Public Science|Business Annual Network Conference (12:00 – 18:00 CET)
Since Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took office in 2019, she has continuously highlighted research and innovation (R&I) as a critical driver of Europe’s green and digital transformations, and central to its global competitiveness. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven home the value to society of scientific excellence and cooperation – even if member states appeared at times to overlook that during negotiations over the next EU budget and recovery plan.
Now that the key numbers have finally been agreed, Horizon Europe – the next R&I Framework Programme – is gearing up to launch, supported by €95.5 billion in funding. Yet as it does, important questions remain as to how great an impact Horizon will ultimately have, as a bridge between crisis and recovery and as a foundation for rebuilding Europe’s societies and economies. Can the Commission establish genuine synergies between Horizon and other flagship programmes? Will member states and associated countries align their own resources and programmes with Europe’s R&I ambitions? And in the global context, can Europe realistically expect to achieve its strategic goals – in domains such as climate and AI – without China and the US on board?
By extension, Europe’s R&I communities keenly await news of how Horizon will be implemented. Will the programme ensure that stronger pathways are laid between fundamental science and market competitiveness, a compelling value proposition defined for industry, and citizens actively engaged? How will the European Green Deal be embedded across every aspect of Horizon’s structure and activities? Will mission-oriented approaches inspire deep change in science and technology development? And, of equal importance, how will success and impact be determined for the future recipients of Horizon funding?
On February 22 and 23, Science|Business will convene leading figures from across its own Network and the international R&I spectrum to address these issues in more depth.
PRELIMINARY AGENDA
DAY ONE – FEBRUARY 22 – AFTERNOON (12:00 – 18:00 CET)
12:00 Science|Business FP Working Group event – Horizon Europe: Implementing the strategic plan
Participation for Science|Business Network members only, with:
- Julien Guerrier, Director, Policy and Programming Centre, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission
13:00 Lunch break
13:30 Welcome
Opening remarks from Simon Pickard - Network Director, Science|Business
13:35 Plenary Session – Great expectations: Is European R&I prepared for the next decade?
Live Q&A with:
- Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Followed by an interactive panel debate with:
- Karen Maex, Rector Magnificus, University of Amsterdam
- Mathias Rauch, Director, Research Strategy and Policy, Fraunhofer
- Salah-Dine Chibout, Global Head Oncology and Investigative Safety, Novartis (TBC)
Moderated by Gail Cardew - Senior Advisor, Science|Business
14:30 Break
14:45 Horizon Parallel Workshops: Session I
A series of parallel, interactive, expert-led sessions to explore how various cross-cutting themes can best be addressed and integrated into Horizon Europe ahead of its formal launch.
1. Clean environment: Embedding the Green Deal across pillars, partnerships and projects
- Hagit Schwimmer, Director, Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials, Israel-Europe Research & Innovation Directorate (ISERD)
- Jakub Drnec, Beamline Scientist, League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources (LEAPS) & European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)
- Hideki Takamatsu, General Manager, Toyota Motors Europe
- Louis Fradette, Chairman, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal
- Karin Pfeffer, Full Professor and Chair, Infrastructuring Urban Futures Division, University of Twente
