Project description

FET-Traces is a research project for the European Commission which analyzes and measures the impacts of the research funding scheme “Future and Emerging Technologies Open” (FET Open and FET Proactive). Within the European research funding landscape, the FET scheme acts as a pathfinder for new ideas and themes for long-term research in the area of information and communication technologies and beyond. Its mission is to promote high risk research, offset by potential breakthrough with high technological or societal impact (see http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/fet-open/home_en.html ) .

FET-Traces is an impact assessment project which researches the scientific and technology-related traces of FET Open and FET Proactive projects and approaches.

For that matter we will investigate and try to measure direct and indirect impacts of these two schemes on the science and technology landscape and its perception by individual researchers who are potential proposers for FET Open and FET Proactive projects. Results from innovation research will be used to develop a targeted indicator set covering central aspects of the FET mission. For the data collection we use sophisticated impact assessment methods like bibliometrics, patent analysis, online surveys and workshops.

In addition to the impact assessment we will analyse selected breakthrough-projects to find out about necessary components for “breakthrough”-research. The study will also include insights from FET-like funders on national levels in Europe.

FET-Traces is a Cooperation and Support Action (CSA) within H2020, runs from July 2015 to Oct 2017 and was commissioned by the European Commission, DG Connect, Unit F2 Future and Emerging Technologies. The project is being carried out by two partners, the Fraunhofer ISI in Karlsruhe, Germany (coordinator) and AIT in Vienna, Austria.