Horizon Europe is well underway, but the world of European R&D policy goes well beyond the confines of the €95.5 billion R&D programme. EU climate, digital, agriculture and regional policies all have significant research and innovation components. National governments often come up with new R&D policies, decide to fund new research avenues, and set up international cooperation deals. This blog aims to keep you informed on all of that and more.
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A US-led effort to boost international science collaboration awarded $82 million to set up six new research consortia on bioeconomy.
The programme, called Global Centers, coordinates funding from multiple agencies to make it easier for scientists to work across borders on global challenge research.
The programme was begun last year by the US National Science Foundation, with an initial round of $76.4 million of grants on clean energy and climate change involving partners in Australia, Canada and the UK. This year’s round, on bioeconomy, expands the partnerships to include funders from Finland, Japan and Korea – but without Australia.
The new consortia include a group led by the University of California-Berkeley studying new food or fuel uses for seaweed, and involving partners in Canada, Korea and the UK. Another group, led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, includes Finnish, British and Japanese partners to engineer new crop varieties for feeding animals. Other topics include biofoundries, bioplastics, recycling and developing plants more resilient to climate change.
More information here.
Today, the European Commission unveiled the interim evaluation of InvestEU, a programme aimed at giving an additional boost to sustainable investment, innovation, social inclusion and job creation in Europe.
The analysis found that halfway through its lifespan, InvestEU has unlocked €218 billion in additional investments. However, the report also warns that the programme’s budget is falling short of the high market demand and needs more financial resources. By 2028, InvestEU aims to roll out over €372 billion in investment, pushing forward the EU's green and digital transitions.
The programme has already allocated 90% of its EU budget guarantee.
“The mid-term evaluation shows that InvestEU has been driving investment, innovation, and job creation across Europe, particularly in the green and digital transition,” said economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni.
More here.
On Wednesday, the European Commission announced over a hundred companies as the first signatories of the EU AI Pact, including multinational corporations and SMEs from various sectors.
The companies voluntarily committed to actions such as developing AI governance strategies, mapping high-risk AI systems, and promoting AI literacy ahead of the AI Act’s enforcement.
More than half of the signatories have also pledged to ensure human oversight, mitigate AI risks, and label AI-generated content.
The AI Act entered into force in August and it will be fully applicable in 2 years.
More here.
In collaboration with the Marie Curie Alumni Association, the alliance of independent European research institutes in the life sciences EU-LIFE unveiled a report to highlight the evolving role of Project Managers in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
The report recommends the Commission advances work on establishing clearer career paths for researchers, fostering institutional recognition, and encouraging individuals to network and advocate for the recognition of their profession.
Read the report here.
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.
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