KET study to feed into future direction of H2020

A study launched by DG Research and Innovation into Key Enabling Technology skills will feed into the future development of Horizon 2020, it has been announced.

The study, which is being undertaken by PwC Europe, will assess the growing skill imbalances in nanotechnologies, new materials, industrial biotechnology and advanced manufacturing technologies. The report will provide the European Commission with advice on how to overcome such problems from Horizon 2020 and other policies. The results of the examination are expected to be announced in the summer, and will feed into the next work programmes of the current research and innovation framework programme.

The evaluation includes four areas of analysis. According to ‘LEAD – e-Leadership Skills: for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises’, the themes are ‘Technical skills’, ‘Mobility (including internal rotation of different KETs employees, application areas and phases of the value chain)’; ‘Entrepreneurial skills’ ; and ‘HR management skills’.

The results of the study will also feed into ‘skill-related activities in research-based projects’. It is also hoped that a greater variety of recipients can benefit from Horizon 2020 funding, as well as ‘embed the skills aspects into the monitoring activities of such projects’.

The research will be undertaken through extensive interviews, including with large businesses, SMEs and higher education institutes, in addition to other analytic methods.