Key Takeaways

– Knowledge valorisation: the role of research and technology infrastructures, 15 June 2023, Brussels. The INESC Brussels HUB yearly Summer Meeting is fast approaching. Check the agenda and register before 9 June!

– Attraction and retention of talent is a crucial issue in research-performing organisations, such as RTOs and Universities. This is also true for Research Managers. However, lack of clarity of the role and lack of professional development opportunities lead to high turnover.

– Several interesting reports on key areas of interest for INESC are out, namely the Blue Economy 2023, the Urban food systems transformation in the context of Food 2030, or the REPowerEU plan analysis after one year of implementation (insert link). Last but not least, check out the EC monthly Ocean video, where you find out how INESC TEC is contributing to critical marine infrastructures! 

– Uncertainty for Spain’s EU Presidency as PM calls for snap national general elections to occur just three weeks after the Spanish Presidency begins (1 July). Meanwhile, the HUB will participate in an information session on the Spanish representation to the EU in Brussels on the Spanish priorities for its Presidency. We’ll keep you posted.

– The Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 Analysis is out, and so is a call for experts to work on Horizon Europe’s Interim evaluation (see MB 26 May). As the interim evaluation of a Framework Programme is a *de facto* beginning of preparing the following Framework Programme, this activity is particularly interesting to all of us in the EU R&I system. The HUB will continue to participate and track developments actively.

– From the UK’s continuing world tour of bilateral agreements, now with India, to the impressive resilience of the Japanese government’s goals to completely overhaul its scientific governance structures, with a particular focus on the privatisation of its Science Council, to the US and China investments to win the AI and Web3 race, there’s a lot of trend-setting international news to keep following this week.

Horizon Europe

The Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 analysis

The Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 Analysis published last week provides a solid evidence base to underpin the development of the next Horizon Europe Strategic Plan as set out in the legal basis. The analysis is the result of a co-creation process between the internal services of the European Commission and the EU Member States. It will serve as common analytical foundation for development of the next Horizon Europe Strategic Plan and as support for the Commission to prepare for the last two years of the Research and Innovation (R&I) Framework Programme (2025-2027).

Commission launches €122 million calls for proposals to bridge innovation gaps across the EU and empower innovation ecosystems

The Commission makes available €122 million under the European Innovation Ecosystems part of Horizon Europe and the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument part of the European Regional Development Fund to strengthen and advance European innovation ecosystems, connecting all EU territories, to address societal challenges, and to foster stronger cohesion. These calls for proposals contribute to a key initiative of the ‘New European Innovation Agenda’, which aims to promote interconnected ‘Regional Innovation Valleys’ across the EU. More info

Horizon Europe calls: European Innovation Ecosystems

Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems

• Specialist Advisory Services to build capacities on innovation procurement: HORIZON-EIE-2023-CONNECT-02-02 | Opening: 08/06/2023 | Deadline: 21/09/2023 17:00 Brussels Time
• Stimulating Experimentation Practices: HORIZON-EIE-2023-CONNECT-02-01 | Opening: 08/06/2023 | Deadline: 21/09/2023 17:00 Brussels Time
• Startup Europe: HORIZON-EIE-2024-CONNECT-01-03 |Opening: 11/01/2024 | Deadline: 25/04/2024 17:00 Brussels Time
• Implementing co-funded action plans for connected regional innovation valleys: HORIZON-EIE-2024-CONNECT-01-01 | Opening: 11/01/2024 | Deadline: 25/04/2024 17:00 Brussels Time
• Mutual learning and support scheme for national and regional innovation programmes: HORIZON-EIE-2024-CONNECT-02-02 | Opening: 06/06/2024 | Deadline: 19/09/2024 17:00 Brussels Time
• Expanding Academia-Enterprise Collaborations: HORIZON-EIE-2024-CONNECT-02-01 | Opening: 06/06/2024 | Deadline: 19/09/2024 17:00 Brussels Time

Research & Innovation

EU Industry Days 2023: Stakeholder sessions

The EU Industry Days 2023 is a collaborative effort between the EU and the stakeholders of European industry. They provide an opportunity for companies, entrepreneurs, organisations, national ministries, regional authorities and other industry stakeholders to organise their own sessions as part of the official EU Industry Days programme. The European Commission will select submitted proposals. The deadline to submit proposals is on 26 June 2023. More info

Call for experts: European Multi-Stakeholder Platform on ICT Standardisation

Advisory Expert Group on all matters related to European ICT Standardisation and its effective implementation:

              – Advise the Commission on its ICT Standardisation work programme;

              – Identify potential future ICT Standardisation needs;

              – Advise the Commission on possible standardisation mandates;

              – Advise the Commission on technical specifications in the field of ICT with regard to its referencing in public procurement and policies;

              – Advise the Commission on cooperation between standards developing organisations.

