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May 2014 Issue 45
HORIZON 2020
On 2 April, Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn delivered the keynote address at the International Conference on Research Infrastructures (ICRI) in Athens where she underlined Horizon 2020's action in this specific area. For full speech please visit:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-277_en.htm
"THE INNOVATION UNION INITIATIVE - ONE OF EUROPE 2020'S SEVEN
FLAGSHIPS - SETS OUT A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO BOOSTING
INNOVATION AND REMOVING THE BOTTLENECKS THAT HINDER THE BEST
IDEAS FROM REACHING THE MARKET."
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH UPDATE May 2014 Issue 45
Dear Reader…
The International Cooperation call for proposals closed on 29th April. 33 proposals were received for the five priority areas in 2014: China,
Russia, Middle East, Black Sea, and Africa. One Grant Agreement for
each area will be signed by the end of 2014. Also, we are delighted to announce that our brand new International Cooperation website is now live! The site is packed with essential information and fresh news!
To discover it, please pay us a visit at the following address: http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/index.cfm This new issue of the IRu and the previous ones can also be found here:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/index.cfm?lg=en&pg=newsletter Yours sincerely,
The Editors
In this issue:
- EU-Africa Summit in Brussels
- Horizon 2020 launch events in
Latin-America
- Meeting with the Colombian
Minister for ICT
The latest news on Japan (Round Table on S&T at the
Japanese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs - Tokyo Seminar on Horizon 2020…)
ISSN 2315-358X © European Union, 2014
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged
Do not miss our next issue including
May 2014 Issue 45
EU-Africa Summit, Brussels 2-3 April 2014
The 4th EU-Africa Summit brought together more than 60 EU
and African Heads of State and Government, the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, the President of the African Union and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, to discuss the future of EU-Africa relations. The theme of the Summit was "Investing in People, Prosperity and Peace", with the objective of addressing common challenges and bringing concrete benefits to citizens in accordance with the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES). The EU and African leaders recognise in the Summit’s Declaration that investment in research, science, technology and innovation is fundamental in creating socio-economic development (articles 30 and 48). As for the roadmap (2014-2017), the conclusions of the EU-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue that took place in November 2013 have a prominent place in it (articles 30-32, 58). This proves that both the EU and Africa have convergent views on the enabling role of STI in creating growth and employment and that it deserves a prominent place in the EU's development policy. EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and AU Commissioner for Human Resources Science and Technology Martial De-Paul Ikounga met in the margins of the Summit, on 8 April. Among other issues the EU-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation, Horizon 2020, the African Union’s new Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation (STISA 2024) and the second phase of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP2) were discussed.
Photo: EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and AU Commissioner for Human Resources Science and Technology Martial De-Paul Ikounga
For further information, please visit http://www.africa-eu-
partnership.org/newsroom/all-news/eu-africa-summit-2014 or contact Nienke Buisman, [email protected]
DG RTD Directorate C
Horizon 2020 launch events in Latin-America
On April 4th a Horizon 2020 launch event took place in San
José, Costa Rica, with around 150 researchers and research managers. The Chargé d ‘Affairs of the EU delegation in Costa Rica, Mr Jose Luis Martinez Prada opened the meeting. Ms Cristina Russo, Director for International Cooperation at DG RTD, introduced Horizon 2020 and its international cooperation components, following which a local researcher, Dra. Alice Pérez, vice-rector for research at the Costa Rican University gave an overview of experience from participating in previous Framework Programmes, as well as in the Ibero-American programme CYTED. On Monday the 7
th of April a Horizon
2020 launch event was organised in Bogotá, Colombia. The conference was organised by the EU Ambassador, Ms Tanya van Gool and was held in the Colombian Chamber of Commerce attracting around 250 participants on-site plus another 200 following the web-streaming video. After welcoming words by the Chamber of Commerce, the Columbian Ministry for ICT, the funding agency Colciencias and the EU Ambassador, Ms Russo gave a presentation on the new programme. Finally two ‘testimonials’ were given on previous experience in EU funded projects, by Dra. Patricia Portillo, CEO of Corpogen, a private company, and Colciencias. The audience handed in several questions in writing, which were partly answered at the meeting and partly to be dealt with in a Q&A forum on the website of the delegation.
