NewsByte

Sweden, Finland and Denmark are the most innovative countries in the EU, while southern European and Baltic countries have shown the biggest improvement in innovation performance, according to this year‘s edition of the European Commission‘s Innovation Scoreboard.

Europe is behind on progress towards the target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, despite achieving its 2020 goal early, according to the 2020 edition of the European Commission report  on member state progress towards sustainability.

In the Arab region, Egypt has long been a linchpin for research and education – its universities popular with its neighbours, its researchers frequent collaborators abroad. Now, with the COVID-19 crisis hitting its economy, can it keep improving its standing?

Diagnostics and therapeutics have been the most sought-after study areas in public calls for COVID-19 research applications so far, with both separately featuring in around 30 per cent of funding opportunities.

Research funders in North America and Europe have been leading the charge to support COVID-19 research, so far accounting for 84 per cent of public calls for research applications.

Research funders around the world this spring rushed out an unprecedented number of calls for COVID-19 studies – and nearly half remain open for scientists seeking to further expand our understanding of the novel infection.

Germany is getting closer to its self-imposed target of spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on R&D, new government data shows.

The 2020 edition of the Federal Report for Research and Innovation sees national R&D expenditure going above 3 per cent after more than a decade of growth. The government plans to reach the 3.5 per cent mark by 2025.

South Africa is the strongest research player in Africa, with deep roots in astronomy, agriculture, health and social research. But the country’s persistent budget and social problems have hit the research sector as well – even as the government looks to science and technology to help solve those very problems.

Higher education institutions across Europe say the European Commission should increase funding and cut red tape for European Universities Initiative, according to a survey by the European University Association (EUA).

Public, private and philanthropic organisations are putting staggering R&D resources into the fight against COVID-19, with at least 115 vaccines in development.

The OECD estimates the pandemic will shrink the economies of advanced countries by at least 15 per cent. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and the US will see their GDP shrink by more than 25 per cent.

In the past decade, China has emerged as a powerhouse of science and technology, a result of deliberate central planning and heavy spending. But with that growth have come mounting complaints about the Chinese approach to sharing data, protecting intellectual property and, in some cases, conducting research ethically.

European patent filings increased by 4 per cent in 2019, driven by a surge in digital communications technologies, according to the latest data from the European Patent Office (EPO).

A hugely successful research system is being tested by a row over immigration and a deteriorating relationship with the EU

Public funding for universities has declined in six countries in Europe, an analysis by the European University Association (EUA) shows.

An analysis by European Commission officials estimates the EU needs to add in an extra €109 billion per year to reach the goal of spending at least 3 per cent of GDP on research and development.

France and Belgium are the EU member states offering the highest tax support for business R&D, according to a new ranking by the OECD.

Since coming into office in 2015, prime minister Justin Trudeau has injected money to revitalise research and innovation, following ten years of cuts to the science budget. Now the country is riding high in key technologies

Justin Trudeau’s government has been praised for its focus on research and innovation since coming to office in November 2015, boosting funding for research by C$9.4 billion, launching five innovation superclusters for R&D in artificial intelligence (AI) and other fields, and reinstating the chief scientific adviser position.

Last year’s re-election of the left-leaning Liberal Party was cheered by scientists, who feared a win for the Conservatives would undo the progress made over the past four years. Trudeau’s predecessor, Conservative Stephen Harper, hacked science budgets when he came to office in 2006.

For better or for worse, Brexit is finally happening. The UK will leave the EU on Friday at midnight CET, with details on the future cooperation in research and innovation still to be decided.

To mark the event, Science|Business has put together a showcase of the strengths and some of the weaker points of UK’s research and innovation system, which also highlights the importance of scientific cooperation between EU and the soon-to-be non-member state.