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In today’s Morning Brief, we start with the announcement of the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub Launch Event later this month, an event in December with Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton on the green and digital transformation of cities, the launch of the ‘neurotechprize’ by EIT Health and Biogen, 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:
Energy Poverty Advisory Hub Launch Event 2021
A socially fair transition towards a climate-neutral Union by 2050 is central to the European Green Deal. This is even more important in the current high energy price context. It means, among other things, tackling inequality and energy poverty through structural measures.
The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub Launch Event 2021 will raise awareness as to how EU policies and this dedicated initiative are stepping up energy poverty alleviation efforts. This event will create an enabling environment of sharing good practices that identify both opportunities and challenges perceived from different levels of governance.
Make sure to not miss the two day online event from Monday 22 November 2021, 09h00 CET to Tuesday 23 November 2021, 14h00 CET! You can register here and select the sessions you wish to attend!
Dialogue between EU Mayors and the EC on Cities and Communities
On 2 December, Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton will engage in a dialogue with EU Mayors from movements seeking the green and digital transformation and socio-economic resilience of cities and communities.
This will be a hybrid event, providing a livestream but also available to attend in person in Brussels. It will take place from 13h30 to 17h00 CET on December 2nd and registration is required here.
EIT Health and Biogen launch the ‘neurotechprize’
EIT Health and Biogen have announced the launch of the ‘neurotechprize’, a programme to rapidly identify technological solutions to the growing challenge of Alzheimer’s Disease. Teams and researchers can apply now to be considered for one of the slots, which will see them working with experts to receive mentoring and funding to bring their ideas to patients and their families in the form of new products and services.
Over a period of 10 weeks, teams will undergo an intense mentoring and validation process facilitated by EIT Health and Biogen experts. Following the work, teams will pitch their idea to an independent panel of experts, consisting of leading neurologists, patient representatives and payors who will award €100,000 and €50,000 prizes to the two best solutions.
To find out more about ‘neurotechprize’ and apply by 19th December 2021 click here!
‘A step in the right direction’: EU reacts to COP26 deal
The UN target of containing global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius “remains within reach, but the work is far from done,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
Despite widespread disappointment over coal, von der Leyen welcomed the Glasgow deal, saying “COP26 is a step in the right direction,” with progress achieved on all three objectives the EU had set for itself ahead of the conference.
– First, to keep the 1.5°C target within reach, with commitments to cut emissions “also during this decade”;
– Second, to reach the target of $100 billion per year of climate finance to developing countries;
– Third, to get an agreement on the Paris rulebook, which lays out rules for the international trading of carbon emission allowances between countries.
Von der Leyen believes that COP26 is sending a message that time is up for fossil fuel subsidies and unabated coal and if all long-term commitments announced in Glasgow are implemented, we should keep global warming under two degrees.
EU Lawmakers and Member States want AI regulation more innovation-friendly
Christian Democrat MEP Axel Voss has been leading the charge against “overburdening” companies with excessive regulation, arguing that the EU regulatory environment should leave more room for innovation.
That was the underlying motive of an own-initiative report on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age, recently approved in the AIDA committee, a parliamentary body set up in 2020, under Voss’ leadership.
While the AIDA committee has no regulatory power, Voss, who is also an influential member of the legal affairs committee (JURI), might be gaining a key role on the AI Act, the EU’s flagship legislation meant to set international standards for regulating risks related to AI application.
“The scope of measures and the definition of AI systems is currently too wide,” Marten Kokk, Estonia’s deputy permanent representative to the EU, told EURACTIV.
The Baltic country also fears that the EU could fall further behind on private sector AI investment.
“We must avoid classifying de facto whole sectors as high risk. Risks should be considered alongside benefits and added value that AI offers across sectors,” Estonia’s Kokk told EURACTIV.
If you want to read more about this click here.