Photo: Manuel José Moreno Brociner (Dir. Bogotá Innova,
Colombian Chamber of Commerce) - Cristina Russo – Tanya van Gool – Hector Rendón Osorio (Deputy DG, Colciencias)
For further information, please contact Indridi Benediktsson, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate C
Meeting with the Colombian Minister for ICT
A delegation from the Commission visited Mr Diego Molano Vega, Colombian minister for ICT and his team on 7 April. Minister Molano emphasized that Colombia is a strong partner of the EU. He explained Colombia's ICT programme
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"Vive Digital", which addresses the reduction of poverty. The programme has been extremely successful in deploying infrastructure and has been awarded several prizes for the best ICT policy in the world. The challenge ahead is to focus on developing internet applications that are useful for the most common business in Colombia, i.e. small family shops. Colombia's priority areas in this field for the next four years are to increase the use of technologies in agriculture, e-health, e-justice and e-education. Ms Russo, Director for International Cooperation at DG RTD, introduced the new programme Horizon 2020 and its openness to the world. Finally she gave the Minister a copy of a publication on the soils of Latin-America and the Caribbean, which was recently issued by the EC Joint Research Centre.
Photo: Diego Molano Vega, Colombian Minister for ICT and
Cristina Russo, Director for International Cooperation, DG RTD
For further information, please contact Indridi Benediktsson
[email protected] DG RTD Directorate C
Senior Officials Meeting, SOM, of the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation, JIRI
The fourth annual meeting of senior officials from the EU and countries of Latin-America and the Caribbean (CELAC) took place in San José in Costa Rica on 3
rd and 4
th of April.
The meeting was opened by Mr Alfio Piva, Vice-President of Costa Rica and Mr Jose Luis Martinez Prada, Chargé d’Affairs of the EU delegation in Costa Rica. Ms Cristina Russo, Director for International Cooperation at DG RTD, and Mr Keilor Rojas, Costa Rican Vice-Minister for research co-chaired the meeting which was attended by senior officials from 8 EU countries and 23 CELAC countries as well as observers from relevant thematic and regional networking projects. Also present were representatives of DEVCO, the EU delegation in Brazil, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Institute des Amériques in France. In total close to 100 persons. Mr Alejandro Cruz, Minister for Science, Technology and Telecommunication of
Costa Rica, also addressed the meeting. Ahead of the SOM, results from recent workshops of the thematic working groups were circulated. These documents include suggestions for topics to be addressed in a joint call managed by the ERA-NET LAC project. The SOM decided to narrow the list of possible topics to be considered to the top rated topics. Another important decision taken at the SOM concerned the subject of researchers’ careers where it was decided to expand the mandate of the horizontal working group on ‘good practice and funding’ to include this aspect. In her closing address, Ms Russo underlined the importance of synergizing the different activities for research collaboration. Finally she invited the participants to the fifth SOM which is scheduled to take place in Europe in 2015.
Photo: Group photo at EU-CELAC meeting
For further information, please contact Indridi Benediktsson
[email protected] DG RTD Directorate C
Visit to ANSPE, the Columbian national agency for overcoming extreme poverty
Overcoming poverty has a high priority for the Columbian government. Thirty per cent of the population lives in poverty, of which close to a third (9% of total) in extreme poverty. The agency’s aim is to help this disadvantaged segment of the population. The agency does not give direct financial support to the 350 thousand families they are supervising, but ensures that they have the right conditions to take part in society, having equal access to justice, civil liberties and opportunities. This includes areas such as education, health, nutrition, work, housing and legal rights. The meeting was with Ms Beatriz Linares Cantillo, the General Director of ANSPE and her co-workers. They presented the agency and its objectives and possible cooperation was discussed. ANSPE is a partner in one FP7
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project, ‘SI-Drive’, focusing on social innovation and looks forward to possible future involvement in relevant Horizon 2020 projects.
