |
| 19992000 | Germany |
| 20002001 | Spain |
| 20012002 |  Greece |
| 20022003 | Denmark |
| 20032004 | Early Modern France |
| 20042005 |  Netherlands |
| 20052006 |  Czech Republic |
| 20062007 | Italy |
| 20072008 |  Slovenia |
| 20082009 | Portugal |
| 20092010 | Germany |
| 20102011 |  Israel |
| 20112012 |  Hungary |
| 20122013 | Turkey |
Membership
| Member country | Year of joining |
|---|---|
| Austria |
1985 |
| Belgium |
1985 |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
2010 |
 Independent State of Croatia |
2000 |
 Cyprus |
2002 |
| Czech Republic |
1995 |
| Denmark |
1985 |
 Estonia |
2001 |
| Finland |
1985 |
| Early Modern France |
1985 |
| Germany |
1985 |
| Greece |
1985 |
| Hungary |
1992 |
 Iceland |
1985 |
 Republic of Ireland |
1985 |
| Israel |
2000 |
| Italy |
1985 |
 Latvia |
2000 |
 Lithuania |
1999 |
 Luxembourg |
1985 |
 Republic of Macedonia |
2008 |
 Malta |
2006 |
 Monaco |
2005 |
| Netherlands |
1985 |
| Norway |
1985 |
 Poland |
1995 |
| Portugal |
1985 |
 Kingdom of Romania |
1997 |
 Russia |
1993 |
 San Marino |
2005 |
 Serbia |
2002 |
 Slovakia |
2001 |
| Slovenia |
1994 |
| Spain |
1985 |
| Sweden |
1985 |
| Switzerland |
1985 |
| Turkey |
1985 |
 Ukraine |
2006 |
| United Kingdom |
1985 |
 European Union |
1985 |
National Information Points
Neither AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
nor Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
are full members of EUREKA; however, R&D companies from those countries can address a National Information Point to receive funding through EUREKA. Several research projects put forward by participants from Albania and from Bosnia and Herzegovina have already been completed or are ongoing.
Associated countries
Countries that are not within the geographical borders of Europe can join EUREKA as associated countries. The only associated country is which joined in 2009.Selected projects
EUREKA Projects are numbered, preceded by 'E! '.- E! 45 helped to fund the PROMETHEUSEUREKA Prometheus ProjectThe EUREKA Prometheus Project was the largest R&D project ever in the field of driverless cars. In today's money it received more than 1 billion dollars of funding from the European Commission, and defined the state of the art of autonomous vehicles...
project for safer road vehicles, such as through autonomous drivingDriverless carAn autonomous car, also known as robotic or informally as driverless, is an autonomous vehicle capable of fulfilling the human transportation capabilities of a traditional car. As an autonomous vehicle, it is capable of sensing its environment and navigating on its own...
with 745 million euros. - E! 95 was a 730 million euros HDTV project, which created the HD-MACHD-MACHD-MAC was a proposed broadcast television systems standard by the European Commission in 1986 . It was an early attempt by the EEC to provide High-definition television in Europe. It was a complex mix of analogue signal , multiplexed with digital sound...
standard for high definition television. - E! 147 was a 93 million euros digital audio broadcasting project whose technologies went into Musicam, and which was used as the basis for MPEG-1 Layer II (MP2) and used in DABDigital audio broadcastingDigital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
(Digital Audio Broadcast), and ASPEC (Adaptive Spectral Perceptual Entropy Coding), which was used in a modified form in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
audio. - E! 127 paid 3.8bn euros into the JESSI project (Joint European Submicron Silicon Initiative) whose goal was to regain ground lost to Asia and the USA in microchips.
- E! 2551 cost 6.1 million euros for the integration of existing CAD/CAM programs under a common user interface, part of which was paid to Vero Software PlcVero Software PlcVero Software is a CADCAM software company headquartered in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.Vero was founded in Northern Italy in October 1988 by Don Babbs and Ezio Galardo when they left Olivetti...