More info

Public Consultation: New framework for standard-essential patents (SEPs)

A patent that protects technology essential to a standard is called a standard-essential patent (SEP). Patent-holders commit to licence their SEPs to users of the standard on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and conditions. However, some users have found that the system for licensing SEPs is not transparent, predictable or efficient. This initiative seeks to create a fair and balanced licensing framework and may combine legislative and non-legislative action. The consultation is open until 21 July 2023. More info

Public consultation: Revised framework for compulsory licensing of patents

EU countries currently regulate and implement the framework for compulsory licensing of patents in the EU using different, fragmented procedures. This means it is not efficient enough to tackle EU-wide crises. Also, the efficiency of the current EU procedure on compulsory licensing of patents for export to countries with public health problems (Regulation 816/2006) should be examined. This initiative aims to revise the framework so it is adequately prepared & coordinated to tackle future crises. The consultation is open until 21 July 2023. More info

Research manager recruitment hampered by lack of role clarity

According to Research Professional News, during the INORMS 2023, the conference of the International Network of Research management Societies, taking place in Durban, South Africa, between 30 May and 2 June. Even well-established research management offices struggle to attract and retain staff. The lack of clarity around, and understanding of, what research managers and administrators do is hampering recruitment and retention of research managers. Gem Brown, head of grant management in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford in the UK, told the Inorms conference in Durban, South Africa, on 31 May that her unit manages grants worth around £200 million, but nevertheless struggles to recruit and retain RMAs. Recruiting new RMAs is one of the toughest parts of her role, Brown said. “The challenge is explaining what research management is,” even to professional recruiters, she explained. In addition, a lack of opportunities for professional development can lead to research management and administration being “a transitional role”, she said in the panel session focused on professionalisation, adding that her unit suffers from “high turnover”. To overcome these challenges, Brown said, she aims to recruit people with transferable and “soft” skills, such as a mindset that is well-suited to working as part of a team. She has also created an apprenticeship scheme as a way of developing new RMAs who have an inbuilt understanding of the profession. More info

EU Commission issues internal guidelines on ChatGPT, generative AI

According to Euractiv, the European Commission issued on Tuesday (30 May), internal guidelines for staff on using and interacting with online generative AI models, addressing their limitations and risks. Read more

OCEAN Season 5, Episode 5 – Critical infrastructure

OCEAN is a Euronews magazine in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE). It features monthly 8-minute videos, where we discover fascinating projects and developments related to the ocean and coastal communities. Watch the video here and pay particular attention to the role our critical infrastructure at INESC TEC (from minute 5.42 onwards).

The EU blue economy report 2023

In a new format, the sixth edition of the EU Blue Economy Report continues to analyse the scope and size of the Blue Economy in the European Union. Its main objective remains to provide support to policymakers and stakeholders in the quest for a sustainable development of oceans, coastal resources and, most notably, to the development and implementation of polices and initiatives under the European Green Deal in line with the new approach for a sustainable Blue Economy. Through its economic evidence, the Report also seeks to serve as a source of inspiration to investors. The sixth edition of the Report focuses on a summarised data analysis, trends and drivers of the Blue Economy established sectors (i.e., those that traditionally contribute to the Blue Economy), as well as of Blue Biotechnology and Ocean Energy. This edition includes a brief analysis as well on the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on some of the Blue Economy sectors. The report also contains a section following the Energy transition communication, which comprises an analysis of the energy transition in the Blue Economy. It assesses GHG emissions taking into consideration different species, fishing techniques and their production phases. The report ends with a section analysing climate change and coastal impacts. This section summarises findings related to the future dynamics of coastal flood impacts, adaptation and ecosystem services, along the EU-27 coastline. Download it

The FAIR Cookbook – the essential resource for and by FAIR doers

The notion that data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable, according to the FAIR Principles, has become a global norm for good data stewardship and a prerequisite for reproducibility. Nowadays, FAIR guides data policy actions and professional practices in the public and private sectors. Despite such global endorsements, however, the FAIR Principles are aspirational, remaining elusive at best, and intimidating at worst. To address the lack of practical guidance, and help with capability gaps, we developed the FAIR Cookbook, an open, online resource of hands-on recipes for “FAIR doers” in the Life Sciences. Created by researchers and data managers professionals in academia, (bio)pharmaceutical companies and information service industries, the FAIR Cookbook covers the key steps in a FAIRification journey, the levels and indicators of FAIRness, the maturity model, the technologies, the tools and the standards available, as well as the skills required, and the challenges to achieve and improve data FAIRness. Part of the ELIXIR ecosystem, and recommended by funders, the FAIR Cookbook is open to contributions of new recipes. Read more