Photo: Inside ANSPE For further information, please contact Indridi Benediktsson, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate C
Visit to SENA, Colombian National Service of Learning
SENA was created in 1957 as a joint initiative between organized labour, employers, the Catholic Church and the International Labour Organization. The initiative aims to develop education in Colombia and create employment. It is focused on professional training programmes that combine middle and secondary education with basic science and advanced technology, seeking to benefit young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The visiting delegation from the EU was headed by Ms Russo, Director for International Cooperation at DG RTD, and Ms van Gool, EU Ambassador to Colombia. They were given a comprehensive introduction to the activities of SENA, which includes innovation projects together with industrial partners, which have led to the filing of several patents.
Photo: Group picture of the delegation visiting SENA
For further information, please contact Indridi Benediktsson, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate C
EU-Africa Business Forum, Brussels 31 March – 1 April 2014
At the EU-Africa Business Forum (EABF), STI was an important item of discussion at several of the round-tables. For example, the renewable energy (RE) round-table highlighted the need for a stable regulatory framework and governmental support; the difficulty with scaling up proof-of-concept projects and the need for innovative financing, education and the adaptation and development of technologies specifically for Africa. On raw materials, a call was made for the transformation of African industry based on innovation and the sustainable use of natural resources to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The importance of geological knowledge and skills was highlighted as well as access to geo-scientific data that are understandable, easy to use and digital. The EC organised a roundtable on 'innovation serving food and nutrition security in Europe and Africa'. It was opened by Cristina Russo, Director for International Cooperation and Patrik Kolar, Head of Unit Agri-food chains (DG RTD) and closed by David Radcliffe, Policy Officer Agricultural Research and Innovation systems (DG DEVCO). The co-chairs Lucy Muchoki, CEO of Pan African Agribusiness and Agroindustry Consortium, and Emily Alpert, Deputy-Director of Agriculture for Impact chaired an interactive debate that raised issues such as the challenge of scaling innovation; the potential of multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary platforms; the importance of a favourable policy and regulatory environment; the need to learn from failure and the need for innovative and flexible funding mechanisms that allow for risk taking.
Photo: The co-chairs Lucy Muchoki, CEO of Pan African Agribusiness and Agroindustry Consortium, and Emily Alpert, Deputy-Director of Agriculture for Impact
For further information, please visit https://www.dropbox.com/s/hzt6pbdr29xt9hn/Concept_note_EAB
F_Innovation.pdf or contact Nienke Buisman, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate C
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Launch of the "Name that cute robot on the Tokyo Delegation's wall" Contest
Japan's children are crazy about robots. Now, the Tokyo Delegation has such a mascot on its wall symbolising 'Research and Innovation collaboration with Japan'. This robot is waiting for his/her name. For this reason, on her arrival to Tokyo on 13 April, Director Cristina Russo officially announced the opening of the contest organised by the Delegation 'Name that cute robot on the EU Delegation wall!'. The deadline is 13 June. We are waiting for your submissions! Details of the contest are available here: http://www.euinjapan.jp/en/media/news/news2014/20140418/1
41141/
Photo : HABATAKI PROJECT by Shintakujyuku
For further information please contact Barbara Rhode, [email protected] or Tom Kuczynski,
[email protected], EU Delegation in Tokyo
Horizon 2020 – Opportunities and Mechanisms
On 17 March 2014, the Association of European Businesses held a Briefing by Richard Burger, Research & Innovation Counselor, Head of Science & Technology Section, Delegation of the European Union to the Russian Federation organized by the Working Group on Modernization and Innovations. The Event titled ”Horizon 2020 – Opportunities and Mechanisms” continued the discussion raised by EU Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn in November 2013 and provided detailed information on the EU financial instrument Horizon 2020. There was particular focus on the opportunities for companies operating in Russia to participate in Horizon 2020 and in its projects. The Briefing was chaired by Michael Akim, Chairman of the Working Group on modernization and innovations. The Event took place with the participation of Irina Kuklina, Executive Director of the International Centre for Innovations in Science, Technology and Education who briefed on the EU-Russia Year of Science 2014 and possibilities for AEB companies to participate in the Year of Science.
