HORIZON BLOG: European R&D policy newsbytes

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) should follow Ukraine’s example and embrace artificial intelligence (AI), a report by Parliament’s Defence Committee said, warning of a mismatch between rhetoric and reality. 

“The use of AI in Ukraine shows that it offers serious military advantage on the battlefield,” explained MP Emma Lewell-Buck, the chair of a Defence Sub-Committee on Developing AI. 

“Our inquiry discovered a gap between the Ministry of Defence’s rhetoric and reality on AI. While the department acknowledges the importance of AI, these words have not been borne out by action,” she added. 

To make AI a core part of its toolkit, the report found that MOD would have to improve digital infrastructure, data management and the AI skills base, among other gaps. Recommendations include giving AI a greater role in military education, facilitating AI specialists’ move between the civilian and defence sectors, and working with smaller and non-traditional defence suppliers. 

“Artificial intelligence in defence is here to stay – the UK must move fast to avoid falling behind,” Lewell-Buck said. 

Read the report here. 

The European Commission has set up a new task force on start-ups and scale-ups and changed the management of directorates and units in its Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (DG RTD). 

The Commission has appointed András Inotai as acting principal adviser in the new task force on start-ups and scale-ups. 

Meanwhile, Pauline Rouch and Magda de Carli are respectively replacing Ann-Sofie Rönnlund and Manuel Aleixo, who have both joined the cabinet of the new research commissioner, Ekaterina Zaharieva.  

Rouch is the new Director of the Common Policy Centre Directorate and acting head of the unit overlooking the common programme analysis and regulatory reform. De Carli, on the other hand, is leading the unit on European Research Area (ERA) spreading excellence and research careers. She leaves her place at the European semester and country intelligence unit to Beñat Bilbao-Osorio. 

Signe Ratso is now the acting Director of the ERA and Innovation Directorate in place of Anna Panagopoulou, appointed as head of cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas. 

Check the full chart here. 

The Europe Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has been awarded top investor in the Sifted’s 2024 ranking for its support to Europe’s fastest-growing start-ups. 

The ranking placed the EIT ahead of 49 other leading public and private investors, a statement read.

“This recognition highlights the EIT’s outstanding contribution to fostering innovation across Europe,” the statement said. “With a leverage ratio of 5.6, the EIT has mobilised nearly €10 billion in external funding.” 

Among the start-ups that the organisation invested in, the EIT cited Munich-based Orbem, which is boosting AI-powered imaging in the poultry industry, as well as Klimate, a Danish platform that simplifies carbon management for corporations. 

Read the full report here. 

The European Commission has established the world’s largest and most powerful ground-based gamma-ray observatory, known as the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory European Research Infrastructures Consortium (CTAO ERIC). 

“This state-of-the-art centre will solidify Europe’s leadership in the field of astro-particle physics, while also enhancing its role as a hub for international research collaborations,” new research commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva said in a statement. 

“The establishment of the CTAO ERIC underscores the strength and potential of the ERIC model in fostering not only pan-European partnerships but also global scientific cooperation,” she added. 

Set to be operational at the end of the decade, the observatory will comprise telescopes in Spain and Chile, while its legal seat will be located in Italy and data centre in Germany.  

According to the Commission, it will expand the catalogue of known cosmic sources emitting gamma rays. 

Read more about it here. 

The EU needs a technology boost in defence and security to increase its strategic autonomy, according to António Costa, president of the European Council. 

“It is clear that the European Union’s budgetary architecture and policies will have to evolve. That could mean exploring ways for other policies – such as defence, innovation, the twin digital and energy transitions,” Costa said at the opening of the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU. 

Costa said new investments in defence and security could turn the sector “into a real economic engine, creating better and more skilled jobs, developing a more autonomous European industry, and creating technological champions.” 

For its second stint at the helm of the Council, Poland has made security its watchword at a time of political uncertainty sparked by Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine, economic stagnation, and the re-election of Donald Trump. 

“Prosperity and security go hand in hand,” Costa said. 

Read his speech here. 

South Korea has joined Horizon Europe under a transitional agreement, given that its association to the EU research framework programme is considered as imminent, the European Commission said. 

As of January 1, researchers and organisations from South Korea are able to take part in the calls and activities of Horizon Europe’s Pillar II, which funds pre-competitive research and innovation projects and currently receives the major share of the budget. 

“This transitional arrangement follows the successful conclusion of negotiations between the Commission and the Government of the Republic of Korea regarding Pillar II of Horizon Europe programme,” the statement read. 

Meanwhile, the signing of the association deal is expected to take place in 2025. 

Read more about it here. 

On Wednesday, the European Commission appointed a new members in the European Research Council’s (ERC) Scientific Council.  

Director of HUN-REN Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics in Budapest, Hungary, András Stipsicz is an expert in low-dimensional topology. He will take office in April 2025. 

Stipsicz was awarded ERC Advanced Grants in 2012 and 2024.    

“András Stipsicz’s expertise and leadership will strengthen the ERC mission to advance frontier research across our continent,” said research commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva. 

Read more about Stipsicz’s appointment here.  

The Czech Ministry of Education has published its recommendations for the successor to Horizon Europe, Framework Programme 10 (FP10), including a call for Widening measures to remain in the programme. Successful widening tools such as twinning and teaming should be maintained, while others like the hop-on facility and the European Excellence Initiative should be reworked or discontinued, it says. 

The paper suggests the European Institute of Innovation & Technology could operate independently from FP10 as a standalone body, or otherwise better align its activities with the European Innovation Council. 

Czechia also wants the partnership model to remain in FP10, and for member states to have greater say in proposing and implementing partnerships, especially when they make substantial financial contributions. 

Overall, it proposes moving away from large projects which lead to the creation of “oversized, inflexible consortia”, simplifying the system for calculating eligible personnel costs, and having more dedicated calls in the social sciences and humanities. 

Support for dual-use R&D should be “strategic, proportionate, and embedded in well-justified parts of FP10”, and this “without strictly separating research activities for technologies that can have both civil and military applications”.

Washington and Beijing have finally agreed to extend a long-running science and technology agreement following more than a year of temporary roll-overs amid criticisms that the relationship has allowed China to extract too much knowhow from the US.  

The countries have amended the deal and extended it for five years, the White House announced last week. However, this new agreement, not yet released, only covers basic research and contains new protections on transparency and data reciprocity.  

Republicans have accused the White House of attempting to “tie the hands” of the incoming administration of Donald Trump by signing an extension just before the handover of power in January.  

The European Commission has signed a 12-year concession contract for the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) with a view to reinforcing Europe’s sovereignty and technological leadership. 

The constellation of 290 satellites, implemented by a cross-industry consortia of space, digital and deep tech firms, is set to provide secure connectivity services to EU member states and high-speed broadband for private companies and citizens. 

According to Henna Virkkunen, the vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, “this cutting-edge constellation will protect our critical infrastructures, connect our most remote areas and increase Europe’s strategic autonomy.” 

Via the partnership with the SpaceRISE consortium, she added, “we are demonstrating the power of public-private collaboration to drive innovation.” 

Read the press release here.