Launched under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) with a combined budget of €10 billion, the five JTIs - IMI (innovative medicines), Clean Sky (aeronautics and air transport), ENIAC JU (nanoelectronics), ARTEMIS (embedded computing systems), and FCH (fuel cells and hydrogen) - represent a novel and unique model of public-private partnership (PPP).
Since their creation, the JTIs have established themselves as world leaders in leveraging public and private investments in research and development, providing a flexible, rapid response to new policy and technology developments. They created market-driven networks that bring together experts from academia, research establishments, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industry, regulatory authorities, consumer organisations etc., covering the full innovation chain. The JTIs are also strong supporters of Europe's SMEs, which receive €517 million in funding through the JTIs and make up 31% of all project participants.
Crucially, the JTIs have demonstrated the success of the PPP model by delivering results that will help to improve Europeans' quality of life and contribute to Europe's competitiveness.
For example, FCH's ene.field project has successfully installed and commissioned its first micro combined heat and power (CHP) units in family homes. Replacing a conventional gas boiler, the CHU unit is able to produce both heat and electricity simultaneously with overall efficiencies in excess of 90%.
Meanwhile Clean Sky's projects are helping to dramatically slash the air industry's carbon dioxide (CO2), noise and nitrous oxide (NOx) footprints by developing new engine architectures (such as the open rotor), improved wing aerodynamics, lighter composite structures, smarter trajectories, and more electric on-board energy.
In the health field, IMI's antimicrobial resistance programme 'New Drugs for Bad Bugs' is tackling the many scientific, regulatory and economic challenges of developing new antibiotics. There is an urgent need for drugs in this area; antibiotic resistance represents a major public health challenge; it kills 25 000 people annually in Europe alone, yet there currently are few new drugs in the pipeline.
ARTEMIS's biggest project, CESAR, is helping to keep European industries at the cutting edge by creating a Reference Technology Platform that allows designers to manage the diverse tools needed when developing software-intensive products for markets that demand the highest in safety and reliability, such as the transport and medical sectors. CESAR and the cluster of projects around it set the scene for the 'CRYSTAL' ARTEMIS Innovation Pilot Project (AIPP), creating possibly the largest programme on high-reliability systems in Europe, if not the world.
The five ENIAC JU pilot line projects engaged in 2012 an unprecedented research and development (R&D) volume of €728 million to drive towards industrial maturity breakthrough solutions in nanoelectronics, a key enabling technology, with multiple applications in health care, internet, LED lighting, e-mobility, energy efficiency, high performance portable computing, and equipment for next generation high volume/low cost manufacturing.
A press breakfast in the European Parliament was supported by Vittorio Prodi MEP, who commented: "The results presented this week demonstrate that JTIs are now an essential part of the European research landscape, fulfilling a key role by bringing together the major players in their respective sectors and so speeding up the delivery of results that will have a real impact on quality of life and competitiveness in Europe."
Maria da Graça Carvalho MEP said: "By leveraging funds from the private sector, the JTIs are actively helping to increase Europe's total research investment - an investment which is essential if Europe is to tackle the many challenges it faces."
JTI funding
JTIs receive funds from the European Commission via the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and, in some cases, from EU Member States' research funds. Industry matches this funding with in kind contributions (e.g. researchers' time, etc.) and direct funding. ARTEMIS and ENIAC JU both make use of a unique, tri-partite funding model which combines resources from the EU (FP7), from participating Member States, and from the research and innovation participants.
JTI project teams
JTI projects bring together experts from industry, academia, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and other groups. As such they contribute actively to the creation of the Innovation Union.
Legal basis of JTIs
The JTIs were created jointly by the European Commission and their respective industry and research partners. They were set up under Article 187 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Article 171 of the EC Treaty). Article 187 allows for the establishment of 'Joint Undertakings or any other structure necessary for the efficient execution of Union research, technological development and demonstration programmes'. In 2008, the Member States formally approved the creation of the five JTIs, which will run until 2017. Today, all five JTIs are run by autonomous Joint Undertakings.
The future: the Innovation Investment Package
The European Commission’s proposals for JTIs under Horizon 2020 are set out in the €22 billion Innovation Investment Package, which was published on 10 July 2013.
ARTEMIS
Computers are found embedded in everyday things like cars and planes, medical systems, and much more. Innovations made possible by embedded computers make our lives healthier and more interesting, our transport safer, and our energy use more sustainable. ARTEMIS is pulling together the efforts of all stakeholders (industry - large, as well as SMEs, national or regional authorities, and research centres) around a commonly agreed, industry-defined research agenda for an estimated €2.5 billion programme with considerable pan-European impact. Between 2008 and 2012, the ARTEMIS JTI has achieved: 52 projects worth €935 million involving more than 720 organisations (with more than 1 200 project participations), of which around 39% are SMEs, 33% large enterprises and 28% research organisations.
Clean Sky
Clean Sky is the largest ever European research programme for aeronautics, spanning 7 years and leveraging €1.6 billion of investment: 50% contributed by the European Commission and 50% by the European aeronautics industry. As the largest aeronautical research and innovation programme worldwide, it is developing and maturing breakthrough 'clean tech' for air transport. By accelerating its deployment, the JTI addresses Europe's key environmental and societal priorities, enhance competitiveness and bring sustainable economic growth.
ENIAC JU
The ENIAC Joint Undertaking (JU) is a public-private partnership focusing on nanoelectronics that coordinates research activities to enhance the further integration and miniaturisation of devices. It is driven by innovative high-tech applications in communication and computing, transport, health care and wellness, energy and environmental management, security and safety. The total value of the R&D activities generated through this partnership upon its conclusion is estimated at €3 billion.
FCH
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a unique public-private partnership supporting research, technological development and demonstration (RTD) activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe. Its aim is to accelerate the market introduction of these technologies, realising their potential as an instrument in achieving a carbon-lean energy system.
IMI
The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is the world's largest public-private partnership in health. IMI is improving the environment for pharmaceutical innovation in Europe by engaging and supporting networks of industrial and academic experts in collaborative research projects. The European Union contributes €1 billion to the IMI research programme, and this is matched by in kind contributions worth at least another €1 billion from the member companies of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). IMI currently supports 40 projects, many of which are already producing impressive results. The projects are all working to address the biggest challenges in drug development, with the goal of accelerating the development of safer and more effective treatments for patients.