. - E! 3674 is Information Technology for European Advancement (ITEA2), an industry-driven cooperative R & D programme for maintaining European leadership in software-intensive systems, with the project due to end in January 2014 having received 3.0bn euros. ITEA2 Projects notably include WellComEureka ITEA2 WellCom ProjectEureka ITEA 2 WellCom was a collaborative research project running under the ITEA2 programme within the EUREKA framework. It was launched in April 2007 and ended in April 2009. The WellCom consortium was composed of 15 European organizations including Large companies, SMEs, research institutes and...
, OSAMI-EOSAMI-EThe research project OSAMI-E is the Spanish subproject of the European project .The aim of the international project is the design of a basic, widely applicable SOA-oriented component platform, its development, test and its provision as open source software...
and Easy Interactions.
Awards
Lillehammer AwardThis was the EUREKA Environmental Award established in 1994 by the then Norwegian Chair, in the town whose name it bears. With this award, EUREKA recognised the contribution made by a project to improving Europe's environment, developing sustainable solutions to the problems of waste and pollution.
Lynx Award
The Lynx Award was established in 2001 during the Spanish Chairmanship to highlight fast-growing, high-tech SMEs which offer good prospects for private investors. Companies eligible for the Award indicated additional turnover (approx. 25%) resulting from participation in a EUREKA project or EUREKA Cluster sub-project. The winner receives €10,000 and the "EUSY" trophy (the EUREKA symbol embodying the spirit and challenge of innovation, introduced by the Hellenic chairmanship).
Clusters
EUREKA ‘Clusters’ are long-term, strategically significant industrial initiatives. They usually have a large number of participants, and aim to develop generic technologies of key importance for European competitiveness mainly in ICT, energy and more recently in the biotechnology and automation sectors. EUREKA Clusters are known to have had a particular impact on the ability of the European microelectronics sector to compete with other continents.EUREKA Clusters are:
- CATRENE for microelectronicsMicroelectronicsMicroelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture of very small electronic components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre-scale or smaller,. These devices are made from semiconductors...
and nanoelectronicsNanoelectronicsNanoelectronics refer to the use of nanotechnology on electronic components, especially transistors. Although the term nanotechnology is generally defined as utilizing technology less than 100 nm in size, nanoelectronics often refer to transistor devices that are so small that inter-atomic... - EURIPIDES for electronic packaging and Smart SystemSmart SystemSmart systems are defined as miniaturized devices that incorporate functions of sensing, actuation and control. They are capable of describing and analyzing a situation, and taking decisions based on the available data in a predictive or adaptive manner, thereby performing smart actions...
- ITEA2 for software-intensive systems
- CELTIC for telecommunications
- EUROGIA+ for low-carbon energy technologies
- MF.IND for advanced production systems
- ACQUEAU for water related technologies and innovation
Umbrellas
Umbrellas are thematic networks within the EUREKA framework which focus on a specific technology area or business sector. The main goal of an umbrella is to facilitate the generation of EUREKA projects in its own target area.EUREKA Umbrellas are:
- EUREKA Tourism (2006 - 2012)
- EUREKAbuild 2 (2010 - 2013)
- EuroAgri Foodchain (2009 - 2013)
- Pro-Factory (2007 - 2011)
- E! SURF (2010 - 2015) (Ended 1.2.2010) (Ended 31.5.2010) (Ended 21.2.2011)
Eurostars
EUREKA's Eurostars Programme is the first European funding and support programme to be specifically dedicated to research-performing SMEs. Eurostars has the goal of stimulating them to lead international collaborative research and innovation projects by easing access to support and funding.A Eurostars project is any European R&D project addressing a civilian purposed technological area aimed at the development of a new product, process, or service.
Eurostars projects are collaborative efforts which must involve at least two separate participants from different Eurostars participating countries, and the main participant must be a research-performing SME from the list of member countries to join before mid-2002; including Cyprus but excluding Serbia.
The programme also requires that the SME participants have a significant role, contributing at least 50% of the project's core activity (with some allowance for minor contracting); and that it be a well balanced collaboration with no single participant or country being expected to contribute more than 75% of the total investment.
Eurostars projects are also limited to a maximum duration of three years, with the funded research's market launch occurring within two years of project completion; or, in the case of biomedical or medical projects, starting clinical trials within two years of project completion.