REPowerEU – one year on

REPowerEU is an EU programme aiming to promote energy saving, securing affordable energy supplies and diversifying energy supply. These documents present the REPowerEU plan progress one year after its launch (18 May 2022) and the data is related to the European Semester presented on 24 May 2023. Check them

Urban food system transformation in the context of Food 2030 – current practice and outlook towards 2030

This report on urban food system transformation reflects on the future of sustainable food systems in line with the priorities of the Food 2030 initiative. It seeks to share good practices and to serve as inspiration for other urban areas wishing to transform their food systems.

Fraunhofer president resigns amid allegations of misuse of funds

According to Science Business, after 11 years leading Germany’s biggest applied research organisation, Reimund Neugebauer leaves ‘by mutual agreement’. Karlsruhe president named to succeed him. Read more

Germany and Ireland to work together on hydrogen research

According to Science Business, Germany and Ireland today signed off  an agreement to kick off cooperation on green hydrogen research, including a pilot project exploring what a cross-border hydrogen value chain could look like. Both countries have high ambitions for green hydrogen, which is set to become a key part of EU’s energy mix as the economy transitions towards net-zero. Ireland hopes to become a green hydrogen exporter, using its surplus wind power to turn water into green hydrogen though electrolysis. Germany, a net importer of the gas, wants to ensure it can cover its needs with imported gas from Ireland and other countries, such as Namibia, with which it has signed a similar cooperation agreement. Read more

UK to boost tech and innovation ties with India

According to Euractiv, building on the ambitions for 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations, Lord Ahmad will meet senior Indian Ministers and officials, including Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. Read more

Japan wants to privatise its Science Council

According to Nature, Ructions between Japan’s government and the Country’s Influential Science Council (SCJ) are causing concern among researchers. The government backed away from its plans to reform the council’s constitution and its process for appointing members, after the council and many Japanese researchers objected to them. But the government is now drawing fresh ire with a proposal to privatise the body. Read more

EU and US partner on cancer research with new task force

According to Research Professional News, the EU and US have launched a task force to bolster their collaboration on health topics including cancer research. Launched on 17 May, the EU-US Health Task Force will focus on cancer, global health threats and strengthening the global health architecture, with technical working groups being set up for each area, according to the European Commission and US Department of Health and Human Services. Read more

United States: updated roadmap to focus federal investments in AI research and development (R&D)

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is releasing a National AI R&D Strategic Plan — updated for the first time since 2019 — a roadmap that outlines key priorities and goals for federal investments in AI R&D. Developed by experts across the federal government and with public input, this plan makes clear that when it comes to AI, the federal government will invest in R&D that promotes responsible American innovation, serves the public good, protects people’s rights and safety, and upholds democratic values. It will help ensure continued U.S. leadership in the development and use of trustworthy AI systems.

United States: A new report on the risks and opportunities related to AI in education

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology is releasing a new report, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations”, summarising the risks and opportunities related to AI in teaching, learning, research, and assessment. The report recognises that AI can enable new forms of interaction between educators and students, help educators address variability in learning, increase feedback loops, and support educators. It also underscores the risks associated with AI—including algorithmic bias—and the importance of trust, safety, and appropriate guardrails.

How the US debt-ceiling crisis could cost science for years to come

According to Nature, the US government could run out of money as early as next week if lawmakers in Washington DC fail to reach an agreement to increase the federal debt limit. If the worst happens, economists warn, it would be the first time in history that the government has defaulted on paying its loans, and it could throw the country — and possibly the world — into financial turmoil. Also hanging in the balance, as politicians haggle over government spending, is a decade of funding for research and innovation, and many science advocates fear that budget cuts are inevitable. Read more

Spanish Presidency starting on 1st July and snap national general elections to take place on July 23

According to POLITICO, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called for snap elections to be held on July 23. Spain was due to hold general elections by the end of the year, but the Socialist leader announced his decision to move up the date following Sunday’s local elections, which saw his party suffer heavy losses across the country. The July 23 general election means that the vote will be held just three weeks after Spain takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. With the Socialist party polling six points behind the center-right Popular Party (PP), that scenario opens up the possibility that the rotating presidency may begin with Sánchez as prime minister but conclude with PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo as Spain’s head of government.