Moderated by Antoine Rayroux - Special Advisor, Science|Business
2. Research & technology infrastructures: How to build closer ties between excellence, industry and society?
- Pearl Dykstra, Professor of Empirical Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Max Dumoulin, Vice-President, Institutional Offerings, Elsevier
- Tor Grande, Pro-Rector for Research, NTNU
- Mikael Östling, Deputy President, KTH Stockholm
- Antti Vasala - CEO, VTT and President, EARTO
Moderated by Carlos Haertel - Director and Member of the Board, Science|Business
3. What a kick: Empowering Europe’s creative and cultural industries and sectors (supported by EIT)
- Martin Kern, Director, European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
- Christian Ehler, Member, European Parliament
- Ana Valtonen, Vice President, Art and Creative Practices & Professor, Strategic Design, Aalto University
Moderated by Diane Jeanblanc - Director of Consultancy, Science|Business
4. Breakthroughs 101: How to train Europe’s next generation of deeptech entrepreneurs (supported by ATTRACT)
- Jonathan Wareham, Professor of Information Systems, ESADE Business & Law School; Founder, ESADE Institute for Innovation and Knowledge Management; Member, Project Consortium Board, ATTRACT
- More speakers TBC
Moderated by Richard L. Hudson - Editor-in-Chief and Vice Chair of the Board, Science|Businesss
16:15 Break
16:30 Horizon Parallel Workshops: Session II
5. Basic vs. applied: Getting the balance right between early-and late-stage R&D in Horizon
- Valeria Nicolosi, Professor of Nanomaterials & Microscopy, Trinity College Dublin
- Paola Inverardi, Vice Chair, Technology Policy Committee, ACM Europe
- Hannu Kemppainen, Executive Director, Strategic Performance Management, Business Finland
- Walter Weigel, Vice President, European Research Institute, Huawei
Moderated by Florin Zubașcu - EU News Editor, Science|Business
6. World in motion: Managing research talent mobility in an age of pandemics
- Klaas Wierenga, Chief Innovation & Technology Officer, GEANT
- Séan Hand, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor, Europe, Warwick University
- Jukka Mönkkönen, Rector, University of Eastern Finland
- Yuko Harayama, Executive Director, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN)
Moderated by Éanna Kelly - International News Editor, Science|Business
7. Life support: Delivering the data, access and structures for health R&D to flourish in Horizon
- Alfonso Valencia, Director, Life Sciences Department & ICREA Professor, Barcelona Supercomputing Center
- Jean-Marc Bourez, Managing Director, France, EIT Health
- DianeCôté, President and Chief Executive Officer, MEDTEQ+
Moderated by Simon Pickard - Network Director, Science|Business
8. Science in policy: Delivering trustworthy communication in a world of misinformation (supported by TRESCA)
- Renzo Tomellini, Head of Unit, Scientific Advice Mechanism, European Commission
- Sara Degli Esposti, Scientific Director, TRESCA; Research Fellow, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
- Other speakers TBC
Moderated by Goda Naujokaitytė - EU News Reporter, Science|Business
18:00 Workshops close – End of Day 1 proceedings
DAY TWO – FEBRUARY 23 – AFTERNOON (13:30 – 18:00 CET)
13:30 Welcome
Opening remarks from Maryline Fiaschi - Managing Director, Science|Business
Plenary – Building back better: Will R&I be the catalyst for a brave new world?
Keynote speech and live Q&A with:
- Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President (for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age), European Commission
Followed by a live panel debate with:
- Manuel Heitor, Minister for Research and Higher Education, Government of Portugal
- Simona Kustec Lipicer, Minister for Education, Science and Sport, Government of Slovenia
Moderated by Maryline Fiaschi - Managing Director, Science|Business
14:30 Helicopter view – Energy conversion: How can the sustainable transition be achieved?
An interview with:
- Ernest Moniz, Emeritus Professor and Special Advisor to the President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) & Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Threat Initiative
Moderated by Richard L. Hudson - Editor-in-Chief and Vice Chair of the Board, Science|Business
14:45 Plenary – Global challenges: Will competition or cooperation define the future of science and technology?
Opening remarks from:
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus - Director-General, World Health Organisation
Followed by live panel debate featuring:
- Sinan Atlig - Regional President, Vaccines, International Developed Markets (Europe, Japan, Korea Aus/NZ), Pfizer (TBC)
- Maria Spyraki, Member, ITRE Committee & Vice Chair, EU-China Delegation, European Parliament
- Huiyao (Henry) Wang, Founder and President, Center for China and Globalization
Moderated by Gail Cardew - Senior Advisor, Science|Business
15:30 Plenary – Talent show-down: Do we have the innovators we need to solve global problems? (supported by ATTRACT)
Live panel debate featuring:
- Ilkka Niemelä, President, Aalto University
- More speakers TBC
Moderated by Carlos Haertel - Director and Member of the Board, Science|Business
16:15 Science for Society: Reflections from Nobel laureates
Pre-recorded interviews with:
- Edvard Moser, 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology / Medicine and Director, Kavli Centre for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- Michael Houghton, 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology / Medicine and Li Ka Shing Professor of Virology, University of Alberta
16:30 Plenary – Joining forces: How COVID-19 has given Europe a new blueprint for health R&I policy (supported by Sanofi)
Opening remarks by:
- Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, European Commission (TBC)
Followed by a panel discussion featuring:
- Olivier Charmeil, Executive Vice President, General Medicines, Sanofi
- Other speakers TBC
Moderated by Maryline Fiaschi - Managing Director, Science|Business
17:30 Closing Session – One for all: Can Horizon deliver on its promises, for Europe and the world?
Opening remarks by:
- Mona Nemer - Chief Science Advisor, Government of Canada
Followed by a live panel discussion featuring:
- Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
- Kimmo Koski, Chief Executive Officer, CSC – IT Center for Science
- Jean Chambaz, President, Sorbonne University
- Mona Nemer - Chief Science Advisor, Government of Canada (TBC)
Moderated by Simon Pickard - Network Director, Science|Business
18:30 – End of Event
For more information on this event, please contact Janni Ekrem at [email protected]
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