Science|Business Widening Newsletter No.16 | Sign up here
05/07/2023
“The Widening” is a product of Science|Business and is not related to EU institutions or programmes.

This week we’re taking a close look at how inflation has hit research coffers in Poland, a new bilateral cooperation between Czechia and Slovakia, and how EEA and Norway Grants support start-ups in the Widening countries.

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The latest news

INFLATION HITS RESEARCH COFFERS: Poland’s ability to fund basic research is being hard hit by high inflation and the government needs to step in with more money, the National Science Centre (NCN) has warned. NCN director Zbigniew Błocki tells Science|Business why the agency needs a much bigger budget.  

CROSS-BORDER DEAL: Czechia and Slovakia have a major opportunity to increase their research potential by working together more closely, a newly appointed deputy minister in Czechia’s education ministry told Science|Business. Thomas Brent has the story.

THE ECOSYSTEM: The EEA and Norway Grants have carved out a niche supporting start-ups from the Widening countries that are looking for international collaboration and green prestige. Ian Mundell takes stock of the impact the funding mechanism has had on innovative start-ups in central and eastern Europe. The full story is here.

UNEVEN FUNDING FOR DEFENCE R&D: Romanian MEP Dan Nica says the newly established European Defence Fund (EDF) should distribute grant money in all corners of the EU and not just in a few countries with strong military industries. “The fact that project coordinators and project participants are concentrated in member states that have large defence industries is questionable,” Nica said in a public hearing in the European Parliament last week. Read the full story here.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? We welcome opinion pieces and other contributions on R&I policy in central and eastern Europe. Send yours to news@sciencebusiness.net.

In other news

MORE MONEY FOR BASIC RESEARCH: The EU should double its budget for research to increase the scientific capital of the EU13 countries in the east and stop Europe from falling further behind the US and China, European Research Council (ERC) president Maria Leptin tells Science|Business after a visit to Slovenia and Croatia. My full interview with Leptin is available here.

DIGITAL EUROPE EXPANDS IN THE BALKANS: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have joined Digital Europe as associated countries, the EU’s €7.5 billion programme aimed at funding cutting edge technologies in supercomputing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

BILATERAL COOPERATION: The governments of Austria and Czechia have signed a new work programme for bilateral cooperation in science and education. The bilateral cooperation programme has been running since 2008, and last week the two parties have agreed on the work programme for 2024-2028. The new document is focused on Czech-Austrian cooperation in the fields of higher education, science, and research and innovation.

SEMICONDUCTOR DEAL WITH TAIWAN: The institute for electrical engineering at the Slovak Academy of Sciences has signed an agreement with the Technology Research Institute in Taiwan to boost cooperation in semiconductor research. The memorandum of understanding allows the two parties to work together on analysing semiconductor power modules which are to be manufactured in a cleanroom at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava.

Mark your calendars 

12 JULY, ONLINE: Slovakia’s national Horizon office is organising an info session on the civil security for society cluster in Horizon Europe. Experts will present opportunities for funding and calls currently open in this cluster. Registration info is available here.

21-22 NOVEMBER, WARSAW: Horizon4Poland23is the country’sbiggest matchmaking event for Horizon Europe applicants. It will bring together entrepreneurs and leading innovation institutions in Poland with counterparts from across Europe, with the aim of increasing cross-border cooperation in Horizon Europe competitions. More details here.

SCIENCE|BUSINESS CONFERENCE: Later this autumn, we are organising the annual Science|Business Widening conference. Location & date to be announced soon.  

Science|Business Widening group

We held our first founding members group meeting of our Widening initiative in January, which led to successful discussions about the future of the community. You can find out more about becoming a member at this link.

UPCOMING EVENTS