The Association of European Businesses is actively participating in the implementation of the EU-Russia Year of Science 2014.
Photo: (l-r) Irina Kuklina, Richard Burger and Michael Akim (Photo courtesy of AEB)
For further information, please visit http://aebrus.ru/en/news/
or contact Richard Burger, [email protected], EU Delegation in Moscow
Workshop on EU-China R&D in peaceful uses of nuclear energy
The China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) invited the Research and Innovation Counsellor of the EU Delegation to China, Mr Philippe Vialatte, to present opportunities for EU China research and innovation collaboration in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy on 3 April 2014. The workshop, which was well organised by the CAEA International Cooperation Department, brought together around 40 participants, including CAEA officials, research institutes and industries and universities involved in the nuclear research sector. Three presentations focusing on a short introduction of the European Union, on Horizon 2020 and on EURATOM-China joint research actions were greatly appreciated by the audience which raised many interesting questions surrounding the calls for proposals, the evaluation procedures, selection of priority topics, and how to participate. In his opening remarks, Mr Chi Xuefeng, Deputy-Director of the Systems Engineering Division in the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, praised EU-China bilateral collaboration in the sector, and reviewed the ongoing collaborations in Fission Coordinated Actions and Security & Safeguards which resulted from coordinated calls in the framework of the EU China R&D PUNE Agreement.
For further information please contact Philippe Vialatte, [email protected]
EU Delegation in Beijing
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May 2014 Issue 45
ERC at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), in San Diego and at the American Geographers Annual Meetings (AAG), in Tampa
The ERC was represented at the AACR conference, with about 18,000 researchers, patient advocates, and other professionals in the cancer field from around the world; as well as the AAG Annual Meeting of geographers, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) specialists, environmental scientists, and other leaders for the latest in research and applications in geography, sustainability, and up-to-date geographic information Science (GI). An ERC stand and several sessions with ERC grantees, Euraxess, and ERC representatives were organised on these occasions.
Photo: Hilde Baeskens, Communications officer at the ERC, at the
AACR conference
For further information, please contact Samantha Christey [email protected] ERCEA - Communication Unit A2
TOUR OF CHINA 2014 ready for departure
The 3rd
comprehensive Research and Innovation Awareness Raising and Information Campaign in China – the TOUR OF CHINA 2014 edition – is about to be launched. Throughout May and June, the TOUR OF CHINA 2014 will showcase Europe’s (EU and EU Member States) wide array of research and innovation opportunities across nine major Chinese cities, reaching a wide audience of Chinese researchers, scientists and innovation stakeholders from the public and private sectors. This year's TOUR, which is organised in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), one of the EU's key partners for collaborative research, includes visits to some of the most famous CAS institutes across China with stops in Xiamen, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming, Shanghai, Hefei, Suzhou, and Beijing. Building on the success of the 2012 and 2013 editions, the TOUR OF CHINA 2014 will
highlight collaboration opportunities offered by the EU Member States and Associated Countries and by the European Union’s new Framework Programme Horizon 2020 as well as EURAXESS Links China. The objective is to further widen the scope of existing research and innovation cooperation between the European Union and China, provide a more thematic focus for collaboration opportunities, and to further strengthen the EU-China bilateral relations in a more strategic manner consolidating Europe's position as THE strong partner for China in research and innovation. Additional events throughout the year will also take place upon request of our Chinese partners.
For further information please contact Philippe Vialatte, [email protected]
EU Delegation in Beijing
Advancing your Research with EU and Chinese Fellowships: An Experience-Sharing Workshop
The first EURAXESS Share event of the year, “Advancing your Research with EU and Chinese Fellowships: Experience-Sharing Workshop”, was held on 17 April in Beijing at the Sino-German Centre for Research Promotion. Around 100 participants – Chinese, European and international researchers from all fields and all levels of seniority – listened and engaged in lively discussions with recipients of various Chinese fellowships for international scientists as well as with outgoing and incoming Marie Curie Fellows. Interesting experiences, personal views and many practical details were shared among the participants on how to best advance one’s research and one’s career between Europe, China and other regions of the world. The increasing number of Chinese funding schemes open to foreigners was mentioned. Also mentioned were their strengths and their limitations, often making it necessary for researchers wishing to advance their research to combine several fellowships. The Marie Curie Fellows highlighted the opportunity and generosity offered by the Marie Curie individual fellowships. The event was concluded by a
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networking dinner cocktail, allowing participants to further discuss and exchange experiences in a very friendly atmosphere.
