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In today's Morning Brief:
Science diplomacy as a tool for impact
In an interesting article in Science Business, Jean-Claude Burgelman (former coordinator of the open science policy at the EC and now lecturer at the Free University of Brussels) and Luk Van Langenhove, advocated the extension of the concept of science diplomacy published in the landmark report by the UK Royal Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science published in 2010, in which they established the distinctions between three varieties of science diplomacy:
- Science for diplomacy, where science is used as a soft power tool.
- Science in diplomacy, where scientists advise ministries of foreign affairs.
- Diplomacy for science, where diplomacy supports international scientific collaborations.
Their goal is to include “open knowledge diplomacy” as a tool used by scientists to better address today’s societal grand challenges. This means scientists advocating and building upon “knowledge commons” in a specific knowledge domain, geared towards specific societal challenges. The key issue here is that there are many hurdles along the way and the main one is the coupling of research careers to outdated metrics of career progression. “Now it is quasi exclusively focused on producing science (the impact factor) but it should include other impacts as well. If my science contributes to a clean battery, without necessarily resulting in a top ranked publication, the former should be rated as high as the latter.”. Read more here.
European Institute of Innovation and Technology launches initiative to help universities become regional innovation engines
The Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education pilot call is looking for universities to put forward plans to strengthen their links to business and research organisations; develop services to support translation and commercialisation of academic research; enhance the quality of entrepreneurial education they provide; and generate relevant knowledge and expertise. The scope of the call is broad, allowing different needs to be accommodated, said Martin Kern, director of EIT.
Consortia of up to three universities and one other organisation are invited to apply. Twenty three selected projects will have six months to draft initial plans and begin implementation. For this phase, the projects will receive up to €400,000. If they are successful, they can move to the next phase and secure another €800,000. Applications are accepted until 25 May, and the six-month phase one starts in July. In their applications, consortia must demonstrate that they can make a meaningful contribution to the work of least two of EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), and commit to predefined objectives, for example, supporting a minimum of two start-up or scale-up companies, training a minimum 130 students in innovation and entrepreneurship, or training a minimum 12 academic staff.
Commission awards 2,885 researchers seal of excellence certificates
The European Commission has awarded 2,885 researchers, who applied for the 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) individual grants, the Seal of Excellence Certificate, a consolation prize for proposals that scored high but could not be financed due to a lack of sufficient funds.
The seal of excellence is meant to help researchers secure funding from alternative sources, such as EU regional funds and national programmes. The seal does not guarantee funding, but twelve EU countries have special schemes to support the awardees.
Energy integration event
Euractiv will host today at 2.30 CEST the virtual conference “Sector Integration: What will energy system integration look like in different EU Member States?”. The discussion will be focused on how the integration of energy systems will be instrumental to reach the EU 2050 climate targets. Intervening in the debate, will be representatives of the Commission’s DG ENER, the EP, the think tank E3G, the non-for-profit association Euroheat & Power, and the multinational Danfoss Climate Solutions. Registration is still open and available here.
EU matchmaking event to expand the production of COVID-19 vaccines
The European Commission has hosted yesterday the first pan-European matchmaking event to ramp-up vaccine production and distribution. The event saw the participation of over 300 companies from 25 EU member states, including contract development and manufacturing organisations, fill and finish, equipment producers. The matchmaking event is organised by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform in partnership with the Council of European BioRegions (CEBR) and the European Cluster Alliance (ECA), which also supported the Commission in analysing and identifying EU capacities for COVID-19 vaccines production, on the basis of which companies were invited to participate in the matchmaking.
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01/11/2023 – Lisbon crowned European Capital of Innovation, Canada´s association to Horizon Europe, €75.35B boost to the ERA, new energy projects for the Green Deal & much more
In today’s Morning Brief:
Funding
Calls open for 2023 Innovation Fund proposals with record €4B budget
Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to develop the Smart Specialization Observatory
Fighting extreme weather with extreme computing power
Energy
Commission proposes 166 cross-border energy projects for EU support to help deliver the European Green Deal
Commission sets out actions to accelerate the roll-out of electricity grids
Microelectronics
EU and India sign semiconductor memorandum of understanding
Research & Innovation
Canada to sign Horizon Europe association deal next year
No more New European Bauhaus Mission
Nature-inspired flying robots: advancements in environmental monitoring
Over €75B of the recovery funds will go to European Research Area objectives
Lisbon crowned European capital of innovation for 2023
Maria Leptin’s perspectives on university challenges and innovation
EU’s Industrial R&D Scoreboard updates
INESC News
RTP3 features INOV’s AI-integrated inspection system in RiaStone production
APPRAISE system: INOV contributes to enhancing security in public spaces through innovative technology
INESC TEC collaborates on a European project that promotes the use of algae in sustainable aquaculture
INESC TEC’s podcast among the nominees for a national award
Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops
24/11/2023 – EU’s decarbonization push, INESC participates in Portugal’s Blockchain initiative, Horizon Europe budget boost for R&I & much more
In today’s Morning Brief:
Funding
EU Commission to spend €186 million promoting agri-food products in and outside EU in 2024
Commission opens search for technology infrastructure expert group
Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Call for Contributions: EU-U.S. Trade & Technology Council’s first edition of AI terminology and taxonomy
Belgium to focus on a public sector European blockchain during its EU presidency
Europe still working with China on military and surveillance uses of artificial intelligence, report finds
EU launches new competition to give AI companies access to supercomputers
Energy
Plans to boost Europe’s Net-Zero technology production
Microelectronics
As microscopic materials proliferate, ensuring they are safe is a priority
Research & Innovation
European Parliament Approves 2024 EU Budget with Boost for Research and Innovation
Council approves UK’s inclusion in Horizon Europe and Copernicus Programmes
EU lagging behind on antimicrobial resistance research
Opinion article in Science Business: The European Research Area needs a reboot
EIT lauds impact of Regional Innovation Scheme in latest report
INESC News
INESC participates at BLOCKCHAIN.PT initiative
INESC MN partners up in semiconductor consortium
INESC TEC advances autonomous vehicle perception in THEIA project
The HUB hosts EARTO meeting on EU RD&I Programmes
HUB contributes at the INESC TEC Autumn Forum
Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops
17/11/2023 – Horizon Europe latest calls, the €85M boost next year to reach €12.9B, the approval of the Critical Raw Materials Act & much more
In today’s Morning Brief:
Funding
Horizon: €290M in funding for digital, industry and space
ERC sees rise in Starting Grant applications
Artificial Intelligence
OECD updates definition of Artificial Intelligence ‘to inform EU’s AI Act’
Study highlights AI’s economic potential amid EU regulatory focus
Energy
EU Atlantic strategy: what’s next?
Bioengineering
How can regenerative agriculture help the food system survive?
Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems” launch event conclusions
Research & Innovation
Horizon Europe: €12.9 Billion Boost in 2024 Budget
Commission welcomes political agreement on the Critical Raw Materials Act
Paper: How regional innovation ecosystems can improve participation in the European Framework Programme for R&I
European Space Agency looks to private sector to stay competitive
Technology readiness levels are getting a reality check to ensure innovations are socially acceptable
Research Management initiative advances strategic capacities in European research organisations
INESC News
Carla Gonçalves of INESC TEC recognized among Portugal’s green visionaries
Bactometer project secures runner-up position in EIT Health
Artificial Intelligence and humans collaborate to enhance critical infrastructure security
Job Opportunities
Events & Training workshops