Innovation News Network’s Post

This Special Focus eBook delves into Canada’s involvement in the world’s foremost research initiative, spotlighting key projects supported by funding from Horizon Europe. Canada’s participation in Horizon Europe marks a significant step forward for scientific collaboration. In November 2023, Canada secured an association agreement, allowing researchers to compete for funding under Pillar II, the programme’s main collaborative arm. This is a first for Canada, offering deeper integration than previous engagements with EU research initiatives. Speaking at the Canada-EU Summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised the significance of Canada joining the programme: “We warmly welcome Canada into the Horizon Europe family, and we eagerly anticipate the innovative breakthroughs and transformative discoveries that will emerge from our joint projects. “Together, we will chart new frontiers, push the boundaries of knowledge, and build a more resilient and prosperous world for generations to come.” Contributors include: 🔹 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 🔹 University of Alberta 🔹 Université de Sherbrooke 🔹 TRIUMF 🔹 Vineland Research and Innovation Centre 🔹 University of Calgary 🔹 University of Waterloo 🔹 McGill University 🔹 Ocean Frontier Institute 🔹 Trent University 🔹 Dalhousie University #eu #canada #horizoneurope #internationalcollaboration #globalscience #science #research #innovation #sciencecommunication

This Special Focus eBook delves into Canada’s involvement in the world’s foremost research initiative, spotlighting key projects supported by funding from Horizon Europe. Canada’s participation in Horizon Europe marks a significant step forward for scientific collaboration. In November 2023, Canada secured an association agreement, allowing researchers to compete for funding under Pillar II, the programme’s main collaborative arm. This is a first for Canada, offering deeper integration than previous engagements with EU research initiatives. Speaking at the Canada-EU Summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised the significance of Canada joining the programme: “We warmly welcome Canada into the Horizon Europe family, and we eagerly anticipate the innovative breakthroughs and transformative discoveries that will emerge from our joint projects. “Together, we will chart new frontiers, push the boundaries of knowledge, and build a more resilient and prosperous world for generations to come.” Contributors include: 🔹 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 🔹 University of Alberta 🔹 Université de Sherbrooke 🔹 TRIUMF 🔹 Vineland Research and Innovation Centre 🔹 University of Calgary 🔹 University of Waterloo 🔹 McGill University 🔹 Ocean Frontier Institute 🔹 Trent University 🔹 Dalhousie University #eu #canada #horizoneurope #internationalcollaboration #globalscience #science #research #innovation #sciencecommunication

🌍 Sustainable Funding for a Sustainable Future of EUAs 🌍 At the ENHANCE Alliance, we believe that the key to a thriving future for European University Alliances lies in sustainable funding. Our recent statement underscores the importance of establishing a robust funding pathway that supports the long-term success of the European Universities Initiative (EUI). The EUI is key to driving innovation, inclusion, and mobility across Europe. However, the realisation of its ambitious goals depends on adequate financial support. We are advocating for a funding mechanism that reflects: 🔹 The long-term nature of the European university alliances 🔹 Support for the four key missions of universities: education, research, innovation, and societal service 🔹 Flexibility to harness each alliance’s strengths while minimizing administrative burdens 🔹 Complementarity with other EU funding sources By empowering alliances with proper funding and the freedom to innovate, we can foster a truly transformative impact on European education, research, and society. As discussions on future financial frameworks unfold, we are committed to shaping these conversations to ensure that our alliances are equipped to drive innovation, inclusion, and mobility across Europe. We invite policymakers, stakeholders, and partners to join the conversation as we shape the future of European university alliances together. Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/enJjSF9p European Commission Iliana Ivanova Vanessa Debiais-Sainton #ENHANCE #EuropeanUniversitiesInitiative #HigherEducation #Research #Innovation #SustainableFunding

