June 2014
Commissioner Kroes Announces Launch of SPARC at the AUTOMATICA Opening
Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes, responsible for the Digital Agenda, announced the official launch of the robotics public-private partnership initiative, called "SPARC", on June 2nd, at the opening ceremony of the AUTOMATICA (the leading international trade fair for robotics and automation). This initiative is the world's largest civilian research and innovation programme in robotics to maintain and extend Europe’s leading position in this strategic area. In this public-private partnership, the European Commission joins forces with the European industry and research to strengthen and further develop European robotics. The European Commission will invest €700 million in SPARC under its new research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020. The European industry's overall investment is expected to amount to €2.1 billion.
Commissioner Kroes stated: "The robotics revolution is happening now. We should not follow it, but lead it. Robots can improve our economy, our lives, our jobs. Robots are not cutting humans out of the equation: they are partners for a better future. Let SPARC be a metaphor for igniting the robotics revolution here in Europe".
Bernd Liepert, president of euRobotics aisbl, the organisation representing both research and industry and serving as the private partner of the public-private partnership, stated: "SPARC will ensure the competitiveness of European robotics industries. Robot-based automation solutions are essential to overcome today’s most pressing societal challenges - from demographic change to mobility demands and sustainable production".
Background
In 2012, the European Commission, industry and academia agreed to launch a public-private partnership in robotics (press release).
The European Commission signed the contract with euRobotics aisbl on 17 December 2013 (press release). During the last six months, both sides have been working intensively on many details of the partnership leading to the launch of SPARC today.
SPARC is governed by a committee of representatives from the EU Commission and the euRobotics AISBL. It is open to all European companies and research institutions.
The calls for proposals related to SPARC are run under the pillar LEIT - Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies of the new EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 #H2020.
The first call for proposals ended on 23 April 2014. The next call will be published in October 2014 with a deadline expected for 21 April 2015. Find out more about EU support to robotics and examples of funded projects.
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