One year after the launch of the Horizon 2020 programme, Science|Business will bring together applicants, project holders, industry executives and key policy makers to take stock of the programme and discuss the most important challenges for Europe to solve over the next 20 years. How can the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, in tandem with corporate R&D and university science, solve them?
At the conference, Science|Business will present an agenda for action by the new Commission and Parliament in life sciences, energy, ICT and manufacturing.
PowerPoint presentations from the conference can be downloaded here.
Time: 09:30 - 17:30
Date: 24 March 2015
Venue: The University Foundation: Rue d’Egmont 11, 1000 Brussels
09:30 - Introduction: Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport
10:00 - Mobilising investments for innovation
In an effort to attract private capital to innovation, a series of new initiatives have been launched: JTIs, JUs, PPPs, President Juncker's new Investment Plan, and more. How will they work? Can they work?
- Waldemar Kutt, Head of Unit, Bio-based products and processing, DG RTD, European Commission
- Scott Cain, Executive Director, Strategy, Business Development and Communications, Future Cities Catapult, INNOVATE UK
- Peter Olesen, Chairman of the EIT Governing Board
- Shiva Dustdar, Head of RDI Advisory, European Investment Bank
- Jonathan Wareham, Dean of Faculty and Research, ESADE
Moderated by John Wyles, Member of the Science|Business Board
10:55 - Coffee
11:20 - Defining Impact under Horizon 2020
With Horizon2020, the Commission made 'delivering impact' one of the three main criteria for getting a grant. What does it mean?
- Rosalinde van der Vlies, Head of Unit, Evaluation, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
- Chris Haenen, Director EU Funding, GE
- Sergio Bertolucci, Director for Research and Computing, CERN
- Monica Dietl, Director, COST Association
Moderated by John Wood, Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities
12:10 - Breakout sessions
- Horizon 2020: How has it been for you?
Workshop for Horizon 2020 recipients and applicants to share their experience in responding to the 2014 calls. Two-stage application process, success rates, ethics review, evaluators feedback, what are your takeaways?
- Disease prevention, Dementia, Cardiovascular disease, Oncology
The Commission has set 'enabling a healthy, ageing society' as one of its 'Grand Challenges' under Horizon 2020 - but what, exactly, does that require? A forward-looking discussion on an emerging issue that EU healthcare R&D will need to address from 2016 onwards.
- Horizon 2020: A programme with global ambitions
Horizon 2020 is unique for its openness and the opportunities it offers in terms of international cooperation. What are the EU's objectives? How inclusive will it be? What has been the interest of non-EU researchers so far?
13:00 - Lunch
14:00 - Video interview with Carlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation
14:15 - Horizon 2020: Lessons learned from the launch
A year on, how is Horizon 2020 going - on a practical level? Evaluation, success rates, cash flow... The view from the Commission, plus the strategic outlook for 2016 and beyond.
Introduction by Wolfgang Burtscher, Deputy Director-General, DG Research and Innovation, European Commissioin
Panel discussion:
- Wolfgang Burtscher, Deputy-General, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
- Isabelle Thizon de Gaulle, Vice President European Strategic Initiatives & Scientific Relations, Sanofi
- Rik Torfs, Rector, KU Leuven
- Karin Markides, President and CEO, Chalmers University of Technology
Moderated by Richard L. Hudson, CEO & Editor, Science|Business
15:15 - Coffee
15:45 - Horizon 2020: Taking stock of the programmes
Horizon 2020 is a collection of programmes that include the ERC grants, Marie Sklodowska-Curie, the SME instrument, the EIT and Future and Emerging Technologies. A detailed discussion of their progress with programme leaders.
Key Enabling Technologies: Clara de la Torre, Director, Key Enabling Technologies, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
Future Emerging Technologies: Thierry Van der Pyl, Director, Excellence in Science, DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
The SME instrument and access to finance: Jean-David Malo, Head of Unit, SMEs, Financial instruments and State Aid, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
The EIT and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions: Denis Crowley, Head of Unit (incoming), Innovation in education, EIT and MSCA, DG Education and Culture, European Commission
Moderated by Richard L. Hudson, CEO & Editor, Science|Business
16:45 - Foresight 2030: Future Challenges for Europe
Innovation megatrends that will transform society and economy: The result of a Science|Business Network foresight exercise.
- Matthew W. Granz, President, Boeing Germany and Northern Europe; Vice-President, European Technology Strategy, The Boeing Company
- Quentin Compton-Bishop, CEO, Warwick Ventures
- Mischa Dohler, Chair Professor of Wireless Communications, King's College London
Moderated by Daria Tataj, Founder & CEO, Tataj Innovation
17:30 - Networking reception
Receive the Funding Newswire each Tuesday, our Policy Bulletin each Thursday, and news about bridging Europe’s east-west innovation gap twice a month in The Widening. 
A unique international forum for public research organisations and companies to connect their external engagement with strategic interests around their R&D system.
