Partners

The initiative to EuroScience Open Forum 2004 was taken by scientists. The main organisation promoting the meeting is the organisation Euroscience, Strasbourg. Below we present all of our ESOF-partners, divided into our different categories:

Founding Partners

Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft is a joint action of industry involving around 3.000 companies, industrial associations and individuals who wish to promote science and the humanities, research, education and public understanding of science. Thanks to its private funding, the Stifterverband is able to operate in an unbureaucratic manner and without state provisions, which is an important prerequisite for the innovative impulses the organisation has repeatedly managed to give.

The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation supports scientific research by awarding grants for projects to individual researchers and teams of researchers within the humanities and social sciences. Grants may also be given in order to strengthen an existing research environment or to establish a new one in areas which are considered to be especially important.

The European Commission is actively supporting research activities through its Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. It is also concerned with the public perception of scientific activities and with the public acceptance of technologies resulting from research activities. In this context, specific actions have been launched to improve the relationship between Science and Society. Some of them focus on structuring, at the European level, an active dialogue that should involve a variety of stakeholders interested in the sustainable development of the creation of knowledge, and its use by society at large.

The Robert Bosch Foundation (Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH), established in 1964, is one of the largest German foundations associated with a private company. It embodies the philanthropic endeavors of founder Robert Bosch (1861-1942) within the structure of the Bosch organization. The Foundation´s five areas of support and its institutions in Stuttgart (the Robert Bosch Hospital, the Dr. Margarete Fisch-Bosch Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, and the Institute for the History of Medicine) are dedicated to promoting public health care, international understanding, social work, education, the arts and culture, the humanities, and the social and natural sciences.

The European Science Foundation (ESF) is committed to promoting high quality science at a European level. It is the European association of national organisations responsible for the support of scientific research. Our aim is to act as a catalyst for the development of science by bringing together leading scientists and research funding agencies to debate, plan and implement pan-European initiatives

The Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems ( VINNOVA) which is a government agency, with the aim of promoting sustainable growth in business, society and working life, by developing effective innovation systems and funding needs-driven research.

The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS) mission is to promote the accumulation of knowledge on working life, social conditions, societal institutions and social processes through: Promotion and support of basic and applied research. Identification of important research needs. Dialogue, dissemination of information and transfer of knowledge. Promotion of cooperation between researchers both nationally and internationally, particularly in EU programmes.

The Swedish Research Council is a government agency under the aegis of Ministry of Education and Science which is responsible - at a national level - for the development of basic research and information about research in Sweden. From its annual budget of around 2,000 million, scientists at Swedish universities and university colleges compete on a national basis for research grants. The council ranks and finances basic research of the highest quality in all scientific disciplines.

The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas)supports basic and applied research. Formas promotes ecologically sustainable growth and development in society, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, and internationeal research cooperation and the exchange of experience.

Karolinska Institutet is one of Europes largest medical universities. It is also Swedens largest center for medical training and research. Leading-edge research at Karolinska Institutet includes: biostatistics, allergies, integrative physiology, stem cell research, diabetes, Alzheimers disease, molecular oncology, genomics and neurocognitive research. Karolinska Institutet reviews approximately 100 new discoveries every year, leading on average to the formation of a new company every other month.

Major Funders

The objective of The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research is to support research in the natural sciences, engineering and medicine. The Foundation shall promote the development of strong research environments of the highest international standards and of significance for the development of Sweden´s long-term competitiveness. The research programmes supported may include both basic and applied research and, not least, areas in between.

Vattenfall is one of the leading energy companies in Europe. Our target is to become “Number 1 for the customer, for the environment and for the economy”.To live up to this commitment research and development is important. Primary focus is
• Low or eliminated CO2 emissions from future energy generation
• Control, supervision and development of electricity distribution networks
• Safety and efficiency within nuclear power, hydropower, fossil fuels, wind power and solar energy.
• Optimized maintenance procedures for plants and networks.
Vattenfall generates power and supplies energy to several million customers in the Nordic region and northern Europe.Turnover 2002 was 101 billion SEK and the number of employees 35000. Vattenfall is owned by the Swedish State and the head office is in Stockholm.

Funders

Affymetrix is a pioneer in creating breakthrough tools that are driving the genomic revolution. By applying the principles of semiconductor technology to the life sciences, Affymetrix develops and commercializes systems that enable scientists to improve quality of life. The Company's customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agrichemical, diagnostics, and consumer products companies, as well as, academic, government, and other non-profit research institutes. Affymetrix offers an expanding portfolio of integrated products and services, including its integrated GeneChip® platform, to address growing markets focused on understanding the relationship between genes and human health.

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in the world with healthcare sales of over $17.8 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, anaesthesia (including pain management), cardiovascular, central nervous system (CNS) and respiratory products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

The Swedish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (LIF) is the trade association for the researchbased pharmaceutical industry in Sweden. LIF has 61 member companies which represent approximately 90 percent of the total sales of pharmaceuticals in Sweden. LIF's members have about 19,000 employees in Sweden. LIF represents their members on joint issues, maintains continous contacts with organisations and decision-makers vital to the industry and creates an understanding of the significance of the pharmaceutical industry for an efficient and modern medical care. LIF is also a service organisation for the members and continously informs them of developments in fields which can influence the work conditions for their operations in Sweden.

Nature publishes groundbreaking, original scientific research across all the disciplines. Published weekly, it also contains a lively collection of secondary comment, including authoritative and topical reviews, news, essays, News and Views, book reviews, Naturejobs and more. Nature's website contains additional online-only material, including the community-based Physics Portal, Cancer Update and Genome Gateway. Plus Nature Science Update and supplementary data to published papers.

The EuroScience Foundation

The EuroScience Foundation has been created in 2000, in order to financially support the Euroscience association and thus to allow it to be representative and independent. The complete name of the Foundation is "Euroscience-Stiftung zur Förderung der europäischen Wissenschaften und Kulturen" and the seat is in Hanover. Its goal is the promotion of European sciences and cultures by means of granting awards and funding workshops as well as to raise funds for international scientific cooperation, especially for the benefit of Euroscience.