Beijing releases white paper for web3 innovation and development

According to The Block, Beijing, China’s capital city, reportedly released a white paper this morning aimed at promoting innovation and development of the web3 industry. Dubbed the “Web3 Innovation and Development White Paper (2023),” the document states that web3 technology is an “inevitable trend for future Internet industry development,” according to a report from local news outlet The Paper. The Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, also known as the Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, released the white paper at the Zhongguancun Forum. The commission aims to construct Beijing as a global innovation hub for the digital economy. To that end, the city’s Chaoyang district will spend at least 100 million yuan (around $14 million) every year until 2025, Yang Hongfu, director of the Zhongguancun Chaoyang Park management committee, reportedly said at the forum. Zhongguancun is often referred to as China’s Silicon Valley.

WHO Launches Global Infectious Disease Surveillance Network

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN), a public health network to prevent and detect infectious disease threats before they become epidemics or pandemics. IPSN will rely on insights generated from pathogen genomics, which helps analyse the genetic material of viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing micro-organisms to determine how they spread and how infectious or deadly they may be. Using these data, researchers can identify and track diseases to improve outbreak prevention, response, and treatments.

News from INESC institutes

INESC TEC leads project to study lung cancer using Artificial Intelligence

The main goal of the LUCCA project, led by INESC TEC and funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is to contribute to the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions that enable a more robust and precise support in the decision-making process related to lung cancer. The project presents a disruptive approach to study lung cancer, proposing a solution to faster and more precise diagnoses, while improving the treatment planning – through personalised therapies. Read more

INOV projects at RISE-SD2023

RISE-SD 2023 is a European Research and Innovation event on Disaster management, Security, Defence and Infrastructure Protection, which took place on 29/5-31/5/2023, on the island of Rhodes (Greece).

INOV was represented by 5 projects. Get to know them:

• IRIS
• STARLIGHT
• MultiRATE
• STRATEGY
• EUCIP

INESC-ID student Catarina Botelho wins “3 Minutos de Tese”

A PhD student in the INESC-ID Human Language Technologies (HLT) research area and Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Catarina won 1st place in yesterday’s live competition at Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência (the National Museum of Science and Natural History) with a brilliant and effective three-minute talk covering her doctoral work on speech processing for medical diagnosis and monitoring — a talk that you can (re)watch here around minute 41.

INESC MN at the IEEE ISCAS 2023

The IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) is the flagship conference of the IEEE Circuits and Systems (CAS) Society and the world’s premiere forum for researchers in the active fields of theory, design and implementation of circuits and systems. This year’s edition took place on 21-25 May at Monterey California. Diogo Caetano, researcher at INESC MN, was there and delivered a presentation about “Spintronics and Machine Learning for Rapid Multi-Resistant Bacteria Detection”.

Job Opportunities

• INESC TEC has 14 vacancies in different work areas, such as Electrical Engineering, Power Systems-Smart Grids, Robotics, and more. Find more at INESCTEC website and via LinkedIn
• INESC ID has 10 open positions. More info
• INESC MN is hiring a Junior Characterization Engineer, a Clean Room Process Engineer, and a Junior Researcher – Electrical Engineering. More info
• INOV is hiring a Systems and Network Engineer and a Software Engineer (Full stack) More info
• INESC Coimbra has announced a call for the award of 1 scientific research fellowship (BI) for graduated students. More info

