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In this Morning Brief, we open with information on Info-days being organised in the coming weeks regarding Horizon Europe, the news that the European Innovation Council’s 2022 work programme will be released tomorrow, the 9th US-EU Energy Council that took place yesterday, and more.

Any comments or suggestions, hit me up with an email on teresa.carvalho@inesc.pt.

In today's Morning Brief:

In today’s Morning Brief:

Info-days regarding Horizon Europe

The INESC Brussels Hub has gathered information about the info-days that ANI, FCT and PERIN are organising in the coming days regarding Horizon Europe.

National (Portuguese) Info-day dedicated to the Key Digital Technologies (KDT) partnership – 21/02, 14h00 GMT

ANI co-organizes brokerage event dedicated to Horizon Europe’s Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society – 22/02-23/02

ANI co-organizes brokerage events dedicated to Horizon Europe’s Missions:

– The session “Adaptation to Climate Change & Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities” will take place 10 February. Register here until 8 February.

– The session “Cancer Mission International Brokerage Event” will take place 14 February. Register here until 11 February.

 

European Innovation Council’s 2022 work programme to be released tomorrow

The EIC’s work programme detailing the calls, their budgets and scope for this year will be out tomorrow.

The new programme is expected to set the first cut-off date for EIC Accelerator call for start-ups and SMEs on 23 March. Meanwhile, the first deadline for the EIC Pathfinder call for early-stage research on breakthrough technologies is to be set sometime in early May. The details will be confirmed once the work programme is out and clarified during the applicants’ day on 22 February.

The release of the 2022 work programme was delayed after the future of the European Commission-run EIC Equity Fund got caught in political infighting over its management. The dispute also blocked off equity financing for companies selected for funding last year as Commission officials argued over the terms on which the fund should be run. Last week, EU member states broke the policy deadlock after deciding the EIC should stick to the old management rules for this year while the policymakers look for a solution.

 

Is ERC open to higher TRLs?

In a very interesting editorial, Kurt Mehlhorn, Member of the ERC’s Scientific Council and Chair of the ERC’s Working Group On Innovation And Relations With Industry, talks about the potential of excellent ideas to have short-term commercial applications being chosen for funding by ERC. Of course this is in the spirit of the Proof of Concept (PoC) grant, whose latest results just came out yesterday, but also shed light on what the ERC considers short, medium and long term and on what kind of visionary research with potential commercial application have the biggest chances of success.

Read the full story here.

 

How can the EU do more to fight cancer?

The European Parliament has looked at cancer in Europe and is proposing ways to improve prevention, treatment and research.

Over the last 18 months, the European Parliament’s special committee on beating cancer has listened to national law makers, international organisations and experts on the latest cancer developments and insights. Based on their knowledge and experience on the ground, MEPs believe a multidisciplinary and coordinated approach at European level could reduce inequalities among countries and improve the lives of cancer patients and survivors.

The committee’s report and recommendations are set to be adopted by the Parliament next week. Make sure to read more here.

 

Top experts to advise the Commission on transformative R&I policy in support of social, green and digital transitions

Yesterday, the renewed group of experts on the economic and societal impact of R&I (ESIR) met for the first time to discuss its work for the next two years. The group will provide independent advice on how a transformative EU R&I policy can best support the transformation of our economy and society throughout the social, green and digital transitions.

The renewed ESIR high-level group, chaired by Sandrine Dixson-Declève, co-President of the Club of Rome, proposed forward-looking innovative policy solutions to address current societal challenges, for instance through policy experimentation and mission-based policy implementation.

Click here to read more.

 

The 9th US-EU Energy Council

The ninth US-EU Energy Council met yesterday in Washington D.C, reconfirming their role as the lead transatlantic coordination forum on strategic energy issues.

Mindful of the rapidly changing energy landscape and the continued risks to energy security, including cybersecurity of energy infrastructure, the US-EU Energy Council works to enhance energy security and promote energy diversification. The parties emphasised that accelerating the just energy transition to a net-zero future will support the mitigation of energy market fluctuations and facilitate access to affordable and reliable energy. The Council also discussed the urgency for action to address the gas supply situation in Europe and to ensure gas supply to Ukraine.

If you want to read more about this Council meeting, make sure to read here.

 

New software to calculate ammonia emissions in agriculture and livestock

The Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) has developed a new software called SCENA that calculates ammonia emissions in agriculture and livestock.