📢 Have a read of the newly published statement from the ENHANCE Alliance on our priorities for a future sustainable funding pathway for the European University Alliances. As negotiations on the next long-term EU budget run, we want to contribute to the ongoing discussions about how the European Universities Initiative (EUI) can be sustainably financed. With the right funding mechanism we can unlock the full transformation potential of the EUI and maximse the benefits for our institutions, people and society. 🗝 ENHANCE believes a sustainable funding pathway for the European university alliances must: ⏲ Reflect the long-term nature of the European university alliances 🚀 Match the ambitious goals of the European Universities Initiative 🌍 Support European university alliances in addressing all four university missions 💰 Be complementary to other funding sources 👩💻 Facilitate effective use of resources and individual alliance strengths We look forward to continue working closely with other universities, alliances, and policymakers to shape the future of the EUI together. Full statement here: https://lnkd.in/eFqTCajA #ENHANCE #EuropeanUniversitiesInitiative #HigherEducation #Research #Innovation #SustainableFundingPathway

If #Europe is not to fall further behind the likes of China and the United States, the budget for the next version of the #Horizon research and innovation programme needs to be doubled by the European Union. That’s the call for a growing number of stakeholders, including Members of the European Parliament and the research community. Now the body representing more than 870 universities and national rectors’ conferences in 49 European countries has joined the call for the budget of the EU’s next R&I framework programme to go up to €200 billion (US$216.5 billion). It is currently €95.5 billion. But it is not just more cash that the European University Association (EUA) is after as they spell out demands for a major overhaul of the seven-year rolling programme in a new report, titled 'Paving the way for impactful European R&I'. I summarise the key points in a piece for University World News, including the need to narrow the East-West divide in the way the European Commission handles who gets what when they share out the Euro R&D funding pot. https://lnkd.in/evYScwjw Almut Caspary Anne Corbett Kevin Daly Piet Van Hove Adam Tyson Gian-Andri Casuttt Sandra Kramar Anna Rolczak Iliana Ivanova Lidia Borrell-Damian Jo Frost Kurt Deketelaere Przemysław Mroczkowski Michael Peak Jan Palmowski Pil Maria Saugmann James Wilsdon Olena L. Ruth Francis William Cullerne Bown Karen Stroobants Marta Brelih-Wąsowska Janet B. Ilieva #research #highered #HorizonEurope

Mattias Björnmalm, secretary-general of the CESAER group of European science and technology universities, welcomed Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ being saved from a worst-case scenario. “Flagship programmes that bring enormous European value and boost competitiveness…have come out relatively protected from the bruising negotiations,” he said, adding that the two programmes “have a proven track record of advancing research, innovation and education in cutting-edge science and technology, which are critical for Europe to remain a global leader”. ‘Substantial increase needed’ But Horizon Europe’s budget fell by about €135m or 1 per cent on 2024, due to a €2bn cut agreed earlier this year to be made across the remainder of the programme. EU R&I programmes normally ramp up their spending in their final years. Björnmalm said the EU must “substantially increase funding for competitiveness-boosting programmes”. He said such increases are needed to start implementing the recommendations made in recent reports by former Italy prime ministers Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta, as well as former Portugal research minister Manuel Heitor. He said that only then can the EU begin “truly placing research, innovation, science and technology at the heart of our efforts, as [Commission] president Ursula von der Leyen has rightly urged”. More details 👇👇 https://lnkd.in/eKMJYpzm

