Seiten-Navigation

• 1:About EARTO.
• 2:About RTOs.
• 3:Key Contacts.
• 4:List of Members.
• 5:Membership.
• 6:Publications.
• 7:Newsletter.
• 8:Working Groups, Task Forces.
• 9:Annual Conferences.
• 10:EARTO Innovation Prize.
• 11:Events.
• 12:FP7 Support Services.
• 13:Useful Links.
• 14:EARTO Meeting Facilities in Brussels.
• 15:How to find us.
• 16:Members Area.

About EARTO

Mission

EARTO is the trade association of Europe’s specialised research and technology organisations. Its members make a major contribution to strengthening economic competitiveness and social development in Europe by supporting product, process and service innovation in all branches of industry and services, public and private.

EARTO represents the views of its members to European decision-makers. It publishes policy papers and organises task forces and briefing sessions. EARTO members sit on influential European policy bodies, including EURAB, Framework Programme Advisory Committees, and Commission expert groups.

EARTO is a forum for exchange and co-operation between its members. It organises working groups, information events and Annual Conferences. Members plan and perform major European R&D projects.

EARTO provides its members with information about European policies and programmes, provides support services for preparing proposals to the EU Framework Programme, and arranges meetings with European officials. Its members have use of fully equipped office and meeting facilities in Brussels.

Origins and Status

EARTO was launched in 1999 through the merger of EACRO (the European Association of Contract Research Organisations) and FEICRO (the Federation of European Industrial Co-operative Research Organisations).

EARTO is an international non-profit organisation under Belgian law (association internationale sans but lucratif - aisbl).

EARTO represents RTOs with a total staff of some 150,000 scientists, engineers and technicians and an annual turnover of €15 billion. Their equipment and facilities total several billion euros and their services benefit more than 100,000 customers annually.

Objectives

Within the foregoing general mission, EARTO’s objectives are:

• to obtain appropriate legal, financial and other conditions for the exercise of the profession;
• to formulate and to voice the position of RTOs on general and specific policies, programmes and issues affecting them;
• to foster the outsourcing of research and technology development, and to encourage government at all levels to stimulate science, research, technology and innovation;
• to enhance co-operation among its members in order to improve their individual and collective efficiency in serving firms, governments and other clients and in developing innovations;
• to provide its members with select information about European policies and programmes and to assist them in planning and performing major European research, technology and innovation projects;
• to develop clear and fair rules as to technical responsibility, commercial practice and intellectual property, in order to further strengthen the standards of the profession;
• to exchange information and experience through position papers, technical reports, bulletins, directories, conferences and other activities;
• to negotiate and manage, when appropriate, projects and contracts on behalf of members;
• to further strengthen its representation of the profession by extending its membership base and improving its relationships with other groups of research-, technology- and innovation-related organisations;
• to provide its members with fully serviced office and meeting facilities at its secretariat in Brussels.

Membership and Governance

EARTO membership is open to RTOs in the European Union and other European Economic Area countries. RTOs from other countries may join as Corresponding Members.

The affairs of the Association are governed by the General Assembly of the Members. The Members elect an Executive Board, which is responsible for the general management of the Association.

The Executive Board elects the President and, on his proposal, one or more Vice-Presidents and the Treasurer. The Board may delegate day-to-day oversight of the affairs of the association to a Steering Committee, which comprises the President and Vice-President(s) of the Association, the Treasurer and other delegated Board members.

A permanent Secretariat in Brussels implements the Executive Board's decisions and manages the day-to-day affairs of the Association.

The Association is financially independent. It is financed by the contributions of its members.