Research

A simplification of the current structure to one main programme is planned in order to avoid fragmentation, overlapping and/or proliferation of projects lacking the critical mass necessary to a lasting impact. The New Education Europe programme will include three key priorities.

Firstly, it will support trans-national learning mobility. Strict quality conditions for mobility, concentration on key policy objectives where critical mass can be achieved and complemented with other EU programmes will be instrumental in ensuring very high European added value.

Secondly, it will foster co-operation between education institutions and the world of work in order to promote the modernisation of education, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Thirdly, it will provide policy support to gather evidence on the effectiveness of education investments and help Member States to implement effective policies.

Funding through the new programme will be complemented by significant support for education and training through the Structural Funds. For example, in the period 2007-2013 around €72.5 billion is being spent on education and training across Europe's regions, and similar levels of spending can be expected in the future.

The Commission further proposes a common strategic framework in research and development, to be called Horizon 2020, which will have a volume €80 billion for the 2014-2020 period and include the Marie Curie actions for skills, training and career development of researchers and the European Institute for Innovation and Technology.

For more information on the Commission's proposal for a multi-annual budget for 2014-2020:

• The communication is available on the Multiannual Financial Framework website

• MEMO/11/468: Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF): Questions and answers

• MEMO/11/469: Money where it matters – how the EU budget delivers value to you

• MEMO/11/459: Myths about the EU budget and the Multiannual Financial Framework

• SPEECH/11/487: Remarks by President Barroso on the Commission's proposals for the 2014-2020 Multi-Annual Financial Framework

Allocation of resources to lifelong learning is considered as one of the key areas within the Gothenburg Region Association of Local Authorities (GR), a co-operative organisation uniting thirteen municipalities in western Sweden. As one of the iTEC’s newest Associate Partners, GR provides iTEC with a solid base in Sweden and further extends the project’s pan-European scope. With the involvement of GR, iTEC will now be able to involve and work with schools in 15 countries.

The Gothenburg region includes 210,000 pupils, 20,000 teachers and 1000 school heads. GR Education, a service organisation within the regional body, plays an important role among these actors by supporting lifelong learning and providing a place for exchanging ideas, knowledge and experience. The association also runs several joint projects and collaborates with a large number of organisations outside the municipal sphere. For example, a new project called GUNS will establish cross-border cooperation between 9 Nordic schools and 18 school classes, who will jointly plan and carry out joint cross-border projects related to languages, science, history/social studies and mathematics supported by new technologies. GR Education will also organise a two-day “Mötesplats Skola” conference in October 2011 to present different regional initiatives in the field of education. iTEC will take part in one of the conference sessions called European perspective into school digitalisation.

GR’s concrete activities to support iTEC will be related mainly to future classroom scenario development and school piloting. So called “one-to-one” computer projects have a relatively strong presence within the region’s educational sector and schools involved in these initiatives will pilot and test some of the iTEC scenarios.

For more information: itec-contact@eun.org

During the first round, in 2009, nearly 90 international research teams competed in the challenge. Ultimately, eight remarkable projects were awarded grants.