Events & Training workshops

• ENISA AI Cybersecurity Conference, 7 June 2023,  09:00 -17:00 CET time, Hybrid. The AI Cybersecurity conference aims at discussing key aspects of cybersecurity in AI systems as well as challenges associated with implementation and supervision of secure and trustworthy AI. Online registration
• Digital Europe Programme Info day, 7 June, Online. HaDEA is organising a virtual info session on the 4th Call for proposals launched under the Digital Europe Work Programme 2023-2024. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the calls and join Q&A sessions. Link to join the session.The submission of applications for call for proposals is now open and will close on 26 September 2023.
• Horizon Europe Coordinators’ Day: Grant Management, 8 June 2023, 09.30 – 12.45 CEST (BRUSSELS TIME), Online. Read more and check the draft agenda.
• EU4Health Stakeholders Conference, 9 June, Hybrid. The European Commission will host an EU4Health hybrid conference, both in Brussels and online. The event will focus on important health priorities and will offer an opportunity to reflect on priorities, strategic orientations, and future work programmes. Register here
• EU Green Week 2023, 3 – 11 June 2023, Brussels and Online. EU Green Week is your annual opportunity to debate EU environment policy. Join the conference on 6 & 7 June to hear the latest about EU environmental policies, and about biodiversity, circular economy, and zero pollution in particular. The Conference takes place in Brussels, Charlemagne building, but you can also follow it online. More info
• Euro Nano Forum 2023, 11-13 June, Sweden. The Euro Nano Forum 2023 is a conference held every other year in the country currently holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union. This conference provides a forum for representatives from academia, industry and policy to engage in comprehensive discussions. This year it will be held in Sweden, from 11 to the 13 June, focusing on identifying policy options and priorities, and on planning future actions regarding European activities in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Advanced materials, innovation, sustainability, circular economy, and fossil-free energy will also be topics of strategic focus. Register here
• The Widening: Founding Group Meeting. 13 June 2023. 10:00 – 12:00 CET. Place TBC. A private Science|Business Widening hybrid workshop. More info
• Health-RI / EOSC-Life workshop: Bridging the gap between researchers and research infrastructures, 13-14 June 2023, Utrecht and Online. A hybrid workshop showcasing resources developed in European RIs (incl. EATRIS, BBMRI-ERIC and ELIXIR, get feedback on these resources from anticipated users, and bridge the (perceived) gap between RIs and the broader user community. Register here
• Info Days: Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks 2023. 14 June 2023, 09:30 – 17:00 CEST, Online. This is an information event for the MSCA-DN-2023 call which will open on 30 May 2023.The event aims at informing all potential applicants and stakeholders about the important novelties for 2023 and promoting the ID and JD modes. The participants will have the opportunity to raise their questions through Slido, in advance of the event (as of 1 June 2023) and during the Q&A session at the end of the event. It will be an online event, which will be opened with a welcome address and some introductory remarks, followed by the main presentation of the DN-2023 call novelties. Register and download the programme
• Confidence in science: How to ensure sustainable and trustworthy channels of scientific information? 15 June 2023. Time & Place TBC. A Science|Business closed-door hybrid roundtable, organised in partnership with Elsevie, followed by networking drinks. By invitation only. More info
• 2nd Science and policy matchmaking event, 20 June 2023, 9.30-13.00 CEST, Online. The event will aim to bring researchers and policymakers together to discuss the opportunities that the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)provide for researchers to spend a short secondment or placement at a public administration body. The event is suited for potential applicants for MSCA postdoctoral fellowships looking for a secondment/placement host, as well as for potential project coordinators in the MSCA consortia looking for hosting partners in the public sector. More info
• CoARA General Assembly, 23 June 2023, Brussels. As stated in CoARA Governance Documents, the General Assembly represents all the member organisations of the CoARA and is the highest-level decision-making body of the Coalition. All member organisations are entitled to participate in the General Assembly.  Significant functions are assigned to the General Assembly: it is the General Assembly that elects a Chair and Steering Board members, it approves the overall strategy guiding the operations and activities of the Coalition as a whole, it approves the annual work plan and budget, and decides on the Coalition Secretariat. Decisions by the General Assembly require a quorum, where the number of CoARA member organisations present in person or by proxy is at least half (or the whole upper number nearest one half) of the CoARA member organisations.
• Transforming food systems. 27 & 28 June 2023, Riga. The Annual Event is EIT Food’s largest community gathering of the year, bringing together our valued EIT Food Partners and external agrifood stakeholders to showcase the value of the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community, demonstrating the power of its impact in addressing the most pressing challenges of our times. Registration. More info
• Horizon Europe: What next for the lump sum approach? 06 July 2023, 14:30 – 15:30 CET, Brussels. A private Science|Business Network Horizon Working Group meeting. More info
• 2nd Science|Business Sector Day: Green Deal & Climate – The road to net-zero industry. 18-19 September 2023, 14:00 – 12:30 CET, Brussels. Members only. More info
• The Widening: Founding Group Meeting. 10 October 2023 (TBC), 10:00 – 13:00 CET, Brussels. Members only. More info
• Making waves: Is international R&I bringing a true blue economy within reach? 12 October 2023, 14:00 – 16:45 CET, Brussels. Members only. More info
• 3rd Science|Business Sector Day: Health & Life Sciences – Future-proofing medicines. 13-14 November 2023. 14:00 – 12:30 CET, Brussels. By invitation only. More info
• Horizon Europe: FP10 and Preparing for the 2024 Annual Conference. 28 November 2023. 15:00 – 17:00 CET. Online. Members only. More info
• The Widening: 2023 Annual Conference. 06 December 2023 (TBC). 13:30 – 17:30 CET. Place TBA. Public event. More info
• Annual Network Conference. 06 February 2024. 09:00-17:30 CET. Brussels. Public event. More info
• 8th World Conference on Research Integrity, 2-5 June 2024, at Megaron Athens International Conference Centre (MAICC), Athens. Travel Grant applications open on 26 June 2023. More info