Biomedical Engineering in the Fifth EC Framework Programme

The preparations for the Fifth EC Framework Programme (FP V) for research and technological development projects are now in their final stage. The general outline of FP V is already well established. Regarding the implementation of medical technology related research, the major modification will be that there will no longer be a real biomedical engineering programme, like BIOMED in the former framework programme. Rather, multiple - but maybe often hidden – opportunities may exist in the various key actions and horizontal programmes that are being established.

FP V will be structured along four thematic programmes, each subdivided into a number of so-called key actions. The current list is as follows:

Thematic programme 1 : Quality of life and management of living resources

Key actions:

  1. Health, food and environmental factors *
  2. Control of infectious diseases *
  3. The cell factory *
  4. The ageing population *
  5. Sustainable agriculture, fisheries

Thematic programme 2 : User-friendly information society

Key actions:

  1. Systems and services for the citizen *
  2. New methods of work and electronic commerce
  3. Multimedia content and tools
  4. Essential technologies and infrastructures

Thematic programme 3 : Competitive and sustainable growth

Key actions:

  1. Innovative products, processes and organisation *
  2. Sustainable mobility and intermodality
  3. New perspectives for aeronautics
  4. Land transport and marine technology

Thematic programme 4 : Preserving the ecosystem

Key actions:

  1. Sustainable management and quality of water, and sustainable marine ecosystems
  2. Global change, climate and biodiversity
  3. The city of tomorrow and cultural heritage
  4. Cleaner energy systems, and economic and efficient energy

The asterisk indicates those key actions where we can expect opportunities for biomedical engineering projects to be present.

There are also three horizontal programmes, i.e. programmes which relate to each of the thematic programmes mentioned above.

  1. Confirming the international role of Community research
  2. Promotion and innovation and encouragement of participation of SMEs
  3. Improving human research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base.

The second horizontal activity may be particularly important to the European medical device industry, which consists to a large extent of small and medium-size enterprises. The fact that a whole horizontal activity is devoted to this type of industry illustrates the importance that the Commission allocates to these initiatives. Opportunities to apply for biomedical engineering-related projects exists in a number of key actions, and we will have to wait until the full texts are available before we are able to indicate exactly where the opportunities are. As an example, under the key action 'Cell Factory' it is explicitly mentioned that new and innovative health-related processes and products particularly from molecular engineering will be one of the RTD priorities. Under the heading 'The Ageing Population', studies on major age-related diseases including their treatment, are mentioned.

Regarding the implementation of the programme, it can be foreseen that there will be no major differences with the types of projects which were already available in FP IV. We will probably see cooperative research projects, concerted actions, thematic networks, exploratory awards, training fellowships and demonstration projects as main means of implementing FP V. Although the preparation of FP V should be finished before the end of 1998, it seems that there are some delays, due to ongoing negotiations between the Commission and the European Parliament, regarding financial aspects. At the earliest, the first calls for projects are expected in the beginning of 1999.

Some useful electronic addresses to obtain further information are:

Jos Vander Sloten

Secretary-General
European Society for Engineering and Medicine
Celestijnenlaan 200A – B3001 Heverlee
Belgium.

Website: http://www.esem.org/esem.html