HUB’s workshop “Horizon Europe: Practical tips and Q&A” on May 18^th

On May 18^th, from 11.30 to 13.00 GMT, the HUB will host a Zoom workshop on Horizon Europe for researches from all INESCs. The workshop will focus on practical tips on how to participate in Horizon Europe. It will provide information and tips on aspects such as: how to write a successful proposal, how to address impact criteria, proposal development timeline, important links and templates.

The workshop will start with a short 25 minutes presentation by Ricardo Migueis, Head of INESC Brussels HUB, and it will be followed by an open Q&A session with the 5 Research and Innovation Managers across all INESCs: Ana Soares (INESC Coimbra), Filipa Borrego (INESC ID), John Rodrigues (INOV), Marta Barbas (INESC TEC), Sofia Martins (INESC MN).

Many researchers have registered already, but it is worth reminding that registration is mandatory and still available at this link. Remember that, in order to receive the participation link, the attendees will have to have registered as users of the Private Area of the HUB’s website. In the Private Area, attendees will also find useful information and templates regarding the workshop.

Webinar on latest updates on Horizon Europe – European Commission

Massimiliano Esposito, Deputy Head of Unit Horizon Strategic Planning and Programming at Common Policy Centre of the EC’s Directorate-General for R&I, is going to hold a special webinar focused on the latest updates on Horizon Europe. The presentation will be a general introduction on the programme and its novelties covering topics such as: missions, strategic planning, the EIC, and planning for the first work programmes/calls for proposals. It will take place on the 5^th May, between 11h and 1h45 CET. Register here.

Previous EC webinar on Horizon Europe available

Being the first year of the new framework programme, the Commission is also organizing a series of workshops on Horizon Europe. The first workshop took place in March, and the supporting documents can be found in the HUB’s Private Area (EU R&I funding>Horizon Europe>Commission webinars on HE). The second workshop, focused on Key Impact Pathways, Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication, Open Science and Gender took place last week. The supporting document of this workshop has just been uploaded in the dedicated folder of the Private Area, while the recording of the session is available here.

Public Consultation on State aid for research and development and innovation

A subject matter of interest to all INESCs, we will prepare an answer and take this up in the next HUB Policy and Operations Board meeting (which gathers a representative of each of the 5 INESCs, nominated by the HUB Management Committee).

The revision of the Framework for State aid for R&D&I focuses on the following areas:

• Improving and updating the existing definitions of research and innovation activities eligible for support under the RDI Framework
• Introducing new provisions to enable public support for technology infrastructures
• Simplifying certain rules, for example by introducing a simplified indirect cost calculation methodology for determining the eligible costs

You can check the page of the public consultation directly here and if you have any suggestions or questions, please address them to hub@inesc.pt or to your local HUB Focal Point.

Webinar on how to engage communities with PCIs

Participation and citizen engagement is one of the key strategies of the European Commission, as instanced by the Conference on the Future of Europe launch earlier this month. Citizen engagement is also required for the implementation of Projects of Common Interest, which are key cross-border energy infrastructures in Europe. DG Energy will be hosting a webinar on public acceptance of Projects of Common Interest on April 28^th, from 10 to 12 CEST. This webinar aims to share good practice examples and provide a “step-by-step approach” to how to organise awareness raising activities and further improve public acceptance for EU PCIs. Today is the last day to register, here.

World IP day

Yesterday was World Intellectual Property Day, and DG GROW seized the opportunity to remind that the European Commission has a series of instruments for SMEs to be aware of IP rights and to use them to build a stronger business. Here is the link of the EC IP Helpdesk: it is composed of a Helpline, a section on IP trainings, an IP resource library, and gives the possibility to become or get in contact with IP Helpdesk Ambassadors. Moreover, the EC makes available best practices and IP support to SMEs: find more information here.

WWF and other NGOs protest against EU green finance taxonomy

Last week the Commission has released the package of rules to implement the green finance taxonomy, but as anticipated, the role of bioenergy and forestry in the package was to raise perplexities. The WWF and several other NGOs have decided to suspend their participation in the European Commission’s Sustainable Finance Platform in protest against what they see as weak and “unscientific” criteria for bioenergy and forestry in the EU’s green finance taxonomy. The whole story here.