Science|Business Widening Newsletter No.40 | Sign up here
25/09/2024
“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 Florin Zubașcu

This week we have a leaked letter from 15 research ministers asking the European Commission to keep the Widening programme in FP10. Meanwhile, the Hungarian research minister is taking a jab at the Commission over blocked Horizon Europe funding, and elsewhere the strains of demographic changes are adding to the problems facing universities in central and eastern Europe as they try to cope with brain drain. For some brighter news, we look at how Lithuanian laser companies are having a moment in the sun.

The latest news

THE WIDENING GAMES BEGIN: A group of 15 EU research ministers penned a joint letter to outgoing research commissioner Iliana Ivanova and to commissioner designate Ekaterina Zaharieva urging them to ensure FP10 maintains the Widening programme. The 15 countries represent a comfortable blocking minority in the Council of the EU, where member states, the Parliament and the Commission will negotiate the details of FP10. Read the letter here.

TAKING A JAB: Hungary’s innovation minister Balázs Hankó appeared to be publicly scolding the Commission at a press conference in Budapest last week. Hankó is dissatisfied with the ongoing limbo for some Hungarian universities and research institutes that cannot access Horizon Europe funds, thanks to a broader political tussle between Brussels and Budapest.  

BRAIN DRAIN: Universities in central and eastern Europe are particularly vulnerable to shifting demographics, according to the European University Association’s latest trends survey of 489 higher education institutions in 46 countries. Sarah Drumm has the story.

THE ECOSYSTEM: Lithuania’s laser ecosystem is remarkably strong. Underpinned by an academic centre of excellence at the University of Vilnius, it has grown dramatically over the past two decades to cover  almost the entire value chain. The challenge it faces now is to remove barriers to further growth, such as workforce shortages, and to enter new markets. Ian Mundell has the story.

FUNDING BOOST: The Widening programme seems to be bearing fruit, with lower performing countries increasing their share of grants from 9% in Horizon 2020 to 13% in the first half of Horizon Europe, according to a Science|Business analysis of the latest EU funding data. 

SCIENCE|BUSINESS EVENTS KLAXON: Don’t forget about our upcoming conference in Skopje on research and innovation infrastructures in southeast Europe. The conference agenda and a registration link are available here.

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

HUNGARY GETS VIP SCIENCE ADVISER: Balázs Hankó, minister of culture and innovation, appointed Nobel prize-winning physicist Ferenc Krausz as chief adviser on science policy. The government is aiming high, with a plan for Hungary to move up the innovation league table and become one of EU’s top 10 innovators by 2030. Krausz’s advisory role is meant to support work towards achieving that goal.

POLICY SUPPORT FOR BULGARIA: The European Commission announced it started working on a review of Bulgaria’s research and innovation system, with the aim of helping the government in Sofia design and implement structural reforms. The exercise is part of the policy support facility, a service provided by the Commission to help member states improve their policymaking in research and innovation. A report of the Bulgarian policy review is due at the end of May 2025.

NEW EVALUATION SYSTEM: The Czech Academy of Sciences this week presented an action plan to reform research evaluation. The goal is to align more closely to principles agreed under the international Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment. A new assessment system should recognise the diversity of contributions that research activity produces and through which it meets the needs of society; base research assessment on qualitative approach in which informed peer review plays a central role; abandon inappropriate use of publication metrics in research assessment; and avoid the use of international rankings to evaluate organisations, the plan says.

NUCLEAR DEAL: Czechia’s ministry of trade announced the UK engineering company Rolls-Royce has been selected to work with ČEZ, the Czech nuclear power company, on developing technologies for new small modular reactors (SMR) in the country. The first SMR is planned by ČEZ at a site near the existing Temelin nuclear power plant in the 2030s, while two other sites at Tušimice and Dětmarovice are being surveyed and monitored to see if they are suitable for hosting nuclear facilities.

The announcement is part of a broader trend in central and eastern Europe, where countries have signed deals with companies and research centres in the US and South Korea for the development of SMRs. Czechia also announced recently it will form a nuclear industry alliance with South Korea.

Mark your calendars 

SKOPJE, 1 OCTOBER: The role of outheast Europe: How to maintain, build, and interconnect research and innovation infrastructures in Europe? A public conference by the Science|Business Widening initiative. Registration is still open here.

BRNO, 2 OCTOBER: The annual conference of the Czech Association of Research Managers and Administrators will take place in Brno on 2nd October. More than 150 project management professionals from across the Czech Republic will gather to discuss the role of their profession.

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.

BRUSSELS, 10 OCTOBER: The Slovak liaison office for research and development in Brussels will celebrate its 10^th anniversary. Signe Ratso, deputy director general for research and innovation at the European Commission will give a keynote speech. More details here.

WARSAW, 29-30 OCTOBER: The Deep Tech 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. 

ONLINE, 5 NOVEMBER: Commercialisation Reactor invites scientists to award-winning commercialisation programme. The Reactor is an international platform for science commercialisation, recognized by the EIT Deep Talent Initiative. Their next training course will start on 5 November.

Science|Business Widening group

Did you know that we host a meeting of the founding members of our Widening initiative once a month, during which we discuss the latest progress and the future of the community? You can find out more about becoming a member at this link.

UPCOMING EVENTS