In today’s Morning Brief:

INESC-ID Artificial Intelligence researchers ranked as some of the best in Europe

AI Rankings, a metric based ranking that provides insights into Artificial Intelligence research worldwide has ranked the University of Lisbon as 22nd in Europe and 125th worldwide. This placement includes six researchers from the Artificial Intelligence for People and Society (AIPS) Research Area at INESC-ID.

AIPS is one of the eleven Research Areas that make up the research tissue of INESC-ID, covering a wide range of topics in computer science and engineering and electrical and computer engineering. You can learn more about the INESC-ID Research Areas here.

CNRS: a TV channel dedicated to science, EU grants, more collaboration with partners in Africa

According to Science Business: “as he was re-confirmed on February 9 as head of France’s biggest research organisation, Antoine Petit floated a few attention-getting ideas in parliament – such as the possibility of starting a television channel for science. ‘CNRS-TV’ as he calls it, would profile researchers, show science documentaries and invite European partners to present their own work as well, in a concerted effort to better communicate science to society in France and the world. The specific plans – budget, francophone or bilingual – are still on the drawing board. But the intent, to strengthen and better project French science, is key.”

Read the full article here.

International Cooperation: UK goes it alone, EU brings South Korea and New Zealand to the table

According to Science Business: “The UK has launched a research and development competition with South Korea, the latest in a string of recently announced collaborations with countries outside the EU. It comes as Brussels announces that it has entered official Horizon Europe association talks with South Korea and New Zealand. The UK deal with South Korea will see consortia of businesses in the two countries compete for industrial research funding to tackle areas like advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, batteries, and hydrogen. The partnership follows a tie-up with Switzerland last week, and a co-innovation programme with Singapore agreed in December. The collaborations with South Korea and Singapore are the first bilateral R&D competitions to be run by the UK innovation agency, Innovate UK with both countries. The agreements make real the concerns of the recently launched Stick to Science campaign that failing to allow the UK and Switzerland to associate to Horizon Europe risks fragmenting the scientific community in Europe.”.

Read the full article here.

UT Austin Portugal Program commemorates its 15th anniversary

This year, the UT Austin Portugal Program – a partnership between the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the University of Texas at Austin, within the scope of the Portuguese Government’s initiative GoPORTUGAL (Global Science and Technology Partnerships for Portugal), celebrates its 15th anniversary. Coordinated by INESC TEC since 2018, the Program aims to promote knowledge in emerging areas of Science and Technology, by supporting research, advanced training, technology transfer and innovation.

Over the last 15 years, this partnership contributed to the creation of a transatlantic innovation ecosystem, bringing together universities, research institutes and companies in Portugal and the University of Texas – namely UT Austin – to promote their collaboration.

The Program is currently in Phase 3, launched in 2018 and ending in 2023, towards promoting advanced training and R&D initiatives focused on four main scientific areas: Space-Earth Interactions, Advanced Computing, Medical Physics, and Nanotechnology – in addition to the cross-cutting field of Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which succeeds the UTEN (University – Technology – Enterprise Network).

EU ministers to discuss Commission’s defense R&D roadmap at Paris conference

The plan, to be presented in an informal meeting of defence ministers in Paris, maps out how the EU can boost its research, innovation, development and technology to reduce EU’s dependencies in security and defence.

The roadmap is EU’s bid to get member states to invest in defence technologies developed inside the EU, allowing the bloc to rely less on foreign powers for its defence needs.

But EU member states are still reluctant to work together on joint defence research projects. French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed frustration with this and has vowed to push to get all member states on board with reinforcing the EU defence industry.

European Chips Survey: Stakeholder survey on European chips demand

Semiconductors are central to the digital economy. They make digital products work. Yet, the world is short of semiconductors – also known as chips. This shortage of chips has very concrete consequences for the EU economy, jobs and even leisure. Carmakers postpone the production of vehicles. Broadband providers run out of internet routers. Gamers cannot get their hands on next-generation consoles.

To better understand how the shortage of chips is affecting European industry, the European Commission invites stakeholders to contribute to the European Chips Survey. This targeted stakeholder survey on chip demand aims to collect information from actors across industrial ecosystems and from all parts of the semiconductor value chain. Share your contribution through the European Chips Survey, open until 20 March 2022.

Click here for more information and to find out how to contribute.

Restore our Oceans and Waters, a Synergy Info Pack by CORDIS

This new Synergy Info Pack presents over 30 research projects and their contribution to the Horizon Europe Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.

Funded through complementary EU programmes Horizon 2020 (including the SME Instrument), LIFE and EMFF, these projects contribute to reaching the Mission’s three objectives:

• Protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity;
• Preventing and eliminating pollution;
• Making the blue economy sustainable, circular, climate-neutral and resilient.

Browse the projects here and learn how the ground-breaking work of researchers in different fields is supporting the development of the technical, social and governance innovation and business models needed to secure the restoration of aquatic ecosystems and the development of a sustainable, resilient and climate-neutral blue economy.

European Commission joins forces with African partners to promote circular economy

Yesterday, the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginius Sinkevičius took part in a High Level event on Circular Economy together with High Level African representatives of the African Union and of the African Circular Economy Alliance. This event highlighted the opportunities offered by the Circular Economy transition in the EU and in Africa and the willingness of EU and African green companies and entrepreneurs to increase cooperation.

This High Level event was organised jointly by the European Commission and the African Circular Economy Alliance in the context of the Europe Africa Business Forum taking place in the margin of the European Union – African Union Summit of 17-18 February.

This virtual event gathered representatives of businesses from EU and Africa applying Circular Economy business models related notably to e-waste management and recycling industries. It allowed a frank discussion on the opportunities as well as the challenges in turning EU and African economies more circular.

To read more about this partnership and what key figures stated about this alliance, click here.

EU and Colombia step up cooperation for nature, climate and sustainable development

Yesterday, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius signed together with his counterpart Minister for Environment of Colombia Carlos Eduardo Correa, the EU-Colombia Joint Declaration on Environment, Climate Action and Sustainable Development.

This Declaration focuses on key shared priorities such as climate action, biodiversity and ecosystems conservation, disaster risk reduction, the fight against deforestation, circular economy, sustainable blue economy, and plastic pollution.

Make sure to read more about it here.

How can the EU help those touched by energy poverty?

In 2020, around 36 million people in Europe were unable to keep their homes adequately warm. However, the number of EU citizens that can be considered “energy poor” is much higher if all the different aspects around energy poverty are taken into account, such as being unable to cover basic housing costs or having inadequate comfort in the housing or work environments. All this can negatively affect people’s health. The recent surge in energy prices and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to have worsened the already difficult situation of vulnerable households. Click here to read about the EU policies to tackle this issue.

Switzerland seeks to join EU’s Copernicus Earth observation programme

The government has told the ministry responsible for communications to start technical talks with the EU on potential cooperation. 

Switzerland is a founding member of the European Space Agency which is responsible for developing satellites for Copernicus, while the EU manages its data and services.

If associated, Switzerland could have a say in shaping the programme, ensure its access to Copernicus data and enable its companies to participate in public procurement.

France confirms ‘European climate conference’ in March, with objectives still unclear

According to this EURACTIV article, less than a month before the European Climate Conference in Nantes, the French EU Council presidency has announced a mini COP.

According to the French EU presidency website, “the event will aim to mobilise Europe to meet climate challenges and achieve the European Union’s more ambitious target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (at least 55% by 2030) and becoming climate neutral (by 2050 at the latest)”.

To learn more about this upcoming event make sure to read the article.