The Commission is launching ERAWATCH, a new online information platform on research systems and policies within the European Union. ERAWATCH supports the ongoing construction of the European Research Area (ERA) by providing policy makers and policy analysts working in the field of science and research with condensed and updated information and analysis on the development of research systems and policies in all Member States of the European Union plus selected other countries.

The ScanBalt association reports that ScanBalt BioRegion at the end of 2006 hosts 2129 Life science companies including 671 biotech companies, 323 phama companies and 370 medical device companies.

CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has launched a new online service covering the research and innovation activities carried out under the German Presidency of the European Union (1 January - 30 June 2007).

A three-year EU-funded project has found that dental X-rays could be used to detect the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.

The researchers found that by measuring the thickness of part of a patient's lower jaw, using software developed by the team, dentists could easily identify women and men at risk of the disease.

The EU's largest ever funding programme for research and technological development, the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), was launched on 1 January.

The programme cleared its final hurdle when it was adopted by the Council on 18 December 2006. The decision was widely expected following an agreement on a common position between the Parliament and Council in November. The common position meant that the decision could be adopted by the Environment Council without discussion.

Does eHealth contribute to saving lives?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. One out of eight women will develop it at some point in their lives, and it will kill one out of 28 in the EU and the US. But harnessing the power of the grid could help increase the accuracy of diagnoses.

The German government, which takes over the EU Presidency on 1 January, has announced its priorities in the field of research. Topping the bill will be increasing participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), launching a charter on intellectual property rights (IPR), and promoting young research talent.