David Matthews

Science|Business finds five Marie Curie projects that include as participants some of China’s ‘Seven Sons of National Defence,’ risking aid to its military. This is what these projects involve

A Science|Business investigation finds five ongoing EU research projects that include China’s ‘Seven Sons of National Defence’ universities, in network security, heat transfer and drones. No comment from Brussels, but experts warn of danger

Academics and university lobbyists are celebrating after Commission president said Windsor framework is ‘good news for scientists and researchers’. But there’s no clarity on how long association will now take.

Having missed out on the first two years, the government says it will not be paying in the full £6.9B put aside to join the research programme. And with association still to be agreed, plans for alternatives are promised soon  

Mirroring a change in sentiment across the EU, Germany’s ‘future strategy’ demands more reciprocity from Beijing on access to research data. A separate China strategy, currently debated in government, could also shift German policy

With signs a deal is being agreed on the Northern Ireland Protocol, association could be near. But having been shut out of Horizon Europe for two years, the UK hopes to renegotiate financial terms, and wants talks to start now

The move mirrors similar strategies announced by the US and governments in Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine

The Commission’s former regional development chief moves over to head the research directorate, amid hopes his experience in Cohesion policy will be applied to bridge east-west disparities in research and innovation

The country wants to double collaboration with the EU, and Kiwi researchers are excited about starting new projects. But the challenge of controlling costs, parliamentary scrutiny and sheer distance could all present obstacles

The fund is a signature project by which Commission president Ursula von der Leyen aims to underpin EU technology prowess. But a leading MEP from the European People’s Party thinks there is plenty of money already and it needs to be better spent