This tool provides estimates on ammonia emissions for the different categories of livestock and the agricultural use of fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. Data processing include: number of animals and amount of fertilizer, emission factors by the number of heads of the main categories of the zootechnical sector in the various phases, the amount of nitrogen emitted for the different nitrogen fertilizers.

To read more about the tool click here.

 

New rules for reporting on the reduction of single-use plastic food containers adopted

The European Commission has adopted new rules specifying how EU Member States must calculate and report on the reduction in their consumption of single-use plastic food containers and beverage cups under the Single-use Plastics Directive.

This Act will contribute to reducing the consumption and littering of plastic food containers and beverage cups in the EU.

Click here to read more on EU rules on single-use plastics.

More Articles

15/09/2023 – EARTO priorities for the next framework programme, UK-EU collaboration, key points for R&I from the State of the Union & much more

In today’s Morning Brief:
Horizon Europe
Last chance to become a Regional Innovation Valley – matchmaking map available
EARTO inputs to the European Research Area and Innovation Committee
Challenges ahead as other nations seek access to EU’s Horizon R&D programme
Uncertainty over working with the UK remains despite Horizon Europe deal
European Parliament clears path for Iliana Ivanova’s Commissioner appointment
EIB provides €15 million loan to crowd farming for sustainable agriculture innovation
Two new European Partnership calls open: Aquatic Ecosystem Services and Nature-Based Solutions Research
Research & Innovation
Ursula von der Leyen proposes global AI panel and fast-tracks access to supercomputers
EU Aims for stronger Research and Innovation partnerships with Africa
European Commission has opened a call for Experts on Economic and Societal Impact of R&I sought
Portugal sets up €8M defence research programme
EU Prioritizes Science Communication to Address Societal Challenges
News from INESC
Discover the influence of AI Chat GPT in healthcare: a deep dive into ethical concerns and the future.
INESC TEC has announced an international conference dedicated to management of technology
INESC MN has opened a Call for Expression of Interest for a Researcher Position in the are of Lab on a Chip and Microfluidic Systems
Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops

Read More »

08/09/2023 – UK joins Horizon Europe and Copernicus, Ivanova´s first hearing on Horizon Europe, supercomputer Deucalion inaugurated in Portugal, new podcasts & much more

In today’s Morning Brief:
Horizon Europe
UK and European Commission reach consensus for British participation in Horizon Europe and Copernicus
Commissioner-Designate Iliana Ivanova’s hearing highlights
Seventh EU-Backed Supercomputer, Deucalion, inaugurated in Portugal
ERC announced 400 Starting Grants for EU Researchers
EIT InnoEnergy secures €140 million in private investment to boost impact
Research & Innovation
Regional Innovation Valley – Matchmaking map now available
Opinion article in Science Business by Ramon Wyss: Will AI help big tech dominate science?
MEPs Advocate for Small-Scale Nuclear Power Stations in the Fight Against Carbon Emissions
Artificial Intelligence raises concerns of pandemic risk, scientists urge caution
Temporary leadership change in European Commission’s Research and Innovation Portfolio
News from INESC
José Carlos Caldeira on Magellan Circle Podcast
First episode of the “Ciência e Sociedade” Podcast is out
INESC MN has opened a Call for Expression of Interest for a Researcher Position in the are of Lab on a Chip and Microfluidic Systems
Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops

Read More »

01/09/2023 – European Commission´s new AI unit, upcoming challenges for European R&I policy, the new Green Deal leader statements, the role of universities of applied sciences & much more

In today’s Morning Brief:
Horizon Europe
Commission’s research directorate to develop a new artificial intelligence in science policy
Back to school: what’s on the European research and innovation policy agenda this autumn
Ivanova gets ready to lock horns with MEPs
EU won’t ‘dilute’ ambition, says new climate chief
Universities of applied sciences are shaping up to boost EU research outputs
Romania to launch new funding programme aimed at luring back researchers from abroad
EIT Manufacturing announces partnership with regional business promotion agency in Austria
Research & Innovation
EU Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act explained
Research Data Alliance fosters cross-disciplinary, global data sharing
Latvia to overhaul PhDs and academic careers
To tackle wildfires, researchers in Europe team up with frontline forces
Clothing manufacturers aim to get fashionable with greener practices
The top 18 centres of trustworthy artificial intelligence research
Six online courses to boost your skills and knowledge
News from INESC
Improving the performance of databases: INESC TEC research presented at international conference
Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops

Read More »