HORIZON BLOG: European R&D policy newsbytes

28 Mar 2024 | Live Blog

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.

The Guild of European research-intensive universities is calling on national governments and universities to join forces with the European Commission to boost funding for European Universities alliances 

According to a statement by The Guild, the EU should provide “comprehensive support to university alliances” but EU funding alone is not enough. “The sustainability of the initiative will require concerted efforts of national governments and institutional commitments,” the Guild said.  

“The alliances differ in scope and modus operandi,” said Ole Petter Ottersen, acting secretary-general of The Guild. “This is how it should be: there is not a single way forward, but many, and they should all be explored in the living experiment that the university alliances represent,” he said.  

The full statement is available here.  

 

The European Innovation Council (EIC) has launched the SPIN4EIC Strategic Innovation Procurement Programme, a new initiative aimed at helping innovators access procurement markets in Europe and beyond. 

EIC beneficiaries will get tailored assistance to learn about procurment opportunities and take part as bidders in public or private tenders. The programme will also help public and private buyers connect with innovators.  

A launch event of the programme will take place on 22 February.  

 

The Joint European Torus (JET), the EU-funded large infrastructure located in the UK, has demonstrated the ability to reliably generate fusion energy whilst simultaneously setting a world record in energy output.

After running since 1983, JET has reached the end of its lifespan and is due to be decommissioned, but in a swansong on what it has achieved, it was reported that in the final deuterium-tritium experiments (DTE3), high fusion power was consistently produced for 5 seconds, resulting in a ground-breaking record of 69 megajoules using a mere 0.2 milligrams of fuel.

Fernanda Rimini, JET senior exploitation manager, said, “We can reliably create fusion plasmas using the same fuel mixture to be used by commercial fusion energy powerplants, showcasing the advanced expertise developed over time.”

Ambrogio Fasoli, programme manager at EUROfusion, which oversees the EU’s Euratom programme said, “Our successful demonstration of operational scenarios for future fusion machines like ITER and DEMO, validated by the new energy record, instil greater confidence in the development of fusion energy. Beyond setting a new record, we achieved things we’ve never done before and deepened our understanding of fusion physics.” 

Over 300 scientists and engineers from EUROfusion – a consortium of researchers across Europe, contributed to the landmark experiments at the UK Atomic Energy Authority site in Oxford.

 

The Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) ahs published a list of three policy steps needed to improve careers in academia, in response to a call for evidence by teh European Commisison.  

The three steps are: 

  • Step 1: Celebrating diversity of contributions and creating paths for talent to grow 

  • Step 2: Creating adequate support systems for continuous skills development 

  • Step 3: Empowering universities with adequate framework conditions to support diverse career developments. 

Read the full paper here

 

The European Parliament has adopted its position on the Commission’s proposal on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), which are more targeted and precise than first-generation genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but are currently subject to the same restrictive rules.

MEPs agreed with the proposal to split NGTs into two different categories. NGT plants which are equivalent to plants which could be obtained by conventional breeding would be exempted from the requirements of the GMO legislation.

MEPs also voted to ban patents for all NGT plants, plant material and processes.

“I hope member states will soon adopt their position so we can adopt the new rules before the European elections and give the farmers the tools they need for the green transition,” said rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd MEP.

“The successful integration of new genomic techniques into farming practices will not only drive economic growth but also pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector,” said Garlich von Essen, secretary general of industry association Euroseeds.

 

The Chips for Europe initiative moves forward with a second round of funding calls worth €216 million under the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), the European Commission has announced today. 

The new calls are aimed at giving a boost to the European semiconductor industry. The goal is to move technologies from the lab to manufacturing faster, as the EU is scrambling to secure a domestic development and production of advanced microelectronics and semiconductors.  

The calls target consortia organised around EU companies that are active in these fields. More details about deadlines and how to apply are available here.

 

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