Research Matters Campaign

#ResearchMatters! The upcoming weeks will be crucial for securing a doubling of the long-term budget for #research and #innovation in the EU. 💪🏼We encourage all our supporters to speak up to their stakeholders, especially their governments and the media about the benefits of R&I and the need for increased funding for our future. 📨Read our open letter, which is supported by over 80 European organisations and institutions: https://lnkd.in/etz7E52r Our partners: Arces - CESAER - Coimbra Group - EASSH – European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities - EARMA - European University Association - EuroTech Universities Alliance - The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities - EU-LIFE - League of European Research Universities (LERU) Science Europe - UnILiON - Universities Informal Liaison Offices Network - University of Bergen (UiB) YERUN - Young European Research Universities #EUPRIO - European Association of Communication Professionals in Higher Education

#ResearchMatters to more than #competitiveness! The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany has warned the European Commission against taking a narrow view of #research and #innovation. “The value of R&I extends beyond its contribution to competitiveness,” the alliance says in a letter sent to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “To ensure the advancement of excellent research and innovation in Europe, there is a need for long-term funding that allows risk-taking, is open to new topics and is guided by the criterion of scientific excellence,” the letter goes on. Read their open letter https://lnkd.in/d3YmV4_g

Full agreement with Commissioner Zaharieva’s statement: “Our competitiveness is a matter of security. It’s a matter of preserving our democratic order,” she emphasised. “Without investing in research and innovation, we are not going to be competitive. It’s as simple as that.” With this in mind, it seems premature to conclude that doubling the budget is ‘not realistic.’ What is realistic is recognising the urgent need for a significant boost in ambition and budget for European R&I. If we are serious about addressing the innovation gap, enhancing competitiveness, advancing decarbonisation, and ensuring resilience and security, we must prioritise continued and accelerated developments in science and technology. These goals are inherently interconnected, and achieving them requires bold and ambitious action. The Heitor report rightly states that now is the time to embrace this ambition and pursue the doubling of the R&I budget. Only then will there be sufficient financial backing to ensure that these aspirations become realistic. The alternative is accepting that the innovation gap will remain unclosed, the pursuit of competitiveness and decarbonisation will slow, and security and resilience will be compromised. It’s as simple as that. https://lnkd.in/eNw33n8p

EU countries should at least reach 3% of GDP for R&D: 💬 "Besides efforts by the Commission to boost innovation in the 27-member bloc, European Commission Commissioner Zaharieva also pointed out that all member states should try to strengthen their research performance by ensuring appropriate public and private investment, incentives and reforms. Asked whether the EU could allocate 3% of its GDP to the research and development field, a target set over two decades ago, Zaharieva said that it was “absolutely achievable.”  In 2023, the bloc’s share of GDP spent on research and development reached 2.2%. Read more in Science|Business: https://lnkd.in/dy4QxtFc #ResearchMatters

💬 "Our commitment to Research and Innovation (R&I) remains unwavering. [...] R&I will be a top priority in the upcoming multiannual financial framework and Framework Programme, driving innovation and boosting our competitiveness. This is clearly demonstrated in the Political Guidelines, which announce that we will put research and innovation, science and technology, at the centre of our economy. We will increase spending for research via an expansion of both the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council." A positive signal from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her letter to the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and YERUN - Young European Research Universities! 👏 #ResearchMatters

#ResearchMatters to all of us❤️

🌟 Transforming Care with Social Robots 🌟 The FII Smart Innovation Lab and Maastricht Center for Robots at Maastricht University are redefining service innovation with social robots that provide emotional support and functional aid for diverse needs. From PEPPER comforting children in hospitals to AI-powered ABii supporting vulnerable students, their robots improve emotional well-being and cognitive development. For seniors, the minimalist HIRO robot offers companionship, easing loneliness and supporting dementia care. Social robots address critical challenges like workforce shortages in #healthcare and #education, enabling professionals to focus on complex tasks while improving care quality. Read more about how interdisciplinary #Innovation and #ResearchMatters in the full story: https://lnkd.in/dcrCgNCt EASSH – European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities

Most of these organisations and excellent European colleagues are also collaboration in the Research Matters Campaign which aims to increase funding for #Research and #Innovation in Europe - a pleasure to work with you all!

🚀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝘆’𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀! 📍 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 #𝟭: 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘂 𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗮, 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗮 🐧Today marks the start of an incredible scientific expedition at UPF, where a €11.2M ERC Synergy Grant is driving groundbreaking research into cellular learning. 🧬 💡 This ambitious project explores how single cells can learn from their environment, a discovery that could redefine our understanding of life itself. 🔗 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/dk_E9Cry 🔗 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁: https://lnkd.in/dcm2yquB Aarhus University Universitatea „Babeș-Bolyai” din Cluj-Napoca Universität Bern Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna Universiteit Gent University of Glasgow Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie King's College London Universitetet i Oslo (UiO) University of Ljubljana Université Paris Cité Université catholique de Louvain Radboud University Université PSL Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona University of Tartu University of Tuebingen Uppsala University University of Warwick Universität Wien Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo Aneta Koseska Dietmar Schmucker European Research Council (ERC) Mònica Alonso Irene Peiró Compains

👋🏼Did you miss the #ResearchMatters event "Invest in the Future" in Brussels on 2 October? The event discussed the importance of EU's long-term budget for #research and #innovation. Speakers were Enrico Letta, MEP Christian Ehler, Maria Leptin, Pascal Metivier, and Charlotte Van Velthoven-Geerdink The event report 📃 and video recording🎬 are now available: https://lnkd.in/dPjFK7sM