The Commission published two conceptual frameworks on how to use R&I for achieving the European Green Deal. Meanwhile, inflation starts affecting EU programmes.
On 24 January 2023, the European Commission (EC) published the new European Research Area (ERA) industrial technology roadmap for circular technologies and business models, supporting action 12 of the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024 (see SwissCore article). The roadmap seeks to better link research and innovation for technology deployment and focuses on circular technologies and innovation needs for the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries. The new circular technologies will contribute to reducing pressure on natural resources and will support the EU’s climate neutrality target for 2050. EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, in charge of innovation, research, education, culture and youth, highlighted that “circular technologies will reduce industrial emissions and pollution and allow European industry to remain at the forefront of technological development and green-tech based competitiveness.”
The roadmap was drafted with input from Member States, industry and other stakeholders. It assesses R&I investments and programmes and key technologies, their maturity and potential and suggests means to develop and scale them up. “Its analysis builds on Horizon Europe partnerships with industry which address key challenges of circularity in processing and manufacturing, building, and bio-based industries.” This is the second report on industrial technologies supporting the green transition, following the publication of the ERA industrial technology roadmap for low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries in April 2022.
The new EU roadmap points out that the EU is in a good position internationally to combine the ecological and climate targets with economic competitiveness. At 32% the EU has today already the highest share of companies worldwide active in circular economy technologies compared for instance to the United States (20%), and China (4.4%). This leadership position of EU companies is mirrored by the fact that the EU is globally also leading in circular economy technology inventions in absolute terms and as a share of green inventions. From a research and innovation perspective of the three sectors, the roadmap finds that a life-cycle approach is key to fully leverage circular technologies. This can be achieved by implementing circular economy principles already at materials’ design and development stage. The latter needs to be aligned with related initiatives, such as the Strategic Research and Innovation Plan for safe and sustainable chemicals and materials (SRIP). This comprehensive and synergy-focused approach will trigger more systemic change and will affect the entire product-service value chain. The roadmap publication will be followed by a series of workshops and event in 2023.
On 17 January 2023, the EC also published a report on R&I contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The exploratory study contributes to the relevant conceptual knowledge, identifying respective indicators and exploring how they can be used to generate empirical evidence on linkages between R&I and the achievement of the SDGs. The study focuses particularly on the challenges identified by the EC regarding the ‘twin digital and green transition’. It evidences how the 3Ps (people, prosperity, planet) dashboards can help identify specific R&I interventions to achieve certain SDGs and which actors to involve. Thus, the generated conceptual knowledge can support policymakers in identifying interventions that can actually improve a certain P-area and help them deciding to allocate the respective resources. The report makes the point that understanding the evolution of indicators and potential pathways to impact SDGs can help identify and design measures and coherent policies aligned with Agenda 2030 targets.
January also brought the high level of inflation and its effects on R&I funding to the attention of a wider public. In a Science Business viewpoint on 5 January, Lina Gálvez Muñoz (S&D, Spain), Member of the European Parliament (EP) and vice chair of the EP’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) urged action in the face of persistent average levels of 10% inflation in the EU: “Rapid increases in the price of materials or other inputs, such as we are currently experiencing, can hinder or seriously compromise projects, a situation many researchers and SMEs are now facing.” She referred to her question to the EC back in autumn 2022, whether research organisations may apply for more funding that might exceed the initially granted budget if they face inflated prices – or whether a price review formula could be included in new calls for proposals to offset cost increases that were unforeseeable at the start of the project? In his answer, EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn (Budget and Administration) writes that the “Commission is aware of the pressure that the current increase in costs is having on the implementation of grant-funded actions”. However, he mentioned that there is “currently no provisions for price review formulas in grant procedures conducted by the Commission”, and writes that “the defined maximum amount of any grant should not be increased thereafter, except in duly justified emergency situations where additional activities are necessary in order to implement the action”. At the same time, Hahn mentioned that applicants can take into account – in future calls – the current inflationary pressure on the costs included in their proposals.
January saw also 21 Hungarian universities cut off from Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ funding, because of the application of the Council Implementing Decision of 15 December 2022 in relation to Hungarian public interest trusts. On 26 January, in a joint statement of EU Commissioners Gabriel and Hahn, the EC confirmed that, “as long as the measure is in place, no award may be granted and no new legal commitment involving EU budget may be signed with these entities.” However, the statement clarified that “in the meantime, Hungarian entities that are concerned by the Decision can still apply to calls for proposals and participate in the evaluation and selection procedures of the EU programmes in direct and indirect management, such as Erasmus+ or Horizon Europe”. This is an important clarification that allows the respective universities to keep participating in calls and leaves the possibility open to later sign grant agreements: “Once the measure stemming from the Council Implementing Decision has been lifted, at the moment of the award, the entities would not be considered ineligible for this reason and it would become possible again to sign the legal commitment with them.” Tibor Navracsics, Hungary’s minister of regional development, who met Commissioners Gabriel and Hahn in Brussels expressed his optimism that a solution will be found until March: “The Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes will continue to run smoothly, the underlying concerns can be addressed, and we are talking about two not too complicated legislative amendments which are expected to be adopted by the Hungarian Parliament in March.”