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Contact us:
Mariana Santos, Communications Officer
mariana.f.santos@inesctec.pt
In today's Morning Brief:
Editorial: Exploring Opportunities – Enhancing SME Access to European Research and Technology Infrastructures
On June 7, 2024, INESC Brussels HUB will host an important event titled “Enhancing SME Access to European Research and Technology Infrastructures: A Pathway to Innovation & Growth.” This workshop is set to discuss and create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to leverage cutting-edge research facilities across Europe, fostering a collaborative ecosystem that drives growth and competitiveness.
Why this event matters
European RTIs are instrumental in driving innovation and competitiveness, offering state-of-the-art services that can significantly benefit SMEs. These infrastructures provide access to advanced equipment, specialized tools, and unique expertise without the need for substantial investments, thereby opening new avenues for innovation in sectors like biotechnology and advanced materials.
Despite these advantages, SMEs often face barriers in accessing RTIs, such as administrative complexities and a lack of tailored support. This workshop aims to address these challenges by fostering discussions and developing strategies to enhance SME-RTI collaboration. The event will also contribute to defining a joint approach for research and technology infrastructures within cohesive ecosystems and complete value chains, supporting the companies and industries of Europe.
Key focus areas
The workshop will cover several critical areas to facilitate SME access to RTIs:
Access to Instrumentation and Data: Providing SMEs with physical and digital access to the latest technologies and data analysis tools, both locally and remotely.
Development of Advanced Skills: Cultivating bespoke skills that align technical capabilities with strategic business goals, ensuring comprehensive support for SMEs.
Strategic Ecosystem Development: Promoting an environment where SMEs can influence RTI service development and investment priorities.
Visibility and Outreach: Enhancing the visibility of RTI services among SMEs through targeted outreach and transparent access models.
De-risking Access: Supporting SMEs with simplified access models and initial funding to facilitate pilot studies and build trusted relationships with RTIs.
Funding and Partnerships: Integrating RTI access into existing financing instruments to provide sustained support for SMEs.
Agenda Highlights
The event will begin with a welcome session from INESC Brussels HUB Head of Office, followed by insights from policymakers and industry leaders. The discussions will focus on the current policy landscape and the specific needs of SMEs in research and development.
Two panels will explore the value of SME-RTI collaboration and the challenges faced in accessing these resources. The panels will feature prominent speakers such as Dominik Sobczak from the European Commission and Kristina Eskenazi from the Health and Life Sciences Cluster in Bulgaria.
Participants will then engage in breakout groups to develop practical solutions in areas like policy frameworks, marketing, and matching RTI capabilities with SME needs. These sessions aim to generate actionable recommendations to enhance SME access and utilization of RTIs.
Expected Outcomes
The workshop is expected to yield a comprehensive report with conclusions and guidance on improving SME access to RTIs. This report will be shared with relevant stakeholders, providing a strategic roadmap for future initiatives. The event aims to influence the final two years of the Horizon Europe program, with the goal of implementing some pilot projects between 2025 and 2027. These projects will, in turn, influence the design and logic of implementation in FP10, ensuring that the lessons learned are integrated into future research and innovation frameworks.
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INESC Highlights
Unveiling the groundbreaking advancements and initiatives from INESC institutes:
INESC Lisboa and INOV hosted the Advantage Austria delegation
INESC-ID’s researcher awarded a Fulbright scholarship to advance cancer treatment
Luísa Coheur (INESC-ID) discusses AI emergence in classrooms with Público newspaper
Fostering innovation and excellence within our community.
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We invite you to engage, to reflect, and to join us in shaping the discourse that will define the future of research and innovation in Europe.
Check the full version of the newsletter below or directly on our website and do not hesitate to contact us:
Mariana Santos, Communications Officer – mariana.f.santos@inesctec.pt
Ricardo Migueis, Head of INESC Brussels HUB – ricardo.migueis@inesctec.pt
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Deep Dive: Immersive learning: it’s not fiction, it’s the future
We are all closer, yet more physically distant from one another. The social challenges posed by the 2020 pandemic boosted digital transformation. We started to meet, work, and attend training actions online, while becoming more technologically autonomous and influenced by innovation. Immersive environments (like virtual reality, but not exclusively) are no longer the subject of literary or cinema works. But there seems to be a certain degree of fear[1]. Are we oblivious to reality? Are we going to lose our emotional connections?
Let’s slow down a bit! Let’s take a trip back in time; in the 19th century, several illustrated posters were published, showing electrocuted people in the tangle of wires of a new technology called electricity. People envisioned a dark future, in which thousands (if not millions) would die, caught in a high-voltage web. It didn’t happen! In 1950, writer Isaac Asimov released I, Robot, a collection of 10 short stories that, combined, depict a 21st century dominated by intelligent robots (but without any trace of morality), which threaten the human species. But this has not happened (yet). (…)
Read the full article. First published in BIP, INESC TEC Magazine, 28 April 2024
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Thematic Areas
Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
AI: Council reaches political agreement on the use of super-computing for AI development
In AI funding and research, China and US outperform Europe
Carnegie Mellon, UC San Diego top US grant winners for AI research
Bioengineering and Health Technologies
Chance to input on Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of new OHAMR Partnership. The consultation is open until 30 May 2024.
