CHOICE project strengthens collaboration between China and Europe on ICT research

Since the 1980s, China has gone through a period of unprecedented economic reform and growth. It has opened its doors to global trade and international commercial agreements allowing it to become a major player in the global economy. The ICT sector has risen as a pillar of the Chinese economy. Practically all global ICT industry leaders have now begun to set up R&D centres in China, and it has become the third most important offshore R&D location in the world. It is a research and technology leader in various fields, ranging from materials-science, to biotechnology, energy, and information security, and it can be an important partner for Europe in ICT research.

As Chinese indigenous innovation capability continues to increase, European researchers can benefit from accessing the burgeoning ICT research environment. Meanwhile, Chinese ICT research can also profit from integration into the European research community. In particular, the international cooperation strategy of Horizon 2020, the EU's new Research and Innovation programme, offers China a more active and balanced approach for cooperation focused on mutual interest and common benefit. The CHOICE project, funded by DG CONNECT through the FP7 programme, has been established to ensure that this vital EU-China partnership on ICT research is suitably nurtured and a bridge is created towards Horizon 2020.

Launched in January just as the Horizon 2020 programme kicked off, CHOICE will provide continuity and progress in supporting and strengthening collaboration between China and Europe on ICT research. Project partners are keen to capitalise on Horizon 2020's shift away from technology-driven towards innovation-driven ICT R&D based on societal needs and consumer aspirations. This shift in focus means that there are many opportunities for the programme to play an important role in helping to meet increasing Chinese domestic demand.

CHOICE will no doubt build on the work of a previous project in the same area, OPENCHINA-ICT, which also worked to facilitate ICT-related research cooperation between Europe and China. OPENCHINA-ICT succeeded in completing a survey of the European and Chinese ICT research environments, created an 'EU-China ICT research online community' and prepared the 'EU-China ICT Cooperation Plan', among other things. CHOICE will surely benefit from this work as it moves forward over the next two years. CHOICE's main aims are now to identify obstacles to reciprocity; support European nationals, companies and organisations in accessing Chinese research programmes; showcase both EU and Chinese excellence in ICT R&D and strengthen EU-China industrial ICT R&D cooperation.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.euchina-ict.eu