Priorities for future Nordic Collaboration

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• Priorities for future Nordic Collaboration
• RANNÍS
• Dr. Hans Kristján Guðmundsson
• Director
• Nordic Research Initiatives, NORIA Symposium
• Voksenåsen, 28-29 November 2006

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The Public RD Governance Structure in Iceland
PARLIAMENT
GOVERNMENT
Science and Technology Policy Council
(Five ministers and 14 members from ministries,
research community and industry - PM Chair)
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Science Board
Technology Board
Technology Development Fund
Research Fund
Technology Development Fund
Fund for Research Equipment
The Icelandic Centre for Research

Fund for Research Training
International Cooperation
Analysis, Evaluation Indicators
Nanoscience/Postgenomics
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Science and Technology Policy 2006-2009

• A society at the forefront among nations...
• Strategic priorities
• Establish an internationally outstanding
  educational and scientific institutional system
  closely connected to a dynamic economy, capable
  of providing leadership in responding to rapid
  changes.
• Strengthen public competitive funding schemes and
  merge these in related areas
• Encourage private firms and the public sector
  institutions to join efforts in strengthening
  research and development in order to boost
  successful and profitable innovation and thus
  international competitiveness based on knowledge
• Redefine the role of the public sector in
  financially supporting scientific monitoring and
  research in support of public interest,
  environmental protection and sustainable economic
  growth.

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Strengthening International Cooperation

• Participation in international science and
  technology cooperation be further strengthened as
  a part of the globalising strategy of the
  Icelandic science and business community.
• The outcome and benefits gained so far from the
  participationin international cooperation be
  evaluated and the strategic priorities made
  accordingly.
• Support be given to enhanced efforts in Nordic
  Science and Technology cooperation and in the EU
  7th Framework Programme...
• Cooperation with the Arctic Council member
  states, the USA and Asian countries be
  strengthened.
• Financial resources be ensured for allocations to
  common programmed funds in those areas where
  Icelandic participation appears particularly
  appropriate and where international peer review
  panels evaluate thre applications in
  competitions.
• The leadership by Icelandic scientists be
  encouraged in international cooperation projects
  where Icelandic competence is at the forefront...

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Research in the public interest

• Society and Ethical values
• ... encourage innovations based on research in
  the humanities and social sciences ...stimulate
  active debate on ethical values...the legal
  framework for scientific ethics ... be reviewed
• Monitoring the environment and sustainable use of
  natural resources
• ...comprehensive overview of databases ... need
  to be built up continuously ... preserved and
  made accessible...a plan for environmental
  monitoring ...
• Efforts should be made to increase international
  cooperation in these fields.
• Health and Nutrition
• Innovation in the health sector based on
  biomedical research ... Use of biobanks and
  patient records for research ... Public debate on
  policy ...
• Increasing food security ...
• Increased research efforts on factors that are
  decisive for healthy food and lifestyles

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Maintaining international competitiveness

• The extreme mobility of Icelandic researchers and
  research students and not the least their
  willingness to return with knowledge and skills
  gained abroad, combined with an seemingly
  inherent entrepreneurial spirit, has created a
  unique capacity in a small society.
• High quality research environments, have emerged
  with a need for the workforce of students and
  high potential to give doctoral students support
  of the quality needed for an internationally
  recognised PhD
• However, the research groups are small. Facing
  the present rapid growth of registered doctoral
  students at home, we have to assure the quality
  of the doctoral education offered to be able to
  maintain and enhance the potential for research
  and innovation.
• The answer will partly be home based
  internationalisation creating and participating
  in international multi- or binational graduate
  school programmes, agreements with foreign
  universities on joint programmes and joint
  degrees are the key to continued success with
  priority given to our strongest fields.

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Fields of strength

• Health sciences, Biotechnology, Genomics,...
• Geosciences Vulcanology, Glaciology,
  Paleoclimate,..
• Energy Water management, Geothermal, deep
  drilling new science/new technology - Hydrogen
• The earth system in the North Atlantic ocean,
  climate, biosystems, resources,...
• Norden in the middle ages the formation of
  nations,...
• Nanotechnology competence building
• ...

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Can we tap into deeper geostructures?
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How can we make NORIA work

• Individual researchers, institutions, companies
  need an encouraging and rewarding framework /
  structure a visible added value
• Strategic choices of fields chosen on the basis
  of Nordic added value a bottom up process as
  far as possible.
• Focus on common pots supporting research but
  continue the seed funding of cooperation costs.
  More central Nordic funds
• Couple strongly the NCM institutions for the
  promotion of reseach and innovation
• Focus on virtual structures for diversity of
  environments
• Focus on young researcher to make NORIA
  sustainable
• Simplify the flora of nordic organisations /
  committees as far as possible
• Continue the NORIA symposia for exchange of
  information - focus?
• Create a contact forum for NCPs to the EU
  Framework
• Foster the Nordic interests and cooperation
  through ERA nets
• NORIA - a strong home base for researchers in
  Norden