In today’s Morning Brief:

Scientists Identify Biotech Techniques to Improve Space Agriculture

The Whole-Body Edible and Elite Plant (WBEEP) strategy was proposed by Chinese scientists for space crop improvement and help establish efficient space farming that is essential for humans to survive in space.

WBEEP relies on plant biotechnology to develop crops with more edible parts, richer nutrient content, higher yields and higher mineral nutrient use efficiencies to enhance space farm production and management.

The scientists also emphasised this strategy approach could provide sufficient and nutritious food for humans in space with minimal fertiliser consumption.

Read more about it here.

Action Plan to Conserve Fisheries Resources and Protect Marine Ecosystems – Targeted Consultation

Yesterday, the European Commission launched a targeted consultation to ask stakeholders for their involvement in shaping the upcoming Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems.

The action plan was announced in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and is planned for adoption in the spring 2022. It will directly contribute to the European Green Deal, by making fisheries more sustainable and protecting marine ecosystems and their biodiversity.

The action plan will complement other actions under the common fisheries policy and under environmental legislation, and will be an important step in the implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy, alongside other measures such as the extension and effective management of marine protected areas and the adoption of legally binding restoration targets.

All stakeholders, including the fishing industry, non-governmental organizations, academic, scientific, social and economic partners are invited to take part in this targeted consultation by 20 December 2021.

WG Agro, Food and Forestry Workshop – 2 December 2021

Human activities create pressures on natural resources that go far beyond sustainable levels, affecting land, agro, water, and food (LAWF) systems.

On December 2nd at 09 AM (GMT) we will hold a short virtual workshop where we count on the important participation of INESC researchers interested in this thematic area, to help us define our R&I identity towards the world, our vision for the future, and through this, our strategic goals in the LAWF domain for the decade that now unfolds.

Registration for participation is compulsory here but all INESC researchers willing to participate in the discussion are welcome.

WG Health Technologies Workshop – 3 November 2021

Don’t miss our internal HUB workshop, organised by the Work Group Health Technologies, as a crucial step for the development of the Health Technologies R&I Roadmap 2030.

The event will take place on the 3rd of November, between 9:00 and 11:30 (GMT) via Zoom. The access links will be sent to all participants shortly before the start.

The event will be open to participation by all INESC researchers, who are then free to pose questions during the discussion period.

Don’t forget to sign up here!

EIC Summit: Registration is now open

The European Innovation Council holds its first Summit on 24-25 November 2021 in Brussels and online. This event offers the opportunity for European start-ups and innovators, in particular SMEs, researchers, corporates as well as potential investors and venture capitalists to connect and network. Meet us in Brussels for inspiring keynotes and plenary sessions focused on diversity in innovation, European technological sovereignty, European start-ups and VC financing for digital technologies to name only a few.

Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth will officially launch the EIC Forum and announce the winners of the EIC Women Innovators Prize and the iCapital Award.

You will also have the opportunity to meet the winners of the European Innovation Procurement Awards, join interactive pitching sessions and participatory workshops where you can find out more about early stage and impact investments, innovation procurement, swarm robotics and space technology. The programme will allow you to explore major policy updates, learn tips and tricks on patents and intellectual property rights, discuss technology transfers, pick up new pitching techniques, find out more about the EIC Fund and delve into many other relevant topics for the EIC community.

Registration for physical participation is possible here. Links for online participation have not been disseminated.

EC workshop on Green Deal funded projects – 27 October

On Wednesday 27 October, the European Commission is organising a kick-off event to celebrate the projects selected for funding under the Horizon 2020 European Green Deal call. This €1 billion call, the last one under Horizon 2020, will fund projects that will contribute to the EU’s response to the climate crisis and help protect Europe’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity. During the kick-off event on 27 October Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth and her guests will present the political priorities of this call and explain how it will accelerate the achievement of the European Green Deal objectives. After this high-level political discussion, five selected projects in the areas of food in schools, energy, mobility and environment will highlight their objectives and expected outcomes, and explain how these will affect the everyday life of Europeans. The five projects cover areas such as wildfires, freshwater, green hydrogen, green airports and food for schools.

The European Green Deal is the European Commission’s blueprint and roadmap to make Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050, with a sustainable economy that leaves no one behind. To reach this 2050 goal, action will be required by all sectors of our economy, including:

• investing in environmentally-friendly technologies;
• supporting industry to innovate;
• rolling out cleaner, cheaper and healthier forms of private and public transport;
• decarbonising the energy sector;
• ensuring buildings are more energy efficient;
• working with international partners to improve global environmental standards.

Everyone can assist freely to the event via the EC website.

COP26 climate summit: A scientists’ guide to a momentous meeting

Despite 30 years of climate diplomacy, urgent and aggressive action is needed to halt global warming. Nature explains what success looks like, and what’s on the line.

Find answers to important questions such as:

• There have been 25 COPs before. Why do researchers say this one is so important?
• What would a successful outcome look like for COP26?
• Have past COPs actually achieved anything?
• Will the COVID-19 pandemic affect the meeting’s outcome?
• Beyond Glasgow: what comes next?

You can also find a really interesting chronogram of climate policy action and research milestones.

Read it all here.