Seventh Research Framework Programme
In the beginning of 2007 the Seventh Research Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration started, for which the duration is fixed at 7 years (2007–2013).
For its implementation, the European Commission has made a total budget available amounting to approximately 53.3 Billion euros. It thus currently represents the largest programme for research funding in the world. Its significance is also visibly increasing within the German research landscape.
FP7 excels on the one hand through a high level of continuity vis-à-vis its predecessor programme (FP6), but also contains a few new impulses for research, wherein the total "chain of economic value" of research and development (R&D) is to be taken into account – from research at the fundamental levels to innovations and developments in the domain of application-oriented, pre-competitive research.
