Horizon Europe is well underway, but the world of European R&D policy goes well beyond the confines of the €95.5 billion R&D programme. EU climate, digital, agriculture and regional policies all have significant research and innovation components. National governments often come up with new R&D policies, decide to fund new research avenues, and set up international cooperation deals. This blog aims to keep you informed on all of that and more.
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The European Union and India have launched an initiative inviting start-ups to work together on recycling batteries for electric vehicles.
This effort is part of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in April 2022.
The initiative aims to advance the circularity of rare materials and facilitate the transition towards carbon-neutrality in both India and the EU.
“The matchmaking event is a step-ahead to unlock innovative possibilities leading to a green and circular economy. We encourage innovators from the EU to seize this opportunity and explore potential collaborations with their Indian counterparts,” said Marc Lemaître, director-general for research and innovation at the European Commission.
Read the announcement here.
EARTO, an association of Europe's leading research and technology organisations welcomed the EU Council’s adoption of EU’s new regulation on critical raw materials.
The EARTO working group on critical raw materials stresses the need for systemic change, stable investment in research and innovation, and regular assessment of data to implement the lists of critical and strategic raw materials.
Additionally, EARTO highlights the crucial role of developing recycling technologies to efficiently utilize low-value waste for a more sustainable future.
Read EARTO’s position paper here.
Brussels and Uzbekistan have inked a memorandum of understanding to launch a partnership on critical raw materials, part of an attempt diversify supply to the EU as the bloc worries about overdependence on countries such as China.
Uzbekistan has the second largest deposits of critical raw materials in central Asia, according to the EU, including sizable reserves of copper, molybdenum – used in alloys – and gold.
The deal includes “cooperation on research and innovation, including the sharing of knowledge and technologies related to sustainable exploration, extraction, processing and recycling,” according to an EU statement.
“This agreement with resource-rich Uzbekistan will help the EU to secure much-needed access to critical raw materials,” said trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement.
Last Friday, the Commission authorised €350 million German State aid measure to support the production of up to 75,000 tonnes of ‘renewable’ hydrogen, an action that will help reduce Russian fossil fuel imports.
Projects selected through a competitive bidding process supervised by the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) will be supported via an “Auctions-as-a-Service” system within the European Hydrogen Bank.
“This €350 million scheme is an important step in boosting renewable hydrogen development,” said Margrethe Vestager, Commission executive vice-president in charge of competition policy. “The scheme will support the most cost-effective projects in Germany, reducing costs for taxpayers and minimising possible distortions of competition.”
Read the full announcement here.
Science Europe, an umbrella body of major public funders and research organisations, has released a guide for its members to help them develop their ‘science for policy’ activities, meaning using evidence-based research to inform policies.
“In an era of unprecedented global societal challenges, the role of scientific research in informing decision makers has never been more critical,” said Mari Sundli Tveit, president of Science Europe. “This guidance represents a milestone in our [Science Europe’s] ongoing efforts to improve science–policy interactions.”
Read the guide here.
The German Research Foundation (DFG) plans to boost cross-border cooperation with funding organisations in Europe, according to a new strategy paper published on Wednesday.
Key elements of the strategy paper include expanding research cooperation, and actively participating in developing the new EU Framework Programme.
“Research funding and research policy have long ceased to be confined to a self-contained national space,” said DFG president Katja Becker. “As we see it, the European Research Area is particularly strong if in addition to the EU framework programmes dedicated to research and innovation there are also effective and autonomous national research and funding systems in place, each with their own priorities, funding strategies and opportunities for cooperation.”
The DFG’s Europe Strategy will operate until 2030.
More details here.
Venture capital investment in the UK cleantech sector reached £2.6 billion in 2023, matching 2021 levels but slightly down on 2022, according to the latest progress report published by the Cleantech for UK initiative.
“This resilience underscores the sector’s stability amidst broader declines in total venture capital investment in the UK,” the report states. Energy and power was the only sector to benefit from increased investment, from £0.68 billion in 2022 to just over £1 billion last year.
But the report warns that securing funding remains difficult, particularly at the first-of-a-kind stage, and that the main UK political parties have scaled back their climate ambitions, resulting in an uncertain environment for investment.
Read the full report, including policy recommendations, here.
The European Commission has announced a new partnership with Japan on advanced materials signed in Tokyo today.
According to the Coommission, the EU-Japan Enhanced Dialogue on Advanced Materials aims to strengthen collaboration in key sectors like renewable energy, batteries, zero-emission buildings, and semiconductors, as the EU wants to secure a steady supply of advanced materials it needs to deploy new digital and low-carbon technologies.
"The new dialogue on advanced materials strengthens our cooperation with Japan in research and innovation. These materials are critical for our transition to a green future, and by joining forces, we can get there faster. I look forward to seeing the results of this new cooperation with Japan," said research commissioner Iliana Ivanova.
The announcement is a further sign that policymakers in Brussels and Tokyo are moving towards closer cooperation in science and technology. Such efforts have so far fallen short of a full participation of Japan as an associated country in the Horizon Europe programme.
Read the full announcement here.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), one of Germany’s largest research funders, announced the approval of a €56 million fund for 13 new Research Units, including one Clinical Research Unit and two Centres for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences.
The new networks will help researchers investigate and pursue innovative pathways in topics ranging from applied humanities, bone diseases, robotic construction sites, and the evolution of early land vertebrates.
More details here.
The EU and the Republic of Korea recently convened their second Digital Partnership Council in Brussels, led by internal market commissioner Thierry Breton and Lee Jong-Ho, Korean Minister for Science and Information and Communication Technology.
The two blocs reiterated their dedication to collaborating on vital digital technologies, assessing advancements since the inaugural council, and outlining future areas of cooperation. This includes ongoing efforts in semiconductors, 5G, quantum technology, AI, cybersecurity, and new fronts like network connectivity.
"The EU and Korea are leading digital economies and strategic like-minded partners. Today, we took steps to further work together on crucial areas such semiconductors, 5G/6G, cybersecurity, AI, online platforms and connectivity, and joined forces on research projects. Together, we can promote global standards, support innovation and competitiveness and create further opportunities for our economies," said Breton.
More details here.
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