- Posted 02-Nov-2021
Conference on the new European Research Area
On 26 and 27 October, the conference “New European Research Area – Towards Responsible Knowledge-Driven Society of the 3rd Millenium” took place in Brdo, Slovenia. The conference brought together policy makers, researchers and innovators from across the EU to discuss the design and implementation of the new European Research Area (ERA).
Based on excellence, competitive, open and talent-driven, the new European Research Area will improve Europe's research and innovation landscape, accelerate the green and digital transition, support the EU’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis, and strengthen its resilience against future crises.
The event came at a timely moment, as the first two milestones of the new European Research Area – the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe and the new ERA governance framework, including the first ERA policy agenda – are expected at the end of November. The contribution of stakeholders to the discussions are crucial to make the new ERA a success.
Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and Simona Kustec, Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport, opened the event, followed by a ministerial roundtable. On the second day, stakeholder workshops on ERA in relation to Research Infrastructures, prospective research careers, open science and the economy gave the opportunity to focus on different aspects of the proposed Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe and the new ERA policy agenda.
Background
The Commission Communication on “A new ERA for Research and Innovation” of September 2020, endorsed by Council Conclusions on the new ERA in December 2020, set out the new vision for the ERA. It includes four strategic objectives:
- Prioritise investments and reforms in research and innovation;
- Improve access to excellent facilities and infrastructures for researchers across the EU;
- Boost the market uptake of research and innovation results;
- Strengthen the mobility of researchers and free flow of knowledge and technology.
In 2021, the ERA Forum for Transition was established. It is an informal Commission expert group, where the Commission, Member States’ and European Economic Area country experts together kick-started the work on the new ERA.
Source: European Commission I Research and Innovation (https://bit.ly/3nAakzr)