Sustainable health through excellent science
FP9 has the potential to boost accessible and affordable healthcare for everyone through strengthening the European excellent science base and paving the way for collaboration with all stakeholders. This is the message of the Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU) in their position paper on FP9. To realise this potential, the EU must develop a coherent research and innovation policy in order to mobilise and utilise the available resources as efficiently and effectively as possible. Creating better synergies between the three pillars is crucial to attaining this goal.
Collaboration necessary to tackle global challenges
The research programme must enable Europe and the global community to jointly address the current and future challenges. The NFU, therefore, supports the mission-driven approach, linked with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as they address European and global health challenges. Interdisciplinary research and collaboration between fundamental and applied researchers, innovators, healthcare providers, governments and the private sector should be stimulated through strong partnerships. The NFU recognises that the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is a good example of combining research with innovation and education, resulting in breakthrough research and innovation.
An effective and ambitious FP9
In order for the framework programme to be as effective as possible, research results should be open for (re)use and fuel other innovation and research activities. Therefore, the guiding principle of FP9 should be open science, underpinned by the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) principle. FP9 should also enable the possibility to construct new research infrastructures and wider use of existing ones. For FP9 to be effective and to fulfil its ambitions, the programme needs a budget of at least 120 billion euros.
About the NFU
The Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU) represents the eight University Medical Centres (UMCs) in the Netherland. Due to a unique combination of research, education and innovation, the Dutch UMCs provide infrastructures for innovative health-related research and valorisation of the results. As part of the Sustainable Health Agenda, the NFU’s capacity and approach is focusing on the themes: prevention, regenerative medicine, personalised medicine & health, big data and large scale research infrastructure.
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