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The German Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) has launched today the China Tech Observatory, a €460,000 three-year project supported by the German ministry for education and research.
The initiative will study China's progress in key technologies like AI, semiconductors, biotechnology, green technologies, digital connectivity and quantum technology, providing insights to decision-makers in Germany and Europe.
"China is increasingly becoming a competitor and systemic rival in science and research,” said Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Germany’s minister for education and research. “The China Tech Observatory enables us to better assess the risks of cooperation with China, especially in areas in which we need to be particularly vigilant about protecting German and European interests."
The findings will be accessible on the MERICS website starting from today.
Read the announcement here.
The Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM) and the UK Academy of Medical Sciences have released a report outlining recommendations for the upcoming EU R&I Framework Programme (FP10).
The group says a ringfenced budget would “fully capture the available potential in Europe and globally, to ensure stable conditions for research and innovation”.
Read the recommendations here.
The 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII) by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) highlights a slowdown in venture capital activity, R&D funding, and other key innovation indicators, reversing the boom seen between 2020 and 2022.
However, technological advances in areas like genome sequencing, electric batteries, and 5G adoption remained strong, signaling continued progress despite economic challenges.
The report also notes that Switzerland, Sweden, the US, Singapore, and the UK top the list of the world's most innovative economies, while China, Türkiye, India, Viet Nam, and the Philippines are the fastest climbers over the past decade.
The full report is available here.
On Wednesday, the European Commission appointed two new members in the European Research Council’s (ERC) Scientific Council.
Tomaž Prosen from the University of Ljubljana, an expert in non-equilibrium statistical and quantum physics, and Maarit Karppinen from Aalto University, renowned for her work in inorganic materials. Both will take office in January 2025.
The ERC says their appointments aim to strengthen the ERC’s mission of promoting scientific excellence, with both having received ERC Advanced Grants for their groundbreaking research.
“The European Research Council is a symbol of scientific excellence, and the expertise and vision of these distinguished scholars will further enhance its mission,” said EU research commissioner Iliana Ivanova.
Read the announcement here.
The President of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Board, Michiel Scheffer, welcomed the nomination of Ekaterina Zaharieva as Commissioner-designate for start-ups, research, and innovation.
Zaharieva’s mission letter underscores the EIC's crucial role in bolstering EU’s competitiveness and its start-up ecosystem.
The EIC Board also endorsed the recent report on the future of EU competitiveness by former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, which highlights key gaps in Europe's innovation landscape, and plans to integrate its recommendations into the EIC's future strategy.
On Tuesday, the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) has launched calls for proposals worth €65 million to support semiconductor research and innovation initiatives.
The funding will aid the establishment of a manufacturing supply chain for quantum chips in Europe.
Candidates have until January 21, 2025, to apply to these calls.
The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities sent open letters to commissioners nominated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week.
The letters offer recommendations on European research and education policies in preparation for the upcoming public confirmation hearings at the European Parliament.
The Guild urges Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner-designate for start-ups, research and innovation, to prioritise a well-funded 10th Framework Programme (FP10) with a budget of at least €200 billion to support excellence-driven research and innovation. Read the full letter here.
Read the letters sent to the other Commission nominee:
- Stéphane Séjourné - Executive Vice-President-designate for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy. Read the letter here.
- Roxana Mînzatu - Executive Vice-President-designate for People, Skills and Preparedness. Read the letter here
- Henna Virkkunen - Executive Vice-President-designate for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. Read the letter here.
- Jozef Síkela - Commissioner-designate for International Partnerships. Read the letter here.
- Olivér Várhelyi - Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare. Read the letter here.
- Piotr Serafin - Commissioner-designate for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration. Read the letter here.
- Wopke Hoekstra - Commissioner-designate for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth. Read the letter here.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations announced an agreement 22 September to work together on global policy development for artificial intelligence.
In a statement, the organisations said they “will focus on regular science and evidence-based AI risk and opportunity assessments. The two organisations will leverage their respective networks, convening platforms and ongoing work on AI policy and governance.”
In recent years, the Paris-based OECD has grown into one of the largest official centres for studying the development of AI policy around the world – and earlier this year merged its own policy research with a Franco-Canadian initiative called the Global Partnership for AI.
Hitherto, legislation to control potentially harmful repercussions of the new technology has been limited to the European Union’s AI Act – but several draft bills, while unlikely to be enacted during this election year, have been advancing through the US Congress. Leading AI scientists have warned that whatever policies get adopted should be coordinated internationally, as AI crosses borders.
Read the full OECD statement here.
The European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched today the Research and Innovation Careers Observatory which will provide data on careers in research and innovation across the EU and OECD countries.
The initiative, which is supported by the EU framework programme Horizon Europe, aims to enhance career sustainability, boost European competitiveness, and shape better policies for economic benefits.
The Research and Innovation Careers Observatory “will fill data gaps on research careers in Europe and provide information to policymakers as well as researchers themselves and their organisations,” said research commissioner Iliana Ivanova.
More here.
On Tuesday, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership has released the agenda for its Innovation Forum, set to take place from 19-21 November in Brussels during the European Hydrogen Week.
The forum will highlight the latest advancements in hydrogen research and innovation, featuring debates on various aspects on renewable hydrogen: production, transportation, and scaling technologies.
The event will conclude with the Clean Hydrogen Partnership Awards, recognising outstanding projects funded by the partnership.
Take a peak to the agenda here.
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