HORIZON BLOG: European R&D policy newsbytes

On Wednesday, the European University Association (EUA) launched its Digital Transformation Map, a new online tool designed to help universities navigate digital change.

The map compiles diverse initiatives from EUA members and the broader academic community, offering valuable examples and guidance on issues like digital sovereignty, AI, and cybersecurity for universities.

Created in response to growing demand for digitalisation guidance in the higher education sector, the map will evolve as institutions contribute further insights and best practices.

More details here.

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the award of 494 starting grants to young scientists and scholars across Europe, 50 of which will go to researchers based in the UK. 

ERC President Maria Leptin said she is pleased to welcome UK researchers back to the ERC. “They have been sorely missed over the past years. With fifty grants awarded to researchers based in the UK, this influx is good for the research community overall.”

The funding - totalling nearly €780 million - will go to cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from life sciences and physics to social sciences and humanities.

A social scientist in the Czech Republic plans to analyse the role of public opinion in military alliances; a biochemist in the UK will look into how viruses change to infect cells; a researcher in Germany plans to explore how robots can learn to perform human-like tasks; and a psychologist in the Netherlands investigates how disinformation reaches teenagers.

More details about the projects are available here. 

According to a paper published by the Sweden Ministry of Education and Research, the EU should focus on enhanced interaction and synergies between pillars, and improved coordination to prevent overlaps and promote interdisciplinary collaboration in FP10.

Also, the Swedish government advocates for evaluating and refining the focus of instruments like EU missions and partnerships, ensuring long-term budget stability, and harmonising regulations and promoting collaboration across sectors.

Overall, the document presents a strategy to boost the next EU framework programme divided in three main points: ensure that excellence is the foundation of the framework programme, review the structure of the framework programme, and increase the efficiency of the next framework programme.

Read the Swedish paper here.

European startup associations and stock exchanges are urging EU finance ministers and the European Commission to strengthen Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in Europe, warning that the continent’s most successful tech companies are going public in the US due to better investment opportunities.

The group wrote an open letter calling for measures such as enhancing venture capital, incentivising investments in European companies, reducing cross-border transaction costs, and improving financial literacy to retain tech IPOs within Europe.

Read the letter here.

On Monday, the European Commission launched a call for evidence to gather feedback on the progress achieved by the European Research Area (ERA) so far and identifying the remaining challenges.

A call for evidence is a process used by the Commission to gather input on the scope and impact of new or existing laws or policies, defining the problem, objectives, policy options, and consultation strategy.

Respondents can provide feedback on the ERA’s achievements in the last 4 years by September 30. The feedback will be analysed by the Commission and compiled into a new Communication on ERA. The latest version was adopted in September 2020.

More details here.

As Ottoline Leyser’s mandate expired, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) opened last week a call for application to recruit its new CEO. Meanwhile, Innovate UK is also looking for someone to replace Indro Mukerjee, chief executive of Innovate UK.

With a budget of £9 billion annually, UKRI supports cutting-edge research and innovation, driving the UK’s participation in global research programmes including Horizon Europe.

“We welcome applications from leaders with a diverse range of professional experience but each with the commitment to accelerating innovation that will solve pressing problems, improve lives and grow our economy,” said UK Science Minister, Patrick Vallance.

More details are available here.

On Sunday, Romania officially joined the Unitary Patent (UP) system, expanding its coverage to 18 EU Member States and adding a market of 19 million people to an 330 million people already covered by the UP system.

As of 1 September 2024, all European patents with unitary effect will automatically include Romania, further enhancing the attractiveness of the UP system for businesses and inventors. This expansion not only underscores the system’s relevance for EU economic integration but also offers Romanian SMEs new opportunities for growth and innovation across Europe.

“The accession of Romania clearly demonstrates the relevance of the Unitary Patent system for all EU Member States looking to participate in the internal technology market and advance European economic integration,” said EPO President António Campinos. “For innovative businesses, the step paves the way to even more cost-effective and uniform patent protection across Europe. It also offers attractive opportunities for Romanian inventors, particularly SMEs, to grow economically in a dynamic region.”

Read the announcement here.

On Tuesday, the European Union and the India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) announced the launching of a new co-funding initiative for the Horizon Europe’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchanges.

The partnership aims to strengthen research and innovation ties between the EU and India and will run from 2025 to 2027. The upcoming MSCA Staff Exchanges calls will open on 19 September 2024, with a deadline of 5 February 2025, and on 27 March 2025, with deadline 8 October 2025.

Read the full announcement here.

The European Research Council (ERC) president, Maria Leptin, will attend a panel discussion in Warsaw on September 23 at the Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering.

The event, titled "Focus on Frontier Research with the ERC" and organized by the Polish Academy of Sciences and the ERC, will focus on the role of pioneering research in addressing global challenges and encourage participation in ERC grant competitions.

Key speakers include Polish Minister of Science Dariusz Wieczorek and ERC grant laureates, with discussions and workshops aimed at researchers and administrative staff.

Register here to attend the event.

More details here.

As Horizon Europe's European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) prepares to launch a new Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) focused on water, marine, and maritime sectors, a new networking platform has been introduced for interested organisations.

Launched in mid-August, this platform enables interested applicants to the new KIC to connect with potential partners and arrange meetings. The registration is open until June 30, 2025.

The Call for Proposals for the KIC Water will be released in 2025, with the initiative officially starting in 2026.

More info here.