The 2024 Commission Work Programme presentedThe Commission’s 2024 Work Programme was adopted on October 17 and presented to the European parliament, the council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the regions. The emphasis goes to the simplification of regulations for both EU citizens and businesses.
This Work Programme builds on the achievements of the previous four years, outlining new proposals and significant initiatives for reducing bureaucratic complexities. Some of these simplification measures have already been introduced (15 proposals and initiatives since March 2023). In the 2024 Work Programme, the Commission is introducing an additional 26 proposals to lessen administrative burdens without compromising social, safety, consumer protection, environmental, or economic standards. In the Research and Innovation realm, these efforts are particularly focused on advancing the European Green Deal, including initiatives such as the European Wind Power Package, the 2040 climate target, the Initiative for water resilience, EU Space Law, the Strategy on Space Data Economy, and facilitating access to European supercomputer capacity for ethical and responsible AI start-ups. Read the full programme here.
Horizon Europe faces a cut as negotiations on 2024 EU budget get underwayThe European Parliament adopted its position on the 2024 EU budget, in its Wednesday vote, and aims to reverse the proposed €166 million budget cut and increase funding by an additional €140 million to allocate more resources to fundamental, health, and climate research within Horizon Europe for the upcoming year. The Parliament is prepared for challenging negotiations with EU member states concerning the 2024 EU budget, which includes a suggested €12.8 billion allocation for the Horizon Europe research program.
As explained by Science Business, EU member states advocate for a €166 million reduction in Horizon Europe to ensure full budget utilization. They argue that approximately 5% of the funds allocated to research in framework programs go unspent each year. Typically, this occurs because projects experience delays or do not progress as swiftly as anticipated. Unspent funds do not automatically return to the budget. Know more here.
Commission recommends carrying out risk assessments on four critical technology areas
This week, the Commission has put forward a Recommendation focusing on critical technology areas to safeguard the EU’s economic security, for further risk assessment with member states. This step follows the previously established European Economic Security Strategy, which aimed to comprehensively address economic security within the EU. This Recommendation specifically deals with assessing technology-related risks, particularly the risk of technology leakage. Among the ten critical technology areas, the Recommendation pinpoints four that are most likely to pose immediate and significant threats to technology security and technology leakage:
1. Advanced Semiconductor Technologies, encompassing microelectronics, photonics, high-frequency chips, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
2. Artificial Intelligence Technologies, covering high-performance computing, cloud and edge computing, data analytics, computer vision, language processing, and object recognition.
3. Quantum Technologies, including quantum computing, quantum cryptography, quantum communications, quantum sensing, and radar.
4. Biotechnologies, which involve genetic modification techniques, new genomic methods, gene-drive, and synthetic biology.
Know more here.
European Parliament approves STEP plan for critical technologiesThe European Union is in the process of establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) to bolster crucial technologies and enhance European autonomy. As per the Commission’s proposal, this Platform will reallocate funds from existing EU instruments and provide an additional €10 billion to reinforce programs like InvestEU, Horizon Europe, the Innovation Fund, and the European Defense Fund.
According to the European Parliament News, this initiative will result in a total investment of €160 billion in key industries through the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform. To recognize and promote high-quality projects that align with the Platform’s goals, a new EU quality label known as the Sovereignty Seal will be awarded to them, increasing their visibility and attractiveness to both public and private investors.
Regarding the recommendations put forth by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) this month, they seek to strengthen the initiative further to better support the EU’s industry. Their suggestions encompass:
1. An additional €3 billion, supplementing the proposed €10 billion, to bring the total funds under the Platform to €13 billion.
2. Closer alignment of this regulation with other legislative acts, such as the Net-Zero Industry Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act, which aim to enhance industrial competitiveness.
3. The establishment of a committee responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the initiative.
4. A comprehensive evaluation by the European Commission by the year 2025.
Commission report lays path to handbook on use of R&I foresight in policymakingA recent report from the European Commission lays the foundation for the creation of a new manual focused on utilizing research and innovation foresight in the realm of governance.
R&I foresight involves the analytical evaluation of how research and innovation might evolve in the future and the potential factors that could impact its development or become pertinent to the field.
The report showcases numerous instances where governments and public sector initiatives have effectively employed R&I foresight. Furthermore, it offers seven recommendations concerning the implementation of R&I foresight.
The ultimate objective of the report is to serve as a cornerstone for a forthcoming EU handbook aimed at promoting a more systematic adoption of R&I foresight in the decision-making processes of policymaking. Download the full report here.
Futures of Science for Policy in Europe: Scenarios and Policy ImplicationsThe Platform Futures4Europe recently published policy brief ‘Futures of Science for Policy in Europe: Scenarios and Policy Implications’ explores practices and processes through which information should be exchanged between knowledge actors and policy-makers with the intention to produce scientifically informed policies in Europe.
They emphasize the increasing prominence of science in many public debates and the increasing willingness of governments to mobilize scientific and other advice mechanisms in the context of public debate. Read the report here.
Results of the Regional Innovation Valleys calls are in with strong interest from Member States and Associated CountriesOn October 17, the Commission concluded the inaugural coordinated calls for the Regional Innovation Valleys initiative, aimed at reinforcing EU cohesion and innovation. These calls garnered 50+ proposals, involving nearly 1000 participants from 25 Member States and 6 Associated Countries. In total, 57 proposals were submitted across both cohesion and innovation programs. Notably, both the EIE WP and I3 instrument calls achieved balanced geographic representation. The evaluation phase is scheduled between October 2023 and February 2024, with results anticipated in March 2024.
