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highlights
N O V E M B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 4
Greek "Research and Innovation" on the web
The National Documentation Centre has launched a new
website that provides continuous and comprehensive
information on research, technological development and
innovation in Greece and Europe. The website "
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research" can be a useful tool for the research, scientific,
educational and business community of the country, as well as
for the wider public that has interest in the above mentioned
areas.
The site has been developed within the frame of EKT’s
activities for the collection, organisation and dissemination of
R&D content that boost significantly the role of Greece in the
European Research Area.
The website "Research and Innovation" is available in Greek
and English and provides search options based on date, key
words and thematic area. The main sections concern:
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Information on Research policies in Greece and the National
and European programmes, Research projects and results
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Search on Open calls, Research partners, Innovative
technologies (exchange of know-how between "producers"
and "users" of scientific and technological knowledge,
promotion of innovation and exploitation of research results
at national and international level, calls for proposals, etc)
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Access to R&D News, Events, Articles on electronic media,
Press Releases, Online publications, as well as to the
magazine "Innovation, Research and Technology" and the
eNewsletter "Research and Innovation".
The 2004 Descartes Prize:
Rewarding scientific excellence and cooperation
Transnational cooperation and scientific excellence is at the
heart of the Descartes Prize for collaborative research. In this
year's Descartes Prize competition, the European
Commission had a difficult task to fulfill by selecting the elite
from numerous excellent research projects and outstanding
scientists. In the awards ceremony which took place at Prague
Castle of the Czech Republic on 2 December 2004, eight
research teams from 17 countries were competing for
Europe's ultimate scientific distinction.
This year's finalists were selected from a broad field of over 200
research teams from the 25 EU Member States and beyond, and
from a variety of scientific disciplines. They all share a
fundamental commitment to pooling together resources and
talent across borders to achieve scientific excellence and
technological innovation. Many of the projects selected are the
result of long term cooperation with a broad network of
research partners across Europe and third countries.
Since its launch in 2000, a total of 33 projects have been
short-listed as finalists for the Descartes Prize. Over the past
four years, 9 projects involving 65 teams from 19 European
and non-European countries have received this prestigious
prize. "Innovation Research and Technology" had the
opportunity to talk to the joint winners of the Descartes
Prize 2004. Prof. Howard Trevor Jacobs, coordinator of the
project MBAD (Mitochondrial Biogenesis, Ageing and
Disease) and Prof. Anders Karlsson, coordinator of IST
project QuComm (Long Distance Photonic Quantum
Communication) present their views on their achievements
and the scientific research nowadays.
Communicating science to the public
In addition to the Descartes Prize for research, a new EU
Descartes Prize for science communication was awarded for
the first time. This new prize recognizes individuals and
organisations that have achieved outstanding results in
communicating science to the public. It underlines the key
role played by science communication in building awareness
and encouraging excellence in Europe. The five winners who
shared this new 250,000 euro prize were personalities from
the worlds of science and the media.
Dr Wolfgang Heckl, from Germany, for his ability to
communicate the complex issue of nanotechnologies in an
accessible manner and the British zoologist and broadcaster
Sir David Attenborough, who talked to the magazine about
the developments in the field of wildlife filmmaking, were
awarded with the Descartes Prize. Also, the Hungarian
molecular biologist Peter Csermely, for his initiative to help
schoolchildren get involved in research, and the Belgian
material scientist Ignaas Verpoest were awarded for their
innovative activities in the science communication category. In
addition, the French producer Vincent Lamy received an
award in the "Scientific TV/Radio Programme" category for
his TV documentary on camouflaged insects.
"Research and Innovation"
Descartes Prize
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