Good morning,
December has seen culture, education, innovation and youth on stage in Brussels. I have been able to meet and discuss with ministers, stakeholders, entrepreneurs, artists and, most of all, to listen to our youth, their needs and their visions. All together we have celebrated the achievements of 2022 and what is ahead of us to ensure that Europe will be equipped to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
It was my pleasure to start off the month of December with the 5th European Education Summit and meet the EU’s education community to take stock of how far we have come in our common endeavour of establishing the European Education Area, this powerful vision we have for education and training in the EU. We dedicated this year’s Summit to our “Bright Young Minds”, and invited several youth representatives to join the discussions with ministers, high-level politicians and relevant stakeholders to ensure they could put forward their ideas. Amongst others, we discussed how to better invest in education and training, how to future-proof education and how to truly empower learners for the digital age. A special session was dedicated to the inclusion of displaced pupils and students from Ukraine in EU Member States, from early childhood to higher education. Ukraine’s first Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Andrii Vitrenko, was able to contribute to this high-level session from Kyiv. It was a deeply enriching day, and, if you have missed it, all recordings are available online.
I opened the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit on 7th, when innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and many more from across Europe met to discuss the future of the European innovation policy. The Summit aimed to facilitate coaching, networking and the exchange of ideas for high-growth start-ups, small and medium businesses, researchers and investor. And I had the great pleasure to reveal the winners of three EIC Prizes: the European Capital of Innovation Awards, the European Innovation Procurement Awards and the EU Prize for Women Innovators.
The newly selected EIC Ambassadors were presented and, on the margins of the EIC Summit, I attended the annual meeting of the EIC Forum plenary where they illustrated their policy orientations. I also met the Coalition of the Willing, an open group of innovative companies, local authorities and universities, supporting the implementation of the New European Innovation Agenda. This cohort presented a first set of actions related to improving access to finance for European startups and scale-ups, to strengthening and better connecting innovation ecosystems, to attracting and retaining talent in Europe, and more.
With over 1,100 participants present in Brussels, more than 90 speakers in plenary sessions and workshops, and an exhibition area showing some of the very best projects and companies we support, I am happy to say that the EIC Summit has clearly established itself as the place-to-be for European deep-tech innovation. The very strong networking activities underlined the strength of the EIC community and the importance of meeting each other to do business, find opportunities, or simply to catch up. If you missed something, visit the website to find recordings of the sessions and download pictures.
6th December saw the closing conference of the 2022 European Year of Youth (EYY) and I joined, together with around 750 guests, the event organised by the Czech Presidency to the Council of the EU in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels. “Claim the Future” was the perfect title as we looked back at what we have achieved, but also discussed what the EYY’s legacy could and should be. All participants agreed that we want to see youth policy remain high on our agenda, and to me it is clear that, from now on, every year will be a European Year of Youth. Video recordings of the conference are still available online, including the legacy closing session in which I participated, and which was followed by a concert from Czech artistic schools.
In the evening of the same day, the 2022 European Union Prize for Literature was under the spotlight and I attended the celebration of the nominees in Brussels. Under the theme ‘Travelling with European authors’, the nominees took us on their respective journeys through Europe and their writing careers. This year, the Grand Prix was won by Iva Pezuashvili from Georgia, author of ‘A garbage chute’, and five writers from Belgium (Dutch language), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland (Gaelic language), Spain and Ukraine received a special mention. It was a beautiful evening, which reflected the incredible variety in literary traditions and innovations Europe has to offer. I am proud that we have yet again been able to contribute to the promotion of contemporary European literature. Every year since 2009, we have celebrated the book sector and promoted contemporary European literature with the European Union Prize for Literature thanks to the support of the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. And every year I look forward to discovering new writers and their works.
I also closed the celebration of the 35th anniversary of our beloved Erasmus+ programme, with a full-day event, in Brussels and online, on 14th December. I participated in very interesting discussions and exchanges dedicated to Erasmus+ priorities, good practices and the history of the programme with high-level politicians and stakeholders, but also participants of Erasmus+, representatives of benefiting organisations and of national agencies, and founders of the Erasmus+ programme. Since its creation in 1987, the programme has grown and provided opportunities to study, train, work and volunteer abroad to nearly 13 million people. The day ended with a DiscoverEU photo exhibition and the play “El Deseo de la Juventud” by Escena Erasmus, a theatre group of the University of Valencia consisting mainly in Erasmus students.
And that is not all.
