Science|Business Widening Newsletter No.36 | Sign up here
19/06/2024
“The Widening” is a product of Science|Business and is not related to EU institutions or programmes.

Focus on central and eastern Europe

Welcome to a new edition of The Widening newsletter, a roundup of news and analysis of research and innovation policy and investments in central and eastern Europe, delivered to your inbox twice a month. Sign up here.

Edited by Thomas Brent

With the EU elections now over, it’s time to get back to national politics. In Estonia the government is moving ahead with plans to revamp its research and innovation law for the first time in nearly 30 years. Elsewhere, an EU project targeting six central and eastern European countries aims to increase the number of business angels investing in start-ups and deep tech, while a new German paper calls for more coherent and forward-thinking planning to support Ukrainian science and the restoration of the country’s research infrastructure. We also find out how a Czech university managed to for the first time take the lead on a Horizon Europe project.

The latest news

BETTER ANGELS: Central and eastern Europe needs more private investment in innovation, and especially deep tech. While start-ups across Europe raised $7.3 billion in early-stage investment in 2023, only €395.9 million of this went to eastern Europe. An EU-funded project seeks to change that by supporting business angel investors in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Romania. Sarah Drumm has the story.

ESTONIA TO REVAMP R&I LAW: Estonia is moving forward with plans for a new R&I act to overhaul and modernise the existing 1997 legislation, which the government describes as “not effective enough in today's circumstances”. Find out more about what the new act will entail in our article here.

COORDINATING UKRAINE’S REBUILD: Support for Ukrainian science has been in emergency mode since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Now, it’s time to start more coordinated and long-term planning, the Alliance of German Science Organisations says in a new paper. Despite global efforts to support Ukraine’s academic sector, one researcher on the ground in Kyiv says much more must be done. Read our full report here. 

CZECH UNIVERSITY STEPS UP: For the first time in its history, the Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE) has become the coordinator of a Horizon Europe project. This is a major achievement, and a step that many other institutions in central and eastern Europe are eager to replicate. In an interview with one of the two VŠE managers running the project, we find out more about what is involved and get tips on how other universities can take on coordinator roles. 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF THE WIDENING: We launched The Widening newsletter in 2022 to shed more light on the R&I ecosystems of the newer EU member states, an area we felt did not receive the attention it deserves. Now, almost two years and 36 editions later, we have built up a strong following of 7,000 subscribers and have covered topics and countries far beyond our original plan. But we can always do better, and that’s why we are asking you to help us to improve our newsletter by responding to this very short survey. Your support is appreciated.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? We welcome opinion pieces and other contributions on R&I policy in central and eastern Europe. Send yours to news@sciencebusiness.net.

In other news

SLOVAKIA NEEDS YOU: The Slovak Academy of Sciences is looking to recruit internationally recognised scientists and researchers to create and manage their own research groups as part of the country’s IMPULZ programme. The applications are open until 2 September, see here for more details. 

SUPPORT TO GLOBALISE CZECH START-UPS: Czech start-up support agency CzechInvest has launched a new programme to support at least 100 tech companies with global expansion. The first of two calls has now been published, companies can win around €120,000 for services such as pre-mentoring, acceleration, expansion, R&D expansion. Find out more here. 

CZECHIA MUST BE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO RESEARCHERS: Czechia must do more to increase its attractiveness to international scientists, says the country’s education minister, Jaroslav Miller. He recently met European Research Council president Maria Leptin when she made a two-day visit to the country last week. “Although the Czech Republic is becoming a more attractive destination for scientists, domestic research institutions are not yet able to attract more holders of these grants from abroad,” Miller said. “Efforts need to be increased, both in the area of research funding and in building a more welcoming environment for the international scientific community.” 

SLOVENIA TO REFORM HIGHER EDUCATION: Slovenia has opened a public consultation on a new act that will completely overhaul its higher education legislation. The draft proposal seeks to update the 1993 act and includes an increase in funding for higher education. 

LJUBLJANA PARTNERS FOR DEEP TECH: The University of Ljubljana has partnered with capital investment fund The Vesna to support deep tech innovation. “I welcome the opportunity to give researchers access to new resources for innovation and knowledge transfer and thereby stimulate the growth of our country and region,” said Gregor Majdič, the university’s rector. 

SLOVENIA IN SPACE: Slovenia is to become a full member of the European Space Agency (ESA) from January 2025 after prime minister Robert Golob signed off on the agreement in Paris this week. Slovenia has been an associate member for eight years and already has over 70 companies and 30 institutions registered to work on ESA projects.

Mark your calendars 

ONLINE, 20 JUNE: Europe is re-thinking its industrial strategy and many believe that competitiveness is going to be at the heart of its R&I policy in the near future. With that in mind, what role will central and eastern Europe play in all this? That is the questions that US German Marshall Fund hopes to address in this online conference.

DUBROVNIK, 5-7 SEPTEMBER: Croatia’s ENTRENOVA (Enterprise Research Innovation Conference) looks to examine economic, management, organisational, marketing and other issues related to innovation, information technology, and R&D driven by enterprises. Find out more here. 

BUCHAREST, 2-3 OCTOBER: The How to Web conference describes itself as the meeting point for eastern Europe’s technology scene. Over 100 speakers and 3,000 attendees are expected this year in Romania’s capital. Find out more here.

WARSAW, 29-30 OCTOBER: The Deep Tech CEE Summit offers a chance to dive into the goings on in central and eastern Europe and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs. There is also an investors’ day on 28 October. Find out more here. 

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