Czech Presidency R&D information service now online on CORDIS

As the Czech Republic has now taken its place at the helm of the European Union for the first half of 2009, CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has published a new internet portal to provide information on research and development (R&D) activities under the Czech Presidency. In the coming six months, the Czech Presidency plans to focus the research limelight on a 'European Research Area without barriers'. In order to make progress in a unified European Research Area (ERA), the Presidency will be promoting research infrastructures on an international level and a range of other topics, including: the sharing of knowledge, coordinated programmes and priorities, the opening of the ERA to international cooperation and the mobility of competent researchers, especially from the younger generation. 'The Czech Republic takes over the Presidency of the Council of the EU at the time when debates over a number of fundamental topics of research and development culminate,' states Ondrej Liska, Czech Minister for Higher Education and Research. 'The further development of the European Research Area (ERA) is considered as the key topic.' 'We need Europe without barriers. And not only at the entry but also at the exit,' Mr Liska continues. 'We need Europe without barriers for knowledge that is a result of cutting-edge research. The fifth freedom, freedom of knowledge, must be a permanent objective of the EU.' Beside a detailed account of the Czech Presidency priorities in R&D, the new service provides an up-to-date overview of related news and events in specially dedicated sections. It also gives easy access to important links and addresses. With the completion of the French EU Presidency, the Czech Republic will now be in charge until the end of June 2009. At that time, Sweden will take over for the second half of 2009.
Quality validation date: 2009-01-06

Open Energy call topics at a glance

CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has launched a new Energy Open Topics service. The web page lists all calls for proposals published under the Energy Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) which are currently open to application. Categorised and colour-coded according to the 10 different activities promoted in the framework of the Energy programme, the new service allows CORDIS users to access open Energy calls quickly and easily with just a single click. The web page can be accessed through the link given below or through the Open Topics icon on the FP7 Energy Research website.
Quality validation date: 2008-11-04

New CORDIS archive launched

CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, now provides access to its archives via the new CORDIS Archive Index. The index makes it possible to surf older web pages on the CORDIS servers, which are no longer updated but may still contain useful information. The new service, which is easily reached through the CORDIS homepage, currently lists a number of sites including, for instance, a link to ACTS ('Advanced communications technologies and services'), a programme which was funded under the Fourth Framework Programme (FP4), the IMPROVING ('Improving human research potential & the socio-economic knowledge base') programme, which received funding from the EU under the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) and others. Further links will be added as the service evolves. The archive index is a work in progress, aiming to ensure the most extensive access to the wealth of information stored on the servers since CORDIS went online in 1990.
Quality validation date: 2008-09-24

A new face for CORDIS: new homepage now online

CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has given its homepage a new look. The previous homepage, online since mid-2005, is replaced with a new design to provide users with an easier means to understand the wide range of information available through CORDIS, and to track down the specific information they need more swiftly. The revamped version takes into consideration the evolution of technology and the Internet over the years, and the fact that CORDIS content has grown considerably in volume and complexity. The new design makes use of the familiar 'tabs' approach: nine tabs, or sections, provide different views of CORDIS content, each corresponding to one of the main poles of interest shared by the majority of CORDIS users. Under each tab, there is a specific sub-section highlighting the main CORDIS services and facilities of relevance to this pole of interest. For example, the 'Funding' tab leads the user straight into the principal source of EU research and development (R&D) funding, the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Thanks to the new design, users are now just one click away from the latest events as well as important tools such as EURAXESS-Links, a networking tool for European researchers abroad, Marie Curie actions and more in the 'Researcher's corner'. The new design is only the first step in service improvement. CORDIS is planning to progressively introduce the same nine navigational tabs throughout the entire CORDIS service, thus providing users with a constant site-wide navigation menu, present on all CORDIS pages. This is part of a redesign operation in which the same header and footer will become common to all CORDIS pages, thus reinforcing the visual and navigational coherence of CORDIS as a whole, and making it easier for users to move around the site in their quest for the latest R&D information.
Quality validation date: 2008-09-16

CORDIS launches Regional Research and Innovation Service for Liguria

As part of its Regional Gateway service, CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has launched a Regional Research and Innovation Service for the Italian region of Liguria. The service highlights the research and development (R&D) sector and the infrastructural assets of this region in the north-west of Italy, spanning 350 kilometres of coast, from the French border to the gulf of Genoa to Tuscany. In the 'Introduction' section, Liguria's tourist industry assets are presented, followed by a detailed account of its infrastructure and economy, 80% of which are in the service sector. In addition, the information and communication technologies (ICT) and high-tech sectors in Liguria are strong, making up 6.6% of active businesses, with 61% of these concentrated in the province of Genoa. Taking up fifth position in the ranking of Italian regions on the Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS), Liguria is stronger when it comes to the percentage of population with post-secondary education (coming third in Italy), medium- to high-technology sector employment (fifth) and high-tech patents lodged (fourth). However, public funding is more substantial than private funding. The research and development (R&D) section of the new regional service explains that the regional situation originates from a weak enterprise system, with insufficient economic-financial resources, human resources and time for investing in R&D as a strategy for expansion. However, the region recognises that research and innovation form a main engine for its development, and is attempting to promote the two. Under the Innovation heading, the new regional service provides more information on research centres, companies and support structures in the region. Further organisations of interest can be found in the 'Links' section, while the 'What's new?' heading summarises research and innovation events in and around Liguria.
Quality validation date: 2008-08-14

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