Within the theme there are four priorities: strengthening competitiveness, improving environmental impact, improving safety and security and increasing operational capacity and safety. This gives significant opportunities for the systems area to win funding.
Framework Programme 6 is radically different in its approach to previous Framework Programmes, and the technology areas in aerospace have been expanded. The DTI says that before considering Framework Programme 6 participation, it is essential to understand the radical changes that have taken place since Framework Programme 5. These include the types of programmes, the management and the funding of them. New financial ‘instruments’ to be deployed by the European Commission include IPs (Industrial Platforms), NoEs (Networks of Excellence) and STREPs (Specific Targeted Research Projects). Tom Shelley
