This week we’re taking a close look at some grassroots initiatives aimed at connecting scientists across eastern Europe, the rollout of new reforms in Slovakia’s research and innovation system, and Romania’s attempt at channelling its atrophied science diplomacy skills to end the international row over the ELI-NP research infrastructure near Bucharest.
The latest news
GABRIEL TO MOVE BACK TO BULGARIA: It seems Bulgaria may gain some fresh expertise in research and innovation policy if EU research commissioner Mariya Gabriel is able to form a new government following her nomination as prime minister. She now has the task of putting together a coalition, after the fifth round of parliamentary elections in two years once again failed to produce a majority. The leadership of the centrist party GERB hopes that, as prime minister, Gabriel could bring Bulgaria’s political turmoil to an end, but research interest groups across Europe say Gabriel’s premature departure from Brussels would hurt planning for the next EU programme for research and innovation, with implications for attempts to level up the Widening countries. The full story is here.
SWEEPING REFORM: Slovakia is looking to put a series of failed past attempts to rejuvenate its stagnating research and innovation landscape behind it with a new strategy that is being backed with unprecedented levels of public financing. A new strategy approved in March will see public R&I spending increase by an average rate of 14% per year until 2030, reaching around €1 billion by the end of the decade. Thomas Brent has the story.
SCIENTISTS ABROAD: In the face of decades of brain drain, grassroots movements have sprung up in eastern Europe to help scientists who have moved abroad stay in touch and encourage more international researchers to come and work in the region. But intermittent funding threatens the future of these initiatives. Anna Rzhevkina has the story.
SCIENCE DIPLOMACY: Thanks to an “extraordinary team effort” at diplomatic, legal and administrative levels, the Romanian government has managed to convince the national institute of physics and nuclear engineering and the French/Italian EuroGammaS consortium to reach an agreement that could end years of litigation over equipment that is meant to complement one of the world’s most powerful research lasers at the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI-NP) in Bucharest. The full story is here.
ENHANCED DIALOGUE: Seven countries Europe have signed up to an initiative by the European Commission to help them in drawing up tailored R&I policies that make the most of EU programmes. While the initiative is expected to be taken up in all member states, of the seven governments that have shown interest so far, six are in central and eastern Europe. Read the full story.
In other news
HORIZON PARTNERSHIPS: According to a new report byERA-LEARN, widening countries are struggling to join European research partnerships. The main challenge facing widening countries is they lack the people with the necessary knowledge and expertise to create and implement the partnerships, which are complex initiatives organised jointly by the European Commission and private and public partners to help solve pressing challenges through research and innovation. The report is available here.
BLACK SEA AGENDA: The European Commission has welcomed the launch of a new plan for implementing a strategic agenda for research and innovation in the Black Sea region at an event organised by Romanian MEP Marian-Jean Marinescu last week. The plan is the outcome of a Horizon 2020 project aimed at bringing together governments in the Black Sea region to boost marine research infrastructures and support the development of sea-based economic sectors.
TRANSATLANTIC CYBERSECURITY: Representatives of Czech research and industry visited Canada last month to boost international cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. “The overlap in research topics between Czech and Canadian partners, especially the universities, is extensive, making cybersecurity an ideal area for continued collaboration,“ said Karolína Konicarová, the head of CzechInvest’s Toronto office.
JAPANESE MISSION: Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan’s minister for the economy, trade and industry visited Bulgaria’s new institute for computer science and artificial intelligence INSAIT last week. Martin Vechev, the founder of INSAIT said the visit is a significant milestone for the institute and for Bulgaria’s technology ecosystem.
DEEPER TIES: The Slovak University of Technology is looking to strengthen cooperation with Austrian universities, said rector Oliver Moravčík after a meeting with Austrian ambassador Margit Bruck-Friedrich. The university has recently signed a memorandum of cooperation with IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences that allows Slovak researchers to work at a new biotechnology park in Hainburg.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENS WOES: The Romanian government has announced it will launch a new committee specialised on artificial intelligence to provide advice to the research ministry on regulating the emerging technology, but also to set a roadmap for education and R&D investments in the field.
NEW LEADERSHIP: The Polish Science Contact Agency (PolSCA) in Brussels has a appointed a new advisory body. More details here.
Mark your calendars
WARSAW, 16 MAY: Science|Business is organising a hybrid roundtable in May to bring together research stakeholders on building attractive centres of excellence in the Widening countries. More details here.
Also in Warsaw, that same week, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Polish Academy of Sciences are launching the European Climate Conference (ECC).
BRUSSELS, 24 MAY: The Brussels office of the Polish national centre for research and development NCBR is organising an event showcasing success stories of the EU Space Programme. The event will mark the 550th anniversary of the birth of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. More details here.
BRUSSELS, 25 MAY: Slovakia’s national security authority is organising a conference on cybersecurity research and innovation. The event will be organised in cooperation with the Slovak, Czech, Polish and Hungarian R&D liaison offices in Brussels. More details here.
KRAKOW, 29 MAY: The fifth central European biomedical congress will take place in Krakow at the end of the month. The agenda is available here.
GDANSK, 1 JUNE: The first edition of the Blue Economy Baltic Forum is organised by the Polish national centre for research and development NCBR. It will bring key stakeholders in the Baltic region with the aim to boost cooperation in marine research. More details here.
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