In today’s Morning Brief:

Save the date: Info-days for Horizon Europe Cluster 4 to take place between 29 November and 1 December 2021

The European Commission announced today a new series of info-days for Horizon Europe Cluster 4 to be held virtually on 29, 30 November and 1 December 2021. The info-days will present the topics of the Horizon Europe Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space) work programme 2022 and will give the opportunity to prospective applicants to learn more about funding under the new programme.

Info-days calendar:

29 November: Destinations 1 & 2

30 November: Destinations 2 & 5

1 December: Destinations 3, 4 & 6

For a detailed agenda, participation information and practical details, visit the event website.

Tidal energy: a missing piece in moves to replace coal

Solar and wind power are now an established part of the energy mix, but electricity supply from these sources is intermittent. Tidal power would be more predictable, but it needs to be scaled up. Read it on Science Business.

Viewpoint: More work needed to lay foundations for the Cities Mission

Science Business published an interesting opinion article on the state of play of the implementation of the Smart Cities Mission. They highlight that the Commission has fired the starting gun on the project to make 100 cities climate neutral by 2030. But the Global Knowledge Centre for Cities and Climate underpinning it won’t open until 2023 and meantime there is no independent source of science-based advice.

Webinar:“Connecting to the Ecosystem of Innovation”

Don’t miss the last days to register for the “Connecting to the Ecosystem of Innovation” webinar. The event will take place 16 November, between 10h30 and 12h00 CET and will feature Thomas Cottinet, Ramon Maspons Bosch, and Frank Kumli as speakers.

The event will emphasize:
– the key elements of the ecosystem in innovation;
– how to take the right approach to the ecosystem;
– the implications for public buyers.

Register here!

EU Energy Day 2021

The EU Energy Day, organized by the European Commission in the framework of the Expo 2020 in Dubai on the 14^th of November, will be a hybrid event this year.

It will, in the context of the European Green Deal objective of making Europe a climate neutral continent by 2050, focus on hydrogen as a driver of the EU’s green energy transition. Event sessions and discussions will focus on:

• the role of hydrogen for EU’s energy transition;
• the role of innovation in driving the hydrogen agenda;
• policies, technological and business models to facilitate the development renewable hydrogen projects;
• international cooperation initiatives for technology transfer and trade.

Click here for the agenda and for the registration link! #EUenergyday

Registrations open for agri-food high-level mission in Singapore and Vietnam

Today, applications to participate in the high-level mission to Singapore and Vietnam opened for registration.  Led by Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, a business delegation of senior representatives from the EU agri-food sector will be visiting Singapore and Vietnam from 27 March until 2 April 2022, provided that the sanitary situation allows it.

This high-level mission aims at giving the opportunity to European producers’ representatives to meet not only potential partners from local markets but potentially also representatives of the agri-food sector from the whole region.

Interested applicants are welcome to register here from now until 30 November 2021.

New strategy for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) has adopted the new 2030 Strategy for the Mediterranean and Black Sea. An agreement was also reached on an ambitious package of measures translating strategy into concrete actions.

According to Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, “the new GFCM 2030 Strategy provides the framework and the necessary tools to ensure a sustainable, just and inclusive future for our fleets and our local communities, while protecting the ecosystems”.

In parallel to the adoption of the new strategy, the implementation process was launched immediately. The recommendations of the strategy include important measures to improve fisheries management and control in the Adriatic and Black Seas, better protect sensitive species and habitats, and consolidate the monitoring and control framework, including combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated activities in both the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The new strategy builds on recent achievements, with its five targets, it takes an integrated approach to the complex challenges in the region and the ‘green transition’. It addresses issues such as the condition of the marine environment and preserving biodiversity.

Read more about the strategy here.