For further information please contact Philippe Vialatte, [email protected], EU Delegation in Beijing
EU China Joint Innovation Experts Task Force Meeting held in Beijing
During an intense mission to China on 19-21 March 2014, Mr Kostas Glinos, Head of Unit for Asia/Pacific at DG RTD's Directorate for International Cooperation, advanced the bilateral discussions in key dossiers of the EU-China partnership in research and innovation. Mr Glinos' visit to China followed up on the conclusions of the First Innovation Cooperation Dialogue held in November 2013 as well as on the strategic initiatives in targeted thematic areas launched over the course of last year. Mr Glinos participated in the EU-China Joint Innovation Experts Task Force meeting which was co-organised with the Ministry of Sciences and Technology. The objective of the experts meeting was to develop a roadmap of concrete actions until the next high level meeting of the Innovation Cooperation Dialogue. The visit was also the occasion for various meetings with key interlocutors in the Chinese R&I landscape such as the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technologies, as well as the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, and the EU Member States Science Counsellors. The discussions with the various interlocutors moved forward the discussions related to EU China research and innovation cooperation in areas of common interest such as sustainable urbanisation and food, agriculture and biotechnology, and the improvement of framework conditions for innovation.
For further information please contact Diego Sammaritano, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate C, or
Philippe Vialatte, [email protected]
EU Delegation in Beijing Launching of Tour of Brazil 2014
On 7 April, the EU and Member States launched a Tour of Brazil, in order to present Europe and European Research and Innovation activities. The tour will include Brazilian states and cities which normally are less visited by international institutions. The first event of the tour was a Joint Seminar on Research and Innovation between Europe and the State of Ceará. The event was hosted by the University of the State of Ceará (UECE) with 130 registered participants. It was opened by Prof José Jackson Sampaio, Rector of the University, Ambassador Ana Paula Zacarias, Head of Delegation to Brazil, and Mr Francisco Carvalho, the representative of the State Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher Education. Piero Venturi, Head of Sector for Research and Innovation within the EU
Delegation in Brazil, presented Horizon 2020 while Paulo Lopes (EURAXESS Links representative in Brazil) presented EURAXESS. Member State representatives gave presentations with a focus on the cooperation with Brazil in renewable energy (Portugal, France, Belgium, Poland and Denmark) while other Member States' representatives attended the event and actively participated in the bilateral meetings (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria). The industry, academia and government of Ceará supported the event and showed their interest in cooperating in renewable energy with European actors. They also participated in the multiple bilateral meetings which were organised following the event. On 15 May, Poland will organise an event in Belo Horizonte (State of Minas Gerais). On 22 May Euraxess will organize an event focused on innovation in São Paulo, in partnership with FIESP (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo). Future events are scheduled for the second semester in the States of Pará, Amazonia, Tocantins, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro and again São Paulo.
Photo: Participants of Tour of Brazil 2014
For further information, please contact Domenica Bumma, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate C or Piero Venturi, [email protected], EU Delegation in Brasilia
EU-Australia Cooperation on Carbon Capture and
Storage (CCS), Mission to Australia, 11-14 March 2014
Within the framework of EU-Australia Cooperation on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), the EU-Australia Workshop on CO2 Storage and the EU-Australia Twinning Workshop on CO2 Capture took place in Australia between 11 and 14 March 2014. The European Commission (EC) representatives gave presentations in both workshops on the SET plan, Horizon 2020, the EC proposal for the 2030 Energy and Climate Framework, an update of the EC initiatives on CCS, as well as the twining opportunities with Australia on CO2 Capture and Storage. The Australian government welcomed further extension of EU–Australia cooperation, while the Australian delegates explained the on-going CO2 Storage projects/pilots in Australia and the possibilities to cooperate with EU projects. Moreover, in the
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twinning workshop on CO2 Capture, the EU and Australian delegates presented the twinning activities in each of the 6 projects funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). During the mission, the strategic importance of EU cooperation with Australia on CCS was confirmed. There appear to be further opportunities for collaboration in CO2 Storage topics in the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2014-2015, while the EU-Australia twinning activity on CO2 Capture was considered as a Flagship of International Cooperation with a high potential for deeper collaboration. There was enthusiasm and motivation from both sides to share results and to continue the cooperation at a higher level.
