Science|Business Widening Newsletter No.22 | Sign up here
08/11/2023
“The Widening” is a product of Science|Business and is not related to EU institutions or programmes.

This week we are taking a look at an astonishing case of alleged corruption with EU research funds at the University of Zagreb.

We also have an update on Hungary’s troubled situation in Horizon Europe, an overview of the EU’s ‘hop-on’ scheme for Widening countries, and an in-depth look at how east European start-ups are embracing NATO funding for scaling up dual-use technologies.

The latest news

UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB: 29 ARRESTED IN EU INVESTIGATION OVER DEFRAUDED RESEARCH FUNDS: More than two dozen staff at the Croatian University, including professors and a dean, were detained on charges of embezzling EU money destined for research projects and lab equipment. They are accused of buying cars and a boat for personal use.

The arrests were announced today by the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO), an EU body founded in 2017 and led by Romania’s former chief anticorruption prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi.

This is the first high-profile corruption case involving EU research money that the EPPO has handled and might set the tone for if there are any similar investigations in future. Thomas Brent has the full story.

LIFT HORIZON BAN ON HUNGARY, MEPs SAY: The EU ban that blocks certain Hungarian universities from accessing Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ funds on the grounds of rule of law concerns should be lifted, but with the management of the money outsourced to an independent body, according to the European Parliament’s Hungary rapporteur.

French MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield of the Greens/EFA thinks that the ban is punishing Hungarian researchers caught up in the ongoing political stalemate between Budapest and Brussels, and also undermines solidarity. Read more here.

HOPPING ON HORIZON PROJECTS: Some researchers in central and eastern Europe remain scepticalof how the hop-on facility in Horizon Europe is being run, but the new instrument has allowed research institutions to join ongoing Horizon projects and consortia. Critics say the idea behind the funding scheme is great, but it isn’t working as smoothly as planned. The full story is available here.

THE ECOSYSTEM: Drawn by generous terms and motivated by the war in Ukraine, civilian start-ups in eastern Europe are embracing NATO’s new interest in dual use technology.

NATOs DIANA accelerator was announced two years ago, and no technology start-ups are flocking to get grants worth up to €400,000 and contribute to innovations with potential applications in both the defence and civilian sectors.

However, it has taken a while for the message to get through that this is an initiative directed at civilian start-ups with dual use technologies, rather than companies already working in defence.

Ian Mundell has the full story.

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

FP10 CORNER: The Initiative for Science in Europe has released a white paper with recommendations for the EU’s next research and innovation programme due to start in 2028. It says the EU should increase the budget for the Widening funding schemes, which should be transformed from a separate part of the programme to “mechanisms integrated in each of the three pillars”. The full paper is available here.

POLAND: The research community has high hopes for the country’s new government after conservative party Law and Justice (PiS) lost the ability to form a new ruling coalition in landmark elections last month.

Donald Tusk, leader of the Civic Coalition, is slated to become Poland’s next prime minister, and researchers are now hoping that a government led by him would mend a stagnating for the National Science Centre (NCN), Poland’s basic science funding agency.

NCN’s acting director Zbigniew Błocki said in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza that the budget stood still for the past six years, and he hopes that that the new government will increase research spending. 

AI CENTRE COPYCAT: Bogdan Ivan, Romania’s minister for research, innovation and digitalisation said he is planning to budget €100 million in 2024 for the launch of a new artificial intelligence (AI) research centre in Bucharest. Ivan says new competencies in AI would be used to improve tax collection through automated data processing.

But this would not be the first €100 million AI centre in the region. Bulgaria is now starting to reap the benefits of a similar public investment in the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT). In less than a year since its launch, the Bulgarian institute has already made “insane progress” in raising private funding and attracting world-class PhD students, researchers and faculty.

Now let’s see if the Romanian copycat announced by Ivan can catch up.

NEW PARTNERSHIP: The Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium, CERIC, has signed an agreement with the European Innovation Council (EIC) through the EIC’s programme for ecosystem partnerships and co-investment. The deal will allow EIC grantees to get access to CERIC laboratories, high level instrumentation and technical and scientific knowledge and skills. More details are available here.

SMALL NUCLEAR REACTORS GALORE: The Czech government has approved a roadmap for the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), a new type of nuclear plant that the US is now trying to pilot in several countries in central and eastern Europe. Romania was first to announce that US company NuScale will build and test a modular nuclear plant in the small southern town of Doicești.

The Czechs will build a first unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant, with an option for multiple units. “Our vision is for SMRs to complement large nuclear units from 2030s-40s onwards,” said industry and trade minister Jozef Síkela.

In the meantime, in Brussels, policymakers are calling for the establishment of a public private partnership to fund research on a European design for SMRs to be able to compete with existing American manufacturers.

Mark your calendars 

20 NOVEMBER, BRUSSELS: Which role for Widening? A debate on how countries with low R&D performance can catch up and unleash the full potential of the European Research Area. Register here.

21-22 NOVEMBER, WARSAW: Horizon4Poland’23is 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.

28 NOVEMBER, BRUSSELS: The Visegrad 4 research and innovation group in Brussels and the Young European Universities Network (YERUN) are organising a seminar on “outstanding research careers”. Register here.

3 OCTOBER, PRAGUE: CZARMA Conference, the Czech association of research managers and administrators, is organising its annual conference at Charles University in Prague. Registration is now open.

15 NOVEMBER, BRNO: The Velvet Innovation conference aims to “inspire and connect people dedicated to innovation without demolition”. This should be interesting. Get tickets here.

6 DECEMBER 2023: Strategies for R&D resilience in shifting security paradigms. The public S|B Annual Widening conference. Register here.

Science|Business Widening group

Did you know that we held the 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.

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