Welcome to today’s Morning Brief. The Morning Brief newsletter is only available to INESC staff and affiliated researchers upon subscription (weekly or daily), after creating an account in the Private Area of the HUB website. To do so, click the log-in icon on the top-right corner of this website.

In today's Morning Brief:

New INESC publication: first issue of H magazine “Visions of the future”

H, the new e-magazine of the INESC Brussels HUB, jointly created by all the INESC institutes, has been published this morning.

The magazine wishes to channel research stories, ideas and perspectives on the most important issues in scientific research and technology in Europe. In this inaugural issue, titled Visions of the future, we took the opportunity set by the Conference on the Future of Europe to share some of the ideas and stories of INESC’s researchers regarding the future of the most promising technologies, their upcoming projects and the opportunities on the horizon for scientific research in the upcoming years.

A huge thank you to the members of the Working Group Communication (Joana Desport Coelho, Sofia Martins, Vanessa Moreira, Tatiana Nunes, Ana Soares) for their excellent job.

Contents:

Please be sure to share the magazine widely across your networks!

 

Conference on the Future of Europe: input wanted

The Conference on the Future of Europe is looking for ideas on how the EU should change and what it should focus on. After its official launch in spring, the Conference is entering a crucial stage: it needs to get as much input from citizens as possible on how the EU should face the challenges of a changing world. More than 5,000 ideas have been submitted to the online platform, on topics ranging from the climate emergency to European democracy. It’s a good start, but much more is needed. Browse through the topics, share your views on other people’s suggestions and come up with your own ideas. Otherwise, you can discuss your thoughts with other people by joining an upcoming event or organising your own.

The results of the Conference on the Future of Europe will have a real impact on the EU’s upcoming decisions, as the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have pledged to act on people’s recommendations and on the conclusions of the Conference.

 

Lump-sum in Horizon Europe – New EC Decision

The European Commission (EC) published a new Decision authorising the use of lump-sum contributions under Horizon Europe (see also an EC presentation) as well as the MGA on lump-sum. According to this document, lump-sum could be further used in Horizon Europe to lower the error rate, in particular but not restricted to ERC, EIC and Institutionalized Partnership projects. The annex of the Decision summarises the outcome of H2020 lump-sum pilot in glowing terms, saying the overall feedback was positive and that it could be used for any type of action. The scale and focus of these lump-sum calls is still under discussion at the EC.

 

New round of Horizon Europe associations: Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Moldova, Western Balkans, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine

The European Commission represented by the Horizon Europe Chief Negotiator and Deputy Director General of DG R&I Signe Ratso as well as deputy Chief Negotiators Ruta Zarnauskaite and Anne Haglund-Morrissey, concluded the second negotiation rounds for Horizon Europe association with Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Moldova, Western Balkans, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine. In these meetings, the draft Association Agreement and related Annexes were discussed, and important progress was made with all countries in their process towards becoming Associated Countries.

The concluding rounds of negotiation are expected to take place from end August to mid-September 2021 aiming to sign the association agreements by the end of 2021.

 

Commission adopted the «Synergies amendment» to the State Aid General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)

With this amendment the Commission simplified the rules for State Aid combined with EU support and introduced new possibilities to achieve synergies between Horizon Europe and the European Regional and Development Fund programmes. The objective is to maximise the added value, quantity, quality and impact of all EU spending on R&I in order to achieve shared EU objectives. A useful Q&A on the widening of the exemptions can be found on the Commission website here.

 

EU members commit to build EU quantum communication infrastructure

Ireland is the last EU member state to sign the EU declaration quantum infrastructure, committing to working with the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) to build the EuroQCI — a secure quantum communication infrastructure across 27 countries.

The Commission is planning to launch a satellite-based system for high-speed broadband in Europe. The EuroQCI will be part of that system and will integrate quantum cryptography and innovative and secure quantum-based systems into conventional communication infrastructures. This will protect data transmission between Europe’s government institutions, municipalities and embassies, as well as key sites such as hospitals and energy grids. In 2021 and 2022, Digital Europe programme and Connecting Europe Facility actions will help member states build cross-border quantum communication networks.

 

EuropaBio welcomes the Health Data Space initiative

Europe’s largest biotech lobby group says the European Commission’s proposed Health Data Space initiative is a good opportunity to reverse the declining trend of international biotech research conducted in Europe. “EuropaBio believes it is extremely important for the EU to encourage the return of many research programmes and clinical trials to the EU,” the association said in a statement on Thursday.

The Commission is now gathering input from stakeholders on its plan to establish common rules for storing and sharing healthcare research data in the EU.

 

Solutions needed for to the shortage of semiconductors in Europe

The German automotive industry is continuing to struggle with a severe supply shortage in semiconductors. The supply shortage is forcing Daimler to send thousands of employees on short-time work at several locations across the country; the lack of semiconductors has also affected car giant Volkswagen, which suffered major sales losses. In the first quarter of 2021 alone, around 100,000 vehicles could not be produced due to the bottlenecks, resulting in a €2.5 billion loss in sales.

There is broad agreement in both Germany and the EU on the need to reduce dependence on American and Asian producers. EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton reiterated on Tuesday (27 July) the need to give a stronger push to the EU’s sovereignty when it comes to semiconductors.

Both at the EU and national level, support packages have already been put together and initiatives launched to bring semiconductor production ‘back to Europe’. At the start of July, the European Commission launched an Alliance on Processors and Semiconductor Technologies to strengthen production capacities in Europe and move closer to the goal of doubling Europe’s market share in semiconductor production, which is anchored in the Digital Compass. In addition, Germany has earmarked €1 billion for investment and innovation in semiconductor production until 2023 as part of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) in the field of microelectronics. Read more on Euractiv.

More Articles

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

Read More »

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

Read More »

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

Read More »