For further information, please contact Vassilios Kougionas, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate G
EU attending the meeting of Confederation of State Foundations of Brazil (CONFAP)
On 18 March, Pierro Venturi of the EU Delegation in Brazil presented Horizon 2020 to the Confederation of State Foundations of Brazil (CONFAP) during its general meeting, at the invitation of its president, Sergio Gargioni. The event took place in Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais. The main objective of the presentation was to explain the rules of participation in Horizon 2020, highlighting the lack of automatic funding for Brazilian partners and raising awareness that Brazilian partners could be funded at the state level in Brazil. The meeting was attended by the majority of the Presidents of the 27 State Foundations, most of whom were already aware of the need to find a funding tool for Brazilian participation in Horizon 2020. They have shown interest in cooperating with the EU. The State Foundations are responsible for research and innovation in the 27 Brazilian States as well as funding research institutions. General meetings take place twice a year.
For further information, please contact Domenica Bumma, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate C
or Piero Venturi, [email protected] EU Delegation in Brasilia
10th Plenary of IPCC WG2 and 38th Session of the IPCC
The "International Panel on Climate Change", IPCC is the UN scientific watchdog on the global temperature increase. Its plenary meeting on 25-29 March in Yokohama was also an opportunity to look into the state of research collaboration with Japan in the field of climate change. It is not the easiest area for Japan due to the current domestic energy policy and challenges in development of a renewable market. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has been a long-term partner for RTD, as Mr A. Kentarchos (RTD I.4) and Mr H. Kondo (currently at Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan) testified during a briefing for the EU MS on 24 March. Together with Ms J. Cook (CLIMA), they shared their views on the current
state of negotiations and confirmed the increasing role of scientific research and the importance of sharing sensitive scientific input. IPCC meetings are famous for their long duration. The last session, indeed, was 24 hours long, leaving unfortunately no time to have even a glance at the Japanese cherry blossoms. Tasos, Andrea, Otsukaresama deshita*! (* well done!)
Photo: with average 18 hours working day ( l-r): A. Tilche (RTD), A. Guitierrez Teira (CLIMA), J. Cook (CLIMA), A. Kentarchos (RTD)
For further information please contact Barbara Rhode, [email protected] or Tom Kuczynski,
[email protected], EU Delegation in Tokyo
Bilat USA 2.0 webinar
On 10 April, the Bilat USA 2.0 project consortium held an online webinar on opportunities for USA stakeholders to participate in Horizon 2020, paying particular attention to the Smart, Green and Integrated Transport challenge. The webinar was led by experts from the Polish National Contact Point for the Horizon 2020 programme. About 60 stakeholders from the USA participated, mostly representatives of academia and scientific institutions. The webinar introduced Horizon 2020 with a description of the rules for participation for American partners. This was followed by a broad description of transport research areas in H2020 and opportunities for participation in 2014-2015 calls for proposals in Smart, Green and Integrated Transport and other fields. Partnering opportunities for American stakeholders through the ETNA Plus project (www.transport-ncps.net) were presented, including brokerage events and partner search opportunities available on the ETNA Plus website. US partners were encouraged to take advantage of those tools and invited to contribute their expertise. The Polish National Contact Point for Transport in Horizon 2020 presented opportunities for bilateral cooperation in various transport strategies and initiatives developed in Poland. The next webinar will be on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions in Horizon 2020.
