Replacing Widening measures in the next Framework Programme with a separate scheme funded by cohesion money poses practical and philosophical problems, say members of central and eastern Europe’s research community

A bi-monthly newsletter with news and analysis on R&I policy in central and eastern Europe

Speaking at this year’s World Economic Forum, Nikolay Denkov hit out at Europe’s obsession with succeeding immediately when it comes to new technologies. It is important to experiment and fail, he says

Despite an increasingly strong showing in winning EU funds, special support measures remain necessary for the country’s long-term development, says Eugénio Campos Ferreira, vice rector for research and innovation at the University of Minho

A bi-monthly newsletter with news and analysis on R&I policy in central and eastern Europe

As 2024 begins, we assess the success of attempts to close the EU’s east-west research and innovation gap. There is progress, but a decade on, disparity persists and alongside beefed up EU measures, national R&D funding needs to increase

The four countries have teamed up to bring together Germany’s political heft with the expertise in digital transformation of the Baltic states and inject fresh impetus into the EU single digital market agenda

Merging institutions can bring economies of scale, strengthening finances and research - and attracting staff and students. But vested interests often block this route to moving up the league tables 

A partnership with the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium is one of the latest moves to try and improve success rates in getting finance from the EU start-up funder

Concerted efforts to increase success in winning grants from the research programme are bearing fruit. While still low in the EU league table, the two countries now have the networks and support systems in place to make further headway