More Articles
26/05/2023: New Horizon Europe calls, a global drive for open science, European Commission DG RTD recent reorganisation, EU-China & much more
In today’s Morning Brief:
Horizon Europe
– Twinning call for proposals is open – Read all about it
– Horizon Europe ERA Fellowships call is now open
– EUR 20 million available for Pathways to synergies – Call for proposals
– New Horizon Europe funding opportunity: Dissemination & Exploitation Support Facility call
– Commission Open Call: Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe
– Industry 5.0 Award contest opens: apply by 1 September 2023
– Horizon Europe: The EU and the Republic of Korea launch formal negotiations on association to the programme
– European Space Agency chief seeks ‘forward-looking decisions’
Research & Innovation:
– EU research ministers make fresh call for a full transition to free open access publishing
– Open Science: stakeholders welcome European efforts towards publicly owned and not-for-profit scholarly communication
– Global drive for more open, rigorous research is growing
– European Commission sets up new European Innovation Council unit in the research directorate
– Spain wants EU presidency to be ‘bridge’ with Latin American R&D
– Green industry law haunted by old conflicts over nuclear, financing
– The five EU research projects involving China’s military-linked universities
– Critical Raw Materials: EU ministers want to move fast but dilemmas abound
– G7 ministers call for rules to improve research security
– Territorial Economic Data viewer supports policy monitoring
News from INESC institutes:
– INESC Brussels HUB is signing an Open Letter regarding changes to Who is Who in EC Directorate
– ECI Cruelty-free cosmetics – Consultation to adhere to joint final statement
– Structuring the ecosystem: RTOs collaboration with higher education institutions
– INESC TEC develops pioneering research in the application of variational quantum circuits to reinforcement learning
– INOV: MULTICAM prototypes, an online presentation on Blockchain and 5000 followers
– Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops
19/05/2023: HUB Summer Meeting, Digital Europe Programme, Regional Innovation Valleys, European R&I funding and policy, and much more
In today’s Morning Brief:
Horizon Europe
– Commission Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe
– Commission launches first €122M call to create regional innovation ecosystems
– New calls for proposals of the Digital Europe Programme
Research & Innovation:
– EU research commissioner Mariya Gabriel resigns
– France to boost funding for health research infrastructures and UK to invest £100M in improving RIs
– Commission takes European Innovation Council management under its wing
– Industry 5.0 Award: The contest is open for applications
– AI Act moves ahead in EU Parliament with key committee vote
– Defence industry renews call for R&D spending boost
News from INESC institutes:
– Technology and Law: building a virtuous relationship, by Graça Barbosa
– The 2022 INESC-ID AnnualReport is out
– Exciting news from H2020-RESCUER
– Launch of the New Horizon Europe Project SYCLOPS
– INESC TEC supports the implementation of robotic technologies to reduce the ecological footprint
– INESC TEC develops virtual reality app to support youngster looking for jobs
– Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops
05/05/2023: HE calls update, cohesion policy, open access, open science, cohesion policy and coordination of national and EU R&D policy.
In today’s Morning Brief:
Horizon Europe
– Horizon Europe – easy call and topic search
– From KOWI: MSCA: Model Working Contract for Doctoral Networks published
Research & Innovation:
– Report on the outcome of 2021-2027 cohesion policy programming
– Spain adopts national open access strategy
– Commission attempts to strengthen coordination between national R&D policies and EU research programs
– Commission Plans to launch a European Standardisation Panel survey
– Research funders draw attention to uneven implementation of open science
– EIT Climate to become financially sustainable by end of 2024
– Preparing for Belgium’s Thirteenth Presidency of the Council of the European Union
– African Union-European Union High Level Policy Dialogue – Science, Technology and Innovation. Senior official meet to endorse the AU-EU Innovation Agenda
News from INESC institutes:
– INESC MN has a new publication in Advanced Materials Journal
– INOV projects on Youtube
– Diogo Vaz published an article in Público
– Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops