As part of the European Economic Recovery Plan, the Commission is launching four Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The four PPPs represent a powerful means of boosting research efforts in three large industrial sectors - automotive, construction, internet and manufacturing - which have been particularly affected by the economic downturn and where innovation can significantly contribute towards a more green and sustainable economy.

1. Factories of the Future PPP consists of a research programme of € 1.2 billion to support the manufacturing industry in the development of new and sustainable technologies. The programme is financed jointly by industry and the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme. The objective is to help EU manufacturing enterprises, in particular SMEs, to adapt to global competitive pressures by improving the technological base of EU manufacturing across a broad range of sectors
2. Energy-efficient buildings PPP consists of a financial envelope of € 1 billion to boost the construction sector, and aims at promoting green technologies and the development of energy efficient systems and materials in new and renovated buildings - this, with a view to radically reducing their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The programme is financed jointly by industry and the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7).
3. The Green Cars PPP has a foreseen envelope of €5 billion to boost to the automotive industry in a time of economic hardship, and support the development of new, sustainable forms of road transport. The scope of this initiative is really broad, and research is just one part of it. These financial support measures will be supplemented by demand-side measures, involving regulatory action by Member States and the EU, such as the reduction of car registration taxes on low CO2 cars to stimulate car purchase by citizens.
4. The Future Internet PPP has been recently initiated and proposed by industry on the basis of collaborative work that has been ongoing since mid-2008. An essential characteristic of such a PPP should be to develop open, standardised, cross-sector service platforms. From a European policy perspective, sectors such as healthcare, mobility, environment and energy management are prime candidates to benefit from novel ‘smart’ – internet-empowered – infrastructures, which will facilitate the rapid take-up and adoption of services by millions of users and consumers.