The Launch Conference of the Horizon Europe Program, linked to the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the UJI, has ended with a session dedicated to global challenges and European industrial competitiveness, with the online attendance of more than 570 participants.

 

The meeting, organized within the framework of the Generalitat Valenciana Strategy for national and regional coordination in R + D + i, aims to increase and improve the participation of all the agents of the Valencian Community in the Horizon Europe Program.

 

This event is an initiative of the Jaume I University and the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE), together with the Network of Technological Institutes of the Valencian Community (REDIT) and the Enterprise Europe Network for companies in the Valencian Community and the Region of Murcia (EEN-SEIMED).

 

The FUE-UJI, through its European and International Projects Office, EuroFUE-UJI, has collaborated in the organization of this forum.

 

The second session of the Conference was opened by Jordi Sebastià, IVACE's director of external relations, and by Gonzalo Belenguer, REDIT's general director. Sebastià stressed that "this conference is a sign of the entities' commitment to research and the business community." The IVACE director of external relations has highlighted the proactive nature of the territory: "the Valencian fabric in all its forms - universities, companies, research staff - is innovative, dynamic and seeks the improvements that Horizon Europe can offer it." Belenguer highlighted the opportunities offered by Horizon Europe and the willingness of technology centers to "continue betting on European projects that fit into their strategic lines."

 

This was followed by presentations on pillar 2 of the Horizon Europe Program: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, by experts from CDTI and FECYT. Carolina Carrasco, from the CDTI, has presented the details of Cluster 1 Health and Nicolás Ojeda, from FECYT, has broken down the topics that correspond to Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society. On the part of the CDTI, Maite Boyero has advanced some key data and dates regarding Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society. Enrique Pelayo, Nieves González, Carlos Toledo and Andrea Pérez-Carro, from the CDTI, have provided data on the calls for Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space.

 

The novelties of Cluster 5 Climate, Energy and Mobility have been transferred to the attendees, from the CDTI, Cristina Garrido, Julio Dolado and Juan Carlos García, who has also presented the details of Cluster 6 Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Ambiente, which will have a budget of 9,000 million euros.

 

After the presentations, a pitching session was held for the presentation of ideas or proposals by potential coordinators of projects from the Valencian Community who are looking for partners for future calls. A total of 12 proposals have been submitted, four by research groups from the Universitat Jaume I, two by PhotonicSENS, two by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, in addition to the ITI, the Finnova Foundation, Space Farmers and Ecovending.

 

The meeting was closed by Jesús Lancis, vice-rector for Research and Transfer of the Jaume I University (UJI), who stressed that “in the Valencian Community we have two great challenges before us: continue with the internationalization work and increase competitiveness and productivity of our companies, challenges addressed and considerably reinforced by the Horizon Europe program ”.

 

The Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI); the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT); the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; and the National Contact Point for Research Infrastructures in Horizon Europe have collaborated in the organization of this conference, which has been held for two days in virtual format via videoconference.

 

 

Within the framework of the European Commission budgets for the period 2021-2027, Horizon Europe is the most ambitious Research and Innovation Framework Program to date, the objective of which is to keep the European Union at the forefront of investment and innovation through world scale.

 

With a budget of around 100,000 million euros, the main objectives of Horizon Europe are to strengthen the scientific and technological foundations of the European Union; stimulate innovation capacity, competitiveness and jobs in Europe; meet citizens' priorities and support the socio-economic model and values ​​of the European Union. These funds are structured around the three fundamental pillars of the program, which are Open Science; Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness; and Open Innovation.