The European Union has developed the concept of the European Research Area (ERA) to improve the coordination of research activities and policies at national and European levels.

The Commission hopes to increase the European Union's annual spending on research, thereby generating more national and private investment in this field. The Commission also responds to the research and knowledge needs of industry and more generally to European policy needs. Health, socio-economic sciences and information and communication technologies are part of the program.

IMI is an initiative proposed by the European Commission (DG Research) and supported by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).

IMI's overall goal is to reinvigorate the bio-pharmaceutical sector in Europe.

       IMI will contribute to:

• Overcome research bottlenecks in the drug development
• Create a European leadership in biomedical research while obstacles still exist
• Reinvigorate the European biopharmaceutical sector for the benefit of patients and the society by allowing faster access to better medicines