News

Find out what has been achieved in less than two years after the adoption of the New European Innovation Agenda.

hhghgh

The implementation of the short-term actions of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda is intensifying. This work is kicking off with a series of online workshops. The first edition will take place on 28 November 2023 and will focus on intellectual property rights. Read more below and register now! In addition, the 19th RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture) Annual General Meeting took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Then, discover the expert's interview of the month with Laurent Bochereau, the newly appointed EU Science Counsellor to the African Union. Enjoy catching up on these AU-EU R&I cooperation updates!

What does the future hold for AU-EU Research and Innovation? How can Africa’s scientific potential be unleashed? Laurent Bochereau, the newly appointed EU Science Counsellor to the African Union, provides his insights on Research and Innovation cooperation between Africa and Europe in an exclusive interview.

RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture) is a consortium of African universities with the aim to address the needs of small-holder farmers by fostering innovation and collaborations between stakeholders. The 19th RUFORUM Annual General Meeting took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 28 October until 2 November 2023. Alongside this meeting, two events related to the AU-EU HLPD´s Research and Innovation Partnership FNSSA (Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture) also took place.

As part of the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, a series of online workshops featuring training modules in “deep tech” will be organised addressing the priority areas of action of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda. The objective of these workshops is to engage AU-EU innovators and participating stakeholders in the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda by providing concrete opportunities for collaboration, training and networking. The first virtual edition will take place on 28 November 2023 and will focus on one pivotal driver of innovation: intellectual property rights, spanning different sectors (e.g. health, climate, food systems, etc.). Check out the programme and register now!

Dear Reader,

This will be the last of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors! From the middle of October, we will be joining forces with the SAPEA consortium to create a new monthly newsletter about the whole Scientific Advice Mechanism. The new SAM website will have a section dedicated to the Group. We invite all our stakeholders to consult this website!

Interview with Eric Lambin, member of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission, gave an interview about the scientific consensus towards sustainable food consumption in the EU and the new scientific opinion on this topic.

This one-page summary gives an overview of the most relevant recommendations from the recent Scientific Opinion on Sustainable Food Consumption. It has been designed for citizens, who should know, why and how they could rethink their diets and consumption habits in order to save global food resources and improve their health. This one-page summary has been translated in 20 EU languages and will be available as of Monday - 11 September - on the EU publications portal. Enjoy reading!

The next Long-term joint EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Renewable Energy (LEAP-RE) Stakeholder Forum will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from 10 to 13 October 2023. This second edition aims to build up the LEAP-RE community by offering an opportunity for knowledge sharing and a space for fruitful meetings and exchanges. Save your seat now!

Dear Reader,

The new AU-EU Innovation Interface is now online on the Innovation Talent Platform. It offers information on initiatives, resources and opportunities addressed to innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and investors, generated as part of the implementation of the joint AU-EU Innovation Agenda.

On 19 July, the African Union and the European Union jointly adopted  the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, defining concrete actions for each of the four priorities of the  AU-EU Cooperation in Research and Innovation: Public Health, Green Transition, Innovation and Technology, and Capacities for Science. The Agenda is also accompanied by a roadmap providing an overview of the Agenda’s governance as well as implementing initiatives.

The inaugural AU-EU Innovation Festival, organised by the European Union, the African Union, and South Africa, concluded successfully in Cape Town. Aiming to kick-start the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, it brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders through pitching sessions, discussions on challenges faced by women and youth-led innovations, and project exhibitions. Workshops and collaborative efforts will follow in the future to continue engaging stakeholders and maintain dialogue, advancement of research, innovation, and socio-economic development in both regions.

Read all about the successful and first-ever AU-EU Innovation Festival which took place in Cape Town, South Africa, and online on 15 June. It provided a vibrant platform for showcasing cutting-edge ideas, engaging in fruitful pitching sessions, and fostering collaborative partnerships. Read all about this successful event. On 19 July, the African Union and the European Union adopted the joint AU-EU Innovation Agenda. This newsletter will give you all the information you need about the newly adopted document, which aims to transform the innovative capacities and achievements of African and European researchers and innovators into tangible results such as products, services, companies, and job. The new AU-EU Innovation Interface is now launched! Its purpose is to connect research and innovator stakeholders at the interface between Africa and Europe to bring value to the impact of the Innovation Agenda. Finally, do not wait to save yourself a seat to the second edition of the LEAP-RE Stakeholder Forum on renewable energy that will take place this October in Kigali, Rwanda. Happy reading!

The Knowledge Valorisation Platform connects players in Europe to work together, keep up with latest developments and share experiences and best practices. Join the European exchange and submit your best practice.  

Watch the video about the platform

Best Practice examples published on the platform:

The Group of Chief Scientific Advisors has been asked to provide recommendations to support the EU position on Solar Radiation Modification (SRM).