The Commission anticipates that successful proposals will lead to the implementation of interregional innovation projects, uniting advanced innovative regions with emerging ones. These projects will tackle crucial EU challenges, such as reducing fossil fuel dependence, enhancing global food security, navigating the digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare, and promoting circularity. Know more here.
Commission research chief emphasizes the need to talk about the next EU research programmeThe European Commission’s head of research and innovation, Marc Lemaître, is advocating for an early discussion regarding the next EU research program, set to commence in 2028. He highlights the need for careful consideration of the future framework program’s focus, as explained in Science Business.
The research community is eager to engage in this conversation, which will define Framework Programme 10. The ensuing debate, taking place over the next two years, will revolve around striking a balance between policy-driven and bottom-up research approaches. Marc Lemaître stresses that this marks the initial phase of the discussion. However, there are strategic matters to address as well. Lemaître underlines the existing tension between advocates of bottom-up research and those who favor a more focused approach on applied research to achieve policy objectives.
In a context where an increasing portion of research funding is channeled towards innovation and Commission-driven initiatives like the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, this conversation becomes increasingly significant. Know more here.
Physicist Jari Kinaret named executive director of new Chips partnershipAccording to Science Business, Finnish physicist Jari Kinaret has taken on the position of executive director for the recently established Chips Joint Undertaking, succeeding Yves Gigase.
The Chips Joint Undertaking, previously known as the Key Digital Technologies partnership, has been rebranded with an expanded focus and a larger budget. This expansion aims to facilitate the implementation of the initiatives outlined in the EU Chips Act, which came into effect in September.
Kinaret, a professor at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology, comes from a background in physics and nanotechnology. He has been the director of the EU’s €1 billion Graphene Flagship research project since 2013, dedicated to exploring the potential of graphene. Know more here.
Shaping the digital transformation: EU strategy explainedAs explained by the European Parliament News, the EU is committed to reinforcing its digital autonomy and establishing its own standards, rather than relying on externally imposed standards, to prepare Europe for the digital era.
To steer the EU’s digital evolution, the European Commission introduced the Europe’s Digital Decade policy program. This program includes specific targets and goals for 2030 in various areas, such as skills development, the establishment of secure and sustainable digital infrastructures, the digital transformation of businesses, and the digitalization of public services.
In May 2021, the European Parliament approved a report that outlined the path for shaping Europe’s digital future. The report urged the Commission to address the challenges associated with the digital transition and to harness the opportunities presented by the digital single market. It also stressed the need to enhance the utilization of artificial intelligence, foster digital innovation, and promote digital skills. This article explains all the intertwined areas of digital transformation for Europe, from cybersecurity to intelligent road transport systems, so keep reading here.
MEPs call for start-ups to be treated differently from SMEsAccording to Science Business, MEPs are urging the development of a comprehensive strategy for start-up and scale-up companies. This strategy should be based on a new definition that takes into consideration the unique challenges these businesses encounter.
At present, existing legislation lumps start-ups together with SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), categorizing them based on factors like the number of employees and turnover. This one-size-fits-all definition creates hurdles for start-ups in securing funding and facilitating their growth. A draft report, presented to the European Parliament’s industry, research, and energy committee on October 12, emphasizes the need for the European Commission to propose unified definitions for start-ups and scale-ups that recognize their distinctions from SMEs. Furthermore, it calls for a reassessment of how legislation, including the SME Relief Package introduced by the Commission in September, affects start-ups. Know more here.
Fate of New European Bauhaus Mission hangs in the balanceEuropean Union member states are showing reluctance towards the European Commission’s proposal to transform the New European Bauhaus into a Horizon Europe Mission, according to Science Business.
The New European Bauhaus initiative, initially launched in 2020 under Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, aimed to infuse cultural and aesthetic elements into the EU’s net-zero goals. It began as a Commission-led movement involving artists and innovators reimagining various spaces – public, private, and work-related. Now, there’s a desire to integrate it into a single EU program to provide a more defined framework.
When von der Leyen first introduced this idea in 2021, it faced skepticism, but with the President’s backing, it garnered attention. Thus far, the Bauhaus initiative has received funding from nine separate EU programs. However, in July, the Commission proposed that the New European Bauhaus should transition into a dedicated Horizon Europe Mission, which represents a new and untested form of European research funding. Know more here.
UK announces £650M fusion schemeAccording to the UK Government, the UK has disclosed its intention to provide training for more than 2,000 individuals in cutting-edge fusion technology as part of a newly allocated £650 million fund for fusion initiatives. This effort will also involve establishing a new facility dedicated to testing fuel cycles with a focus on commercialization, along with an additional £200 million designated for research and development to assist the industry in crafting components for future fusion power plants.
Nuclear Minister Andrew Bowie unveiled these plans at the IAEA Fusion Energy Conference on Monday. These investments bring the UK government’s total funding in fusion to over £1.4 billion since 2021.
Bowie remarked, “With the UK’s world-class scientific talent and expertise, we have a remarkable opportunity to be at the forefront of fusion technology and to lead the way in its commercialization as the ultimate clean energy source.” Read the full press release here.
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