As things stand, the country’s national contact points have to juggle their day jobs with helping researchers to win funding. Creating a professional network is now on the cards, but it may take some time

After a slow start, the new instrument allowing partners in Widening countries to join a project after it starts is beginning to have an impact – but reservations remain about the way the scheme is being run

As the first moves are made in shaping the 2028 – 2034 R&D programme, there are informal discussions about shifting the focus of Widening measures away from country level and using this initiative to support all less-advanced regions across the EU

A sustained effort to diversify funding sources has enbled steady progress. Now, almost 40 years after joining the EU, that Portugal is in sight of meeting the target of spending 3% of GDP on research by 2030

A debate on how the EU’s Widening measures, which aim to close the east/west innovation divide, should be reformulated in the next framework research programme is heating up, with the Commission already hinting at possible changes

The aim is to build networks across the EU, but universities in eastern Europe say structural problems make it harder for them to get involved - and some fear it promotes brain drain

The researcher behind the government backed computer science centre laments the EU’s slow, top-down approach to innovation and backs the Sofia-based facility to succeed by carrying out high quality research, providing the feedstock for start-ups

Despite government efforts to lure the science diaspora back home, many researchers are not convinced Romania can improve its scientific culture and move past the reputational damage done by a series of high-level plagiarism cases

The south-eastern Czech region and the city of Brno have spent the past 20 years building an innovation ecosystem and now hope to take this recognition of success further

A recent conference brought together representatives of both countries’ research communities and government officials, leading to talks of building closer ties