- EU launches research partnership on rare diseases
- UK parliament elects new chair of science, innovation and technology committee
- Commission launches €2 billion call for AI factories
- EU unveils STEP portal to boost investment in critical technologies
- EU and Canada launch joint plan for global health challenges
- Research lobby calls for RD&I policy to be strategically aligned with industrial policy
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.
If you have any tips, please email them at [email protected].
You can read the full archive of this blog 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.
Last week, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) announced it will launch a new call for proposals for its Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Initiative in autumn 2024.
This Horizon Europe programme aims to transform higher education institutions into hubs of innovation and entrepreneurship while enhancing their integration into broader innovation networks.
The upcoming call will focus on improving the quality and competitiveness of European higher education, advancing research and technology transfer, and fostering stronger collaborations between higher education institutionsand businesses across Europe.
Read the announcement here.
The Western Balkans Fund, headquartered in Albania, and the International Visegrad Fund have announced the first 41 recipients of their joint R&D cooperation scheme: the Western Balkans-Visegrad Fellowship.
Selected from 154 applicants, the winning researchers, lecturers, and scholars from the Western Balkans will receive fully funded fellowships lasting 2-10 weeks at universities in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.
Likewise, winners form the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) will receive the same fellowships at universities in the Western Balkans.
Read the full announcement here.
The Polish Contact Agency (PolSCA), dedicated to promoting and supporting the involvement of Poland’s R&D community in European projects, is hosting a webinar focused on the role of application evaluators within the Horizon Europe programme.
The meeting’s aim is to help participants in navigating through the application process to become an evaluator of Horizon Europe projects.
The event is scheduled to take place on September 19 via Webex.
Register here.
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