Science|Business Widening Newsletter No.24 | Sign up here
13/12/2023
“The Widening” is a product of Science|Business and is not related to EU institutions or programmes.

This week we are taking a close look at how Romania and Bulgaria, two countries stuck at or near the bottom of most EU research and innovation leagues, have managed to improve their success rates in Horizon Europe. In addition, we have stories on the new partnership linking research infrastructures in the region with the European Innovation Council, and the SynergistEIC scheme which aims to help start-ups in Widening countries shape up to win EIC grants. We also investigate Estonia’s push to reduce reliance on imports through a focus on innovation in the raw materials sector.

The latest news

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.

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF: Concerted efforts in Romania and Bulgaria to increase success in winning Horizon Europe grants are bearing fruit. While still struggling to find their way up EU research and innovation rankings, the two countries now have the networks and support systems in place to make further headway. Mădălina Cocea has the story.

INNOVATION FOR RAW MATERIALS: Estonia might be a ‘micronation’ of around 1.3 million people but, thanks to committed scientists and companies, it aims play a big role in the EU’s bid to become more self-sufficient in raw materials. Researchers are turning their attention to making the most of overlooked domestic resources, such as wood waste and low grade ores. The full story is here.

HELPING WIDENING START-UPS GET TO KNOW THE EIC: A new partnership between the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium (CERIC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) is aiming to give a boost to start-ups and entrepreneurs in a region that to date has had limited success in winning EIC grants. 

The partnership with CERIC will give EIC grantees from across Europe access to top research infrastructures, which they can apply to use via the EIC’s catalogue of services. Meanwhile CERIC – which has six of its eight large-scale research facilities in Widening countries - can expand the number of clients for its research services and will get greater exposure to the European market as a whole. Thomas Brent has the story.

SPEAKING OF THE EIC: Start-ups in Widening countries get a helping hand in winning European Innovation Council funding thanks to SynergistEIC, a new support programme aimed at giving start-ups a better chance of success in the EIC Accelerator.

SynergistEIC’s first open call attracted more than twice the target number of applications, and of 192 bids submitted, 135 were eligible, making demand for the 15 available places almost as competitive as the EIC Accelerator itself. Ian Mundell has the story.

In other news

CLEAN TECH RESEARCH IN BULGARIA: The European Commission and the Bulgarian government have inaugurated this week a new research centre for mechatronics and clean technologies at the Academy of Sciences in Sofia. The centre will get €30 million in EU regional development funds to work on clean energy storage and methods for obtaining, purifying and storing hydrogen. The facility also aims to enhance the competitiveness of the Bulgarian industry in areas such as mechanics, control systems, and electromobility.

SMALL NUCLEAR HYPE IN EASTERN EUROPE: The Polish government has approved a plan for the nuclear energy arm of Orlen, Poland’s crude oil refining company, to build 24 small modular reactors (SMRs) across six sites in partnership with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, a signal nuclear energy will play a significant role in the country’s shift from coal-fired electricity plants.

Investment in SMRs is picking up speed in central and eastern Europe, spearheaded by the US government. Oregon-based NuScale Power Corporation is planning to install six nuclear reactors at a site in Doicești, with funding from the US and Romanian governments. NuSale is also involved in a similar project in the Czech Republic.

Earlier this year, NuScale cancelled a project in Idaho due to worries about low subscriptions to the plant’s electricity, but said it has the cash to continue the other projects it is involved in.

Meanwhile in Brussels, MEPs say the EU should have its own joint undertaking to promote the development and deployment of small-scale nuclear power stations, to wean itself off fossil fuel.

BULGARIAN AI MAKING WAVES: Bulgaria’s INSAIT artificial intelligence research institute has joined as co-founder of a new global AI Alliance, along with IBM, Meta, ETH Zurich, EPFL, NASA, CERN, and other top universities and companies, putting eastern Europe on the map of global developments in artificial intelligence.

INSAIT was launched in 2022 with $100 million in government funding, a strong partnership with ETH Zurich and EPFL, and donations from Google, Amazon and SiteGround. Its founder Martin Vechev says INSAIT is an all-in-one institute running a computer science PhD programme, supporting basic research and acting as an incubator for start-ups. 

CROATIAN AI FOR GERMAN CARMAKER: The University of Zagreb has signed a deal with German carmaker BMW to develop artificial intelligence models for the production of prototype battery cells. Croatian researchers will work with BMW’s battery competence centre in Munich to research and develop the electric car batteries.

CZECH TIES WITH TAIWAN: Charles University in Prague and National Chengchi University in Taipei have launched a joint research centre to study the stability of supply chains and to boost the semiconductor sector in the Czech Republic.

The deal has political backing, with the chairman of the Czech Senate Miloš Vystrčil hailing the new centre as an important milestone in bringing the central European country “closer to strategic independence and strengthen our competitiveness.”

“We are keenly aware of the importance of a stable supply of semiconductors for national security, democracy, freedom, and a sustainable future," said Tsai-Yen Li, president of National Chengchi University.

Mark your calendars 

13 FEBRUARY 2023, BRUSELS: What’s on the Horizon? Framing the next 40 years of European R&I. A public conference celebrating 40 years of the EU’s Framework Programmes, and 20 years of Science|Business (09:00-17:30 CET). Register here.

Science|Business Widening group

We held the first founding members’ group meeting of our Widening initiative in January, which led to successful discussions about the future of the community. You can find out more about becoming a member at this link.

UPCOMING EVENTS