I participated in the Competitiveness Council with the European ministers of research on 2nd December. It has been a fruitful meeting as the Council adopted the conclusions on the European Innovation Agenda to lead the new wave of innovation as well as the conclusions on research infrastructures to recognise the need to further strengthen research infrastructures and facilitate broader access to them. The Council also adopted the recommendation on the guiding principles for knowledge valorisation to increase socioeconomic impact from research and innovation and align policy guidance. I am confident they will help boosting the impact of research and innovation to better respond to the global climate, energy and health crises, for the benefit of the environment, the society and the economy. Finally, we also discussed research and innovation in the Mediterranean, and EIT Culture & Creativity.
1st December was also a rich day as I launched the largest public consultation ever held on the past, present and future of the Horizon Framework Programmes 2014-2027. Stakeholders are called to share their views on the performance of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, as well as actively shaping the strategic orientations for the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027. The consultation is an unprecedented opportunity for all interested parties to make their voices heard. And I am confident its outcomes will help us evaluate Horizon’s results up until now and contribute shaping its future. This consultation will help the Commission assess the achievements and the possible adverse effects of the programmes, which will contribute to definition of the final evaluation of Horizon 2020, the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe and lay the groundwork for the preparations for the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027. The consultation will be open until mid-February.
I was particularly pleased that, on 6th December, the Commission adopted the main Horizon Europe work programme 2023-24, with around €13.5 billion to support researchers and innovators in Europe to pursue breakthrough solutions for environmental, energy, digital and geopolitical challenges. As part of the broader EU €95.5 billion research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe, this funding will contribute to the EU reaching its climate goals, increasing energy resilience, and developing core digital technologies. It will also address targeted actions to support Ukraine, boost economic resilience and contribute to a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe it will help to achieve a stronger European research and innovation ecosystem, including through wider participation of researchers and innovators across Europe, greater mobility and funding for world class research infrastructures.
Moreover, I welcomed the appointment of five new members to the governing body of the European Research Council (ERC), the Scientific Council, by the European Commission on 7th December. These researchers are nominated for an initial period of four years and will replace members whose second term of office expired or will shortly expire. The new members have taken office on 1st January 2023.
While I thank the outgoing members of the ERC Scientific Council’s for their valuable contribution, I welcome five new members who are bringing their solid scientific credentials to strengthen the ERC’s role as premier frontier research funding organisation. It is important for Europe to support top researchers and their ideas. ERC grantees help us understand ever more complex world around us and they sow the seeds of potential economic and social innovations. And many of them receive highest scientific distinctions, like the three 2022 Nobel laureates whose research was supported with ERC grants
A further step in the association of New Zealand to the Horizon Europe programme took place on 20th December in Wellington when the Commission and New Zealand Government concluded their negotiations. The signing of the Association Agreement is expected to take place in 2023, pending the completion of all necessary validations on both sides. With Horizon Europe we have redesigned our approach towards international cooperation in research and innovation, strengthening even more our ties with countries outside the geographical proximity of the EU that have a robust scientific and research track-record. With a solid scientific base and more than half of New Zealand’s researchers having an active collaboration with a European partner, the country has been a trusted EU partner for many years now. Its future association to Horizon Europe will deepen our relation, foster innovation, and will further enable European researchers to benefit from the latest knowledge and some of the best talent worldwide.
The results of a noteworthy survey, conducted by the Commission and published on 16th December, confirm the broad support of the cultural heritage stakeholders to the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage. 46% of more than 1,000 respondents believe that the lack of a digital collaborative platform, with tools adapted to the needs of professionals, is the main challenge of the digital transition of the sector. I believe our Collaborative Cloud will enable large-scale co-operation between researchers and museum professionals, helping the cultural heritage sector to integrate a new digital dimension and preserve Europe's cultural treasures by providing a secure and highly professional workspace.
Finally, the first 51 students selected to be Young Observers in the Horizon Europe evaluations were announced on 5th December. Master’s level students from universities across Europe have joined the initiative to witness the robust and impartial evaluation of proposals under the EU’s research and innovation programme and the Research Fund for Coal and Steel. Launched on 1st April 2022, this unique opportunity is offered under the Horizon Europe calls Youth 2022 initiative. I am sure this opportunity will enable these 51 students to build their research and innovation skills for their future and to witness how EU institutions function first hand. And I encourage more master’s students to apply and take advantage of this initiative.
With very best wishes for the month and year ahead,
Mariya Gabriel
