What is in a name?

The competition to find a new name for the next EU Research and Innovation Programme was launched today (28 March). You have until 10 May to suggest a relevant, appealing and catchy name for the new EU research and innovation programme which will be introduced after 2013.

The competition is linked to the ongoing stakeholder consultation on the Commission's Green Paper on the programme that was launched on 9 February.

The programme currently labours under the working title of the 'Common Strategic Framework' (CSF) and aims to be at the core of the Innovation Union initiative and the Europe 2020 Strategy.

The Commission's Green Paper also provides the basis for far-reaching
simplification of procedures and rules. Stakeholders have until 20 May 2011 to respond to this main consultation.

Competition
Introducing the competition European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (below),said: "The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development have served Europe well and are still creating growth and jobs and improving quality of life. But our new programme for research and innovation will be a new departure and a new adventure, so we need a new name. We need to connect with stakeholders and the public and to raise the political and media profile of our work, which in turn can boost participation and improve results."

This new "identity" must be easily associated with research and innovation, while also being original, memorable, easy to pronounce and spell and be meaningful in a wide range of European languages.

You name it!
Your proposal for the name of the new programme should be submitted via http://ec.europa.eu/research/csfri/index_en.cfm where rules and conditions can also be found. The competition is open until 10 May to everyone except employees of the European institutions and their direct family members.

An international jury will select three proposals to be put to a public online vote in the late spring/ early summer. The jury members will include academics, entrepreneurs, and branding and communication experts.

The winning name will be announced by Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn at the conference concluding the current consultation on the CSF that is taking place on 10 June in Brussels. The winner will get an expenses paid trip to the European Innovation Convention in Brussels at the end of this year, and he or she will meet the Commissioner and other leading political, scientific and business figures.

Please feel free to share you suggestions for the new programmes name with SusChem News. We will publish our favourites before the 10 June conference!