International research collaboration

It is important for Finland to be connected to international research networks. Developments in the EU’s research and innovation policies, in particular, have a major impact on Finnish research activities and the infrastructure for research in Finland.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry represents Finland in several international research forums. The Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) coordinates agricultural research across the EU. The Ministry also actively participates in the committees of the EU’s 8^th Framework Programme for Research, Horizon 2020.

The corner stones of European research collaboration include the research programmes of the European research funders’ network ERA-NET. ERA-NET is an EU-funded research scheme designed to enhance cooperation between operators providing funding for national research programmes and projects and to form networks among national or regional programmes. The Ministry participates in numerous ERA-NET programmes.

The European Commission also uses another instrument to steer research policy: Joint Programming Initiatives (JPI) among EU Member States. The purpose of joint programming is to increase the effectiveness of research by pooling fragmented national research resources to form more comprehensive entities concerning global challenges. The aim is to create a flexible approach that is based on voluntary participation and is able to adapt to evolving needs. The approach enables European resources to be used more efficiently. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is actively involved in the activities of the JPI on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI) and follows the activities of the JPI on “Water challenges for a changing world”. The Ministry’s branch also covers the themes of the JPI “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life”, which is coordinated in Finland by Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation.

The Ministry participates in the activities of international organisations focusing on research on agriculture and food supply in developing countries: the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the European Initiative on Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD). The Joint EIARD-SCAR Strategic Working Group ARCH defines the two groups’ joint research policy concerning agricultural research for development.

European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) aim to bring together public and private sector operators to find solutions to major societal challenges through research and innovation. EIPs are a tool for EU-level policy coordination, not a new funding instrument. EIPs are part of the Innovation Union initiative of the Europe 2020 strategy.

For the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, relevant innovation partnerships include the EIPs on agriculture and water.

International research collaboration

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