EC formally publishes draft Horizon Europe documents prior to launch for the first time

So far, the process was secretive and leaked documents were a constant. Some were on purpose, to test reactions and gather further input, others were not. Access to information is unequal and depends on how good your network is, how transparent your national representatives are and if you are actively engaged in lobbying and agenda setting exercises. Now the European Commission updated their register of expert groups with documentation of the conclusions of past meetings and closed workshops, as well as draft programmes. There is an infinitude of papers to go through. The HUB will digest this and make them available to you in the HUB website Private Area. We have shared the updated drafts with the HUB Policy and Operation Board and thematic Work Groups but will check if there is anything new and let you know.

Council adopts position on €95.5 billion EU research programme for 2021-2027

The Council adopted yesterday its first reading position on Horizon Europe, the EU’s multiannual framework programme for research and innovation for the years 2021 to 2027. This follows up on a deal reached last December with the European Parliament that paves the way for the swift adoption of the proposed regulation establishing Horizon Europe at second reading. Final approval by the European Parliament should happen in April and then regulation will be adopted and applied retroactively from 1 January 2021.

New organisational chart of DG GROW

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs has restructured its organisation to adapt to the focus on industrial ecosystems necessary for the deployment of the recovery plan, and to adapt the twin priorities of the Commission: the green and digital transition. Here is the new organigram. Simultaneously, there will also be a restructuring of the executive agencies connected to DG GROW: EASME will become EISMEA (European Innovation Council and SMEs) and a new agency, HaDEA (Health and Digital Executive Agency) will be created.

Batteries in the EU green deal strategy

On March 12th, the Commission held the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the European Battery Alliance. This was part of the Commission’s Strategic Action Plan on Batteries, which contains several measures that aim to create a competitive and sustainable battery ecosystem in Europe. Batteries have steadily been moving to the forefront of the discussion about climate change mitigation and sustainable energy in EU policy. The variable nature of renewable energy resources, the rapid rise of e-mobility, and the need to balance supply and demand within the electricity system means that storing energy will play a key role in mitigating climate change. The Climate, Energy and Mobility work-programme of Horizon Europe is set to provide support to the EU’s technological leadership in the field of batteries and battery applications. For more information on the EU actions and partners in battery development, click here.

Results of public consultation on strategy for rural areas

Improved infrastructure is the key necessity of rural areas, according to the results of the public consultation held from September to November 2021. The future of rural areas is tightly linked with the main EU R&I policy goals of digitalisation and climate change adaptation: according to the stakeholders consulted, the development of rural areas will need the availability of digital connectivity, basic and electronic services, together with the improvement of climate and environmental performance of farming. The findings of the public consultation will be presented at the rural vision week, hosted by the European network for rural development (ENRD) between 22 and 26 March 2021.

EURACTIV: Common data spaces per industrial sector

EU leaders will press the Commission to make swift progress in the establishment of sectoral data spaces as outlined in the executive’s landmark Data Strategy, draft European Council summit conclusions obtained by EURACTIV reveal. Proposals put forward by the Commission last year include the creation of nine common EU data spaces across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, and energy, as a means to foster greater industrial data sharing.

What is the state of the bioeconomies in Central and Eastern European Countries?

The BioMonitor project showcased its initial results on the state of the bioeconomy and its development over time during POWER4BIO’s Bioeconomy Innovation Week. “Our cross-country comparison reveals that Germany is the front-runner in the circular bioeconomy, but circular bioeconomies in Slovakia, Poland, and Latvia also developed quickly,” remarked Dušan during his session. He presented the results of a novel method that can accommodate a large number of indicators describing the state of a bioeconomy and capture its changes over time.

2021 IEEE International Conference on Technology and Entrepreneurship “Leading Digital Transformation in Business and Society”

2021 IEEE International Conference on Technology and Entrepreneurship (ICTE) “Leading Digital Transformation in Business and Society”, to be held on August 24–27, 2021.Thevirtualconferenceis organized jointly by IEEE Technology & Engineering Management (TEMS) society and Kaunas University of Technology. More information here.

Hidden Gems

Podcast: Universities and the Innovation Landscape

This is another regular listen for me on the way home. It is interesting, deep and diverse. Check out this very interesting episode featuring the Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences at UCL on the role of universities in the innovation process and then check the many others listed in this link, you will want to go for a walk just to hear some of them.

What are universities for? Are they an elite pipeline for elite jobs, or can they meet the needs of societies transforming amid technological advances? Azeem Azhar explores the role of higher education in research, innovation, and progress with Geraint Rees, Dean of Faculty of Life Sciences at University College London and a leader of their AI strategy.