In 2014, the Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC Fund) capitalized on the momentum of its 23-year history in continuing its mission to promote the knowledge economy. It realized this mission through its applied research and analyses, the development of new policy concepts and deployment of innovative policy-making tools, and by bringing together key stakeholders to discuss and disseminate its research findings. It implemented and managed projects in the areas of science, innovation and information society, technology transfer and business support, a safer online experience for children, and by promoting the use of forward-looking studies and public engagement tools and methods in research and innovation policy-making. During 2014, ARC Fund focused its research and advocacy in a number of innovation related areas:
- developing policy intelligence in green and sustainable innovation;
- researching the preconditions which support social innovation;
- promoting the role of workplace innovation;
- formulating policy recommendations to support the management of public-sector innovation;
- creating and disseminating an informational base for the evaluation of research, technology and innovation policies in South East Europe; and
- supporting the uptake of design innovation by policy-makers across the EU.
