Education, research and innovation play a key role in tackling the new challenges – especially when it comes to new efforts in the energy and defence areas.
During the past month, European education, research and innovation (ERI) organisations published statements in support of Ukraine and condemning the Russian invasion (see SwissCore article). The ERI communities put in place various resources to help the Ukrainian ERI community. These support measures have been updated in many instances over the course of the past weeks and Science Europe and EURAXESS set up dedicated information platforms. However, the war in Ukraine – and the sense of a ‘Zeitenwende’ it has caused, to use the words of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – affect the ERI sectors also in more profound ways and in the medium and long term.
Heads of State or Government met twice in March. During the informal meeting in Versailles on 10 and 11 March, the Versailles Declaration was adopted, calling for an increased effort in ramping up renewable energy production and innovation efforts as well as further developing a European hydrogen market. The EU leaders invited the European Commission (EC) to propose a REPowerEU plan by the end of May in order to speed up the development of renewables and streamline the authorisation procedures to accelerate energy projects. On 8 March, the EC had already published a REPowerEU communication, outlining a joint European action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy while becoming less dependent on Russian oil and gas imports. The communication announced also that the EC stands ready to propose a REPowerEU plan in cooperation with Member States and stressed that “following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the case for a rapid clean energy transition has never been stronger and clearer”. The EC committed to “help further develop the value chain for solar and wind energy and for heat pumps, also boosting the EU’s competitiveness”. The necessary measures will include financing next-generation technologies by mobilising InvestEU or Member States’ support. The switch to electrification and hydrogen is also to be supported via the Innovation Fund. Investments in reskilling and upskilling the relevant workforce should be accelerated, according to the EC’s communication.
The Heads of State or Government in Versailles also focused on defence and invited the EC to prepare, in coordination with the European Defence Agency, an analysis of the defence investment gaps by mid-May and propose an initiative “to strengthen the European defence industrial and technological base”. Furthermore, the declaration foresees to “foster synergies between civilian, defence and space research and innovation, and invest in critical and emerging technologies and innovation for security and defence”. The EU leaders intend to strengthen the EU’s economic base overall by fostering industrial initiatives at EU level. These efforts will include Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) and industrial alliances to strengthen the EU’s research and innovation capabilities (see SwissCore article). On 24 and 25 March, the European Council adopted conclusions that confirm the efforts and initiatives set out in the Versailles Declaration.
Earlier in the month, on 8 March, with the ‘Zeitenwende’ already in full swing, the French Presidency of the Council of the EU organised a Ministerial Conference on a ‘Comprehensive Approach to Research, Innovation and Higher Education’ in Marseilles. Ministers adopted a ‘Marseilles Declaration’, which builds on the discussions started by the EC’s communication of 18 May 2021 and the Council conclusions of 28 September 2021 and intends to move forward with the implementation of the new strategy for international cooperation in R&I of the European Union and to better align the Union and Member States’ approaches to third countries (see SwissCore article). An important focus is on the development of the EU’s principles and values for international R&I cooperation. Key topics include freedom of scientific research, ethics and integrity, research excellence, gender equality, and Open Science. A co-design process based on the ‘Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe’ of 26 November 2021 led to the text in the Marseilles Declaration. In a next step, the key principles and values will be proposed to the Council for approval and will form the basis for discussion with the Union’s key international partners.
However, the Marseilles Declaration does not contain any reference to the reduced international cooperation under Horizon Europe in comparison to previous research and innovation framework programmes that included also the two strong European R&I players, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK). At present, the association of the UK and Switzerland to Horizon Europe has been delayed and there is no clarity on the eventual outcome (see SwissCore article). For the UK, association to Horizon Europe is part of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement of December 2020. Association only needs to be formalised by the EC and the UK government to become applicable, a step which the UK is still waiting for the EC to take. In the case of Switzerland, the EC currently considers the process towards association as “suspended” (see SwissCore article). On 8 February 2022, during a Science Business conference, institutions from Switzerland and the UK, together with other European R&I leaders, launched the pan-European ‘Stick to Science’ initiative, calling “for an open and barrier-free R&I collaboration among Europe’s research and innovation actors, via the association of the UK and Switzerland to Horizon Europe”. Additional supporters from all over Europe are welcome to sign the initiative via the ‘Stick to Science’ website. Switzerland remains committed to its goal of a full association to Horizon Europe and other related programmes and initiatives for the period 2021-2027 as soon as possible. The Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) regularly updates relevant information on their website: www.horizon-europe.ch
March also brought progress for the Conference on the future of Europe. The Plenary and the nine Working Groups started drafting the Conference’s final proposals on 25-26 March in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Back in autumn 2021, European R&I organisations, in a Manifesto, called on the ‘Conference on the Future of Europe’ to include research and innovation at the core of the debate (see SwissCore article). However, while there is a dedicated working group for education, culture, youth and sport, R&I are not covered in a similar way. Research and innovation are instead mentioned in the topics of the nine working groups. During one year, until this spring, EU institutions are listening to European citizens and their inputs for the future of Europe. The Plenary will adopt final proposals by consensus and present them to the Executive Board in late April – a final report is then scheduled to be delivered to the Presidents of the EU institutions on 9 May 2022 in Strasbourg.