HORIZON BLOG: European R&D policy newsbytes

Universities of Cambridge and Loughborough launched a research collaboration to develop ultra-lightweight solar cells for space applications.

The project, funded with £484,000 from the UK Space Agency, aims to reduce the weight of solar cells and significantly lower payload costs for space missions.

“The technology we are developing enables mission profiles with higher power payloads.  Power is a universal requirement for all existing space applications including satellite communications networks, imaging, sensing, position, and navigation,” said Louise Hirst, professor at Cambridge University. “It may also enable future space based solar power in which on-orbit solar farms beam power to terrestrial locations.”

More here.

In 2023 EU governments spent a total of at €123,684 million on R&D, a 5.3% increase compared with 2022 (€117 424 million), and a 54.8% increase since 2013 (€79 886 million), according to data published by Eurostat this month.

However, the total public R&D expenditure in 2023 is equivalent to only 0.73% of the EU’s GDP, as Brussels continues to pressure member states to raise public and private investments in research and development up to 3% of GDP.

In 2023, government budget allocations for R&D at the EU level stood at €275.6 per person, a 53.3% increase since 2013 (€181.0 per person). 

The highest allocations were recorded in Luxembourg (€646.6 per person), followed at a distance by Denmark (€552.4) and Germany (€529.3).

EU countries with the lowest R&D budget allocations per person were Romania (€21.2 per person), Bulgaria (€33.1) and Hungary (€48.1). 

More info is available here.

The European Commission approved €5 billion worth of state aid by the German federal government aimed at setting up a new semiconductor manufacturing facility.

The initiative involves building a microchip manufacturing plant in Dresden, which should help Europe secure its supply of semiconductors.

The project will be put forward by European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (‘ESMC'), a joint venture between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (‘TSMC'), Bosch, Infineon, and NXP.

“This €5 billion German measure will strengthen semiconductor production capacity in Europe, helping us deliver our green and digital transition and creating opportunities for high-skilled employment,” said Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president in charge of competition policy.

“The measure’s open foundry model will ensure widespread access to power efficient chips, including by smaller companies and start-ups, while limiting any potential distortion of competition,” Vestager said.

Read the full announcement here.

The European Commission is looking for scientists to join the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA), a seven-member group aimed at providing scientific advice to EU commissioners.

Scientific and research organisations across Europe are encouraged to nominate candidates for future members of the GCSA. The deadline for submitting nominations is September 30.

“High-quality scientific advice, provided at the right time, is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of EU policy making and legislation,” said EU research commissioner Iliana Ivanova.

“The Group of Chief Scientific Advisors ensures that the European Commission decisions are informed by the latest scientific insights and that the EU remain responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities in an increasingly complex world,” Ivanova said.

More details here.

Sweden aims to increase its participation in FP10, according to a new government paper on the future of the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation.

The paper also calls on the EU to allocate a "strong" budget for the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).

The Swedish government also wants to keep the current structure of the programme. "The pillar structure, in its current form, should be maintained to ensure continuity and predictability, enabling participants to focus on addressing global challenges and promoting Europe’s competitiveness without needing to adapt to a new structure that may result in missed opportunities and altered participation conditions," the paper says. 

The full text is available here. 

A second batch of fellowships for researchers displaced from Ukraine is now available under the MSCA4Ukraine scheme.

Around 50 doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships will be supported with the additional funding of €10 million. The money comes from the EU’s Horizon Europe research programme.

Since 2023, the scheme has enabled 125 displaced researchers from Ukraine to train and work in 21 countries.

The call for proposals opened on 5 August and will close on 5 September.

You can find more information here and watch the recording of the info day here.

Eurostat published data on Tuesday showing a 5.3% increase in the EU's total government budget allocations for R&D in 2023 compared to 2022, underscoring significant growth in research funding across the EU.

In 2023, the total budget reached €123.7 billion, equivalent to 0.73% of GDP. Per capita R&D allocation was €275.6 per person at the EU level, with Luxembourg, Denmark, and Germany leading in spending, while Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary recorded the lowest allocations per person.

More information here.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has received a €850,000 donation for five university cooperation projects with Ukraine.

The donation comes from the Harald Christ Foundation for Democracy and Diversity, of which €200,000 is contributed by Germany’s ZEIT publishing group.

The projects will be part of a programme which brings together German and Ukrainian universities to develop virtual education offers that enable students to study during the war.

The EU is looking to fund studies providing strategic insights for its €10 billion innovation fund, the European Innovation Council (EIC).

The winning contractor will provide a strategic assessment of the technologies and sectors the EIC supports as well as insights into the performance of EIC companies.

Applications are welcome until 6 September. The estimated budget is €900,000, excluding VAT.

Find the call for tenders here.

During the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024 held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between July 29 and 30, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) called for enhanced global research to better prepare for future pandemics.

They advocated for expanding research to cover entire families of pathogens, creating adaptable tools and countermeasures, improving surveillance, and deepening understanding of pathogen transmission and immune responses.

“History teaches us that the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. It also teaches us the importance of science and political resolve in blunting its impact,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. “We need that same combination of science and political resolve to come together as we prepare for the next pandemic. Advancing our knowledge of the many pathogens that surround us is a global project requiring the participation of scientists from every country.”

More details here.