Power and Energy Systems
Building materials industry seeks partners for greening
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Transversal Areas
EU R&I Policy & EU elections 2024
Maria da Graça Carvalho ‘confident’ member states will back EIT
EU ministers call for more public and private investment in space
EU research lobbies team up to ask for R&D budget boost
Enhancing research accessibility and reuse: new study outlines strategic measures
Council adopts conclusions on the contribution of space to Europe’s competitiveness
Cybersecurity: Council approves conclusions for a more cyber secure and resilient Union
Horizon Europe
The seven most interesting calls for proposals in quantum technologies
The ten most interesting calls targeted at young researchers
Academic boycotts over Gaza war jeopardise Israel’s place in Horizon Europe
Council approves conclusions on the evaluation of Horizon 2020
Call for the EU to step up in monitoring private consultants
Open Science
EC-commissioned study on barriers regarding (open) access to research results
Central and eastern Europe bites back at predatory publishers
FP10
FP10 should advance research excellence, stronger security and key technologies, Berlin says
Discussion paper from the German federal government on FP10
Calls to scrap EIT mount as Fraunhofer slams the EU technology institute
How researchers see the future of Widening
Viewpoint: It’s time to revive Europe’s standing in cutting-edge science and technology
Viewpoint: research versus the rest of the world is a false dilemma
EU Public Private Partnerships
Funding spotlight: €213M Horizon Europe partnership call for bio-based innovation
IHI: draft topics of call 8 published
International Cooperation
Swiss Horizon Europe talks aim for agreement in summer
Second meeting of the EU-Turkiye Horizon Europe Joint Research and Innovation Committee
Knowledge Valorisation
Council adopts conclusions on strengthening knowledge valorisation
Technology Transfer
Why Germany’s research potential is often wasted
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Job Opportunities at INESC
– INESC Coimbra launched a call for Research Fellowship. More info here
– INESC TEC has 30 vacancies in different work areas, such as Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, and more. Find more at INESCTEC website and via LinkedIn
– INESC-ID has 3 open positions for Research Grants and 1 for a contract as Knowledge Transfer Officer. Know more here.
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Events & Training
MAY
– Additive Manufacturing Village 2024, 13-17 May 2024, Tournai, Belgium. More info here.
– Assessing national current FAIR-enabling capabilities. 14 May 2024, 14:00 – 16:00, CEST. More info here.
– European Committee of the Regions: Seminars on AI in research and on knowledge valorisation. 14 May 2024, 10:30 – 17:30, Brussels. More info here.
– EARTO Annual Conference 2024, 14-16 May 2024, Warsaw, Poland. More info here.
– 12th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products, 15-16 May 2024, Brussels. More info here.
– The interTwing Digital Twin Engine: Discover the Environment Use Cases, 15 May 2024, 14:00 – 16:00 CET. More info here.
– High-level Event Threads of Change: Systematic Transformation of the Textile Sector, 16 May 2024. Online event. More info here.
– Competitiveness Council (Research and innovation), 23 May 2024. Brussels. More info here.
– Instruct-ERIC Biennial Structural Biology Conference, 23-24 May 2024, Cascais, Portugal. More info here.
– Seminar/Conferece: Restricted Dialogue on the EU Digital Education Policy, 28 May 2024, Ghent, Belgium. More info here.
– Incubation Forum: Circular Economy in European Defence, 28-29 May 2024, Brussels. More info here.
– The convergence of technologies enabling R&I for the healthcare of the future, 28-29 May 2024, Brussels. More info here.
– Table Top Exercise on Critical Maritime Infrastructure Protection (TTX CMIP), 28-30 May 2024, Brussels. More info here.
JUNE
– 8th World Conference on Research Integrity, 2-5 June 2024, Megaron Athens International Conference Centre (MAICC), Athens. More info here
– INDTECH 2024 Conference on Industrial Technologies, 3-5 June, Namur, Belgium. More info here
– Conference on research infrastructures, 4-5 June 2024, Brussels. More info here.
– ESPON seminar, 5-6 June 2024, Mons, Belgium. More info here.
– INESC Brussels HUB Summer School on Leadershio in R&I. Focus 2024: The Impact of AI in Research and Innovation, 5-6 June 2024, Brussels. By invitation only.
– Workshop: Enhancing SME Access to European Research and Technology Infrastructures: A Pathway to Innovation & Growth. 7 June 2024, Brussels. By invitation only.
– ESFRI Forum, 6 June 2024, Brussels. More info here.
– European Sustainable Energy Week 2024, 11-13 June 2024, Brussels. More info here.
– Accelerated development: A new era for health and life science cooperation with the Global South?, 18 June 2024, Brussels. More info here.
– EACR Early-Career Researchers’ Conference, 25-26 June 2024. Online event. More info here.
– Global approach: Is the EU’s international cooperation strategy working? Private Science Business Network workshop, 25 June 2024. More info here.
JULY
– 5th Internation ESS Conference, 8-10 July 2024, Lisbon. More info here.
– Conference: IAMOT – International Association for Management of Technology 2024, 8-11 July 2024. Porto, Portugal. Organised by INESC TEC and FEUP. More info
– Horizon Europe: The road ahead for the European Innovation Council?, 9 July 2024, 2:30-3:30 PM CET, Online event. More info here.
– Annual Network Planning Science Business, 9 July 2024, Brussels, Hybrid event. More info here.
– Summer Reception & Meet the new Parliament, 9 July 2024, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM CET, Brussels. More info here.
-14th International Symposium on Communication Systems, Networks and Digital Signal Processing – CSNDSP 2024, 17-19 July 2024, 9:00 – 17:30, Rome, Italy. Register here.
SEPTEMBER
– Valorise this: How to speed and scale up tech transfer?, 12 September 2024, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Brussels. Hybrid event. More info here.
OCTOBER
– Hot prospects: When will quantum tech reach the industrial mainstream?, 17 October 2024, 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM, Brussels. More info here.
NOVEMBER
– Horizon Europe: New priorities for the European Research Area policy agenda?, 19 November 2024, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM. More info here.
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