For further information, please visit http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/
or contact Wolfgang Wittke, [email protected] DG RTD Directorate C
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Pilot Project "Recovering critical raw materials through recycling – an opportunity for the European Union and African Union" completed
This pilot project, supported by the European Parliament and implemented by the European Commission, aimed at setting the basis for Africa and Europe to work together on equal footing to establish solid cooperation on the global challenge of Solid Waste Management (SWM). The project was implemented by two events in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Brussels, Belgium under the participation of Mr Reinhard Bütikofer (MEP) and some Ministers of Environment and Science from different countries of the African Union. Participants from more than 28 different African and European countries representing Industry, Research and Academia as well as Governmental bodies met to brainstorm, exchange best practice, and identify potential cooperation actions to address the most urgent challenges in SWM. As a result, an African-European working group developed a vision for a “Joint European and African Research and Innovation Agenda on Waste Management”. The recommendations of this vision document could be implemented jointly by African and
European partners, by mobilising institutional, technical, and financial resources in order to use waste as a resource. The documentation of the two events and the final document of the pilot project can be found at the following link: http://jointeuauwasteworkshop.teamwork.fr/
Photo: Brainstorming African-European ideas for waste
management
For further information, please contact Luisa Prista, [email protected], DG RTD Directorate I
CONTACT US!
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Tel + 32 2 295 4683
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Tel + 32 2 298 7748
International Cooperation Directorate Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
European Commission
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May 2014 Issue 45
The Back Page
Costa Rica is a country with great biological diversity, especially if you consider its small territory. This biodiversity is attributed, in part, to its geographical position (centered in the tropics and near South America, the most diverse region in the world) and to its great environmental heterogeneity (irregular topography). For example, there have been reported 1400 species of vertebrates (not including fish), 1500 species of trees, and 1300 species of orchids native to Costa Rica. Even though it is limited in size, it is a region that has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the planet. My name is Alice L. Perez. I have a bachelor degree in Chemistry from the University of Costa Rica, UCR and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada. I am a professor of Chemistry and a researcher at Natural Products Research Centre, CIPRONA at the University of Costa Rica (UCR). My area of research is the synthesis of organic compounds and the study of their biological activity, especially those compounds with antiparasitic (Chagas, malaria and Leishmania), antimicrobial and anticancer activity. My research group focuses on the development of new synthetic methodologies under the principles of Green Chemistry. Also I have experience in the isolation and analysis of natural products using various spectroscopic techniques. I have been the director of CIPRONA, director of the Doctoral Program in Science and currently I am the Vice President of Research at UCR. My career would not be possible without the support of my institution and without international cooperation. Early in my career, my research was supported by the International Science Foundation (IFS). This support allowed me and my group, a dedicated group of research scientists and students, to start working and to be trained in the field and also to acquire laboratory equipment and instruments to expand our laboratory capabilities.
The involvement with other European institutions such as ICS-UNIDO, DAAD, CIRAD, CSIC and ALFA Networks through colleagues and research grants enhanced our scope and vision of our own activities, and highlighted the importance of international cooperation. I also have been involved with CYTED since the year 2002. This Iberoamerican effort to create real partners has produced multiple collaborations through horizontal exchange (both ways) of knowledge from Europe and from Latin America. Real world examples such as
research exchanges, congress, symposia, short visits, student exchange, and postgraduate opportunities makes this experience unique. Being part of an institutional counterpart in the evaluation of scholarships from the program Erasmus Mundus put into perspective another important factor of international cooperation: the importance of the student exchange from both continents. The experience shared by our students is invaluable, a mind opening aventure.
Thanks to my duties as Vice President of Research, I have been engaged with European projects coming from the FP7 program. This allows me to get involved with the dynamics of such activities and to know groups like APRE in Rome or MENON in Brussels and as well to share with Central American, Caribbean and European partners our concerns in issues like health, climate change, biodiversity, ICT and the bio-economy. Having part of all this gives us a lesson for life: after all, we are not that different! We have in common more things than we have suspected knowing. This abilty to see each other internationally allows us to overcome our differences, and allows us to work together. Horizon 2020 offers us the opportunity to keep growing together.
Alice L. Perez, Ph.D. Vicerrectora de Investigación
Universidad de Costa Rica
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
official policy or position of the European Commission.
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