📢 Report on European University Alliances - Pilot II released! I am happy to share our recently published “Report on good practices from European University Alliances Projects (pilot II)” This report reviews 22 projects funded under the call H2020-IBA-SwafS-Support-2-2020 (Pilot II) of the Science with and for Society (SwafS) programme of Horizon 2020. It presents tangible progress and good practices achieved in the different areas of institutional change of the European University Alliances projects, with the objective to raise excellence in science and in value creation in the university sector, and to align Member States efforts to increase the sector’s global visibility and competitiveness. With this report, which builds on a previous Progress of University Alliance Projects report on the 17 Pilot I alliances SwafS projects funded under the Horizon 2020 IBASwafS- Support-1-2020 call, we are proud to provide policy feedback and further evidence on the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024, in particular the ERA Action 13 - Empowering Higher Education Institutions. The European Research Executive Agency (REA) is entrusted by the European Commission with the management of significant parts of the EU Research and Innovation framework programmes. An important part of our work is to provide policy feedback to the Commission and EU citizens, based on our contacts with beneficiaries whose opinions on our actions we value and treasure. Therefore, we put great emphasis on lessons learned from projects, in terms of what works well and what needs improvement. This contributes to improving the design and development of the future research and innovation policy and actions under the framework programme, inspiring transformations at institutional, national, and European level. Thanks very much to our great experts Helena Acheson and Gareth O'Neill, to my REA colleagues Rinske van den Berg, Mihaela Costache and Irina Tiron, to my colleague Joerg Niehoff from DG RTD, and to all project coordinators for having contributed with their expertise and effort to this very nice piece of policy feedback. Enjoy the reading! 👉🏽 https://lnkd.in/e6quKT7Q #H2020 #Swafs #HorizonEU #Universities #EuropeanUniversityAlliances

The European University Association (EUA) and swissuniversities welcome the Swiss Federal Council and the European Commission’s respective adoption of final mandates for negotiations between Switzerland and the EU. Research is best equipped to preserve and advance Europe’s prosperity, security and core values when it has reliable structures for collaborating with like-minded partners in #Research & #Innovation. This is especially true with partners that have an excellent research and education landscape and share the same core values in academic freedom, research ethics and democracy. With the current geopolitical climate and growing concerns around knowledge security, it is more important than ever to focus on what we have in common instead of what divides us. The current negotiation package includes an agreement that should lead to the association of Switzerland to European research, innovation and education programmes, namely #HorizonEurope and #ErasmusPlus. In a transition phase for 2024, researchers in Switzerland can again apply for prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants. EUA and swissuniversities underline their common aspiration for full association of Switzerland to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, which would provide much needed clarity to the European R&I and higher education sector: https://bit.ly/3VSAnVo Josep M. Garrell, Luciana Vaccaro

🌍 Strengthening Research and Higher Education in Sweden! https://lnkd.in/dyZJAc_c We're excited to share that the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ), in collaboration with the Swedish Research Council, has been commissioned by the government to take pivotal steps for the future of research and education: ✅ Developing indicators to effectively monitor the achievement of research policy objectives. ✅ Coordinating evaluations across various authorities to ensure consistent and impactful follow-ups on activities in universities and colleges. These initiatives reflect Sweden's commitment to fostering innovation, accountability, and progress in its academic and research landscape. By aligning efforts and creating comprehensive evaluation frameworks, we are paving the way for even greater advancements in education and knowledge production. Together, we can build a sustainable and impactful future for research and education. Let's move forward with this SHIFT towards excellence! 🚀 #HigherEducation #ResearchPolicy #Collaboration #Innovation #EducationExcellence #Sustainability #Sweden

Last week, Minister Pablo Rodriguez, on behalf of Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Minister Mark Holland, announced support for 7,700 researchers and research projects all across Canada. Over $1.7 billion in funding has been allocated to researchers and students, which reflects the government's steadfast support for Canada's research community. This funding, part of the $16 billion invested in science and research since 2016, is being distributed to recipients through grants, scholarships, fellowships and other programs. It will support the acquisition of the state-of-the-art tools and infrastructure needed by researchers to advance their discoveries and innovations. "When we invest in science and innovation, we are investing in our well-being and prosperity. Our researchers continue to distinguish themselves internationally and by supporting them, we are helping them to continue to improve our quality of life, fight climate change and inspire the next generation of researchers, here in Quebec and across the country and around the world," said Minister Pablo Rodriguez. Read more https://bit.ly/43kC0wL. #GUSCanada #GlobalUniversitySystems #Investments #Researchers