European Commission launches new strategy for science and innovation

The new federal report on research and innovation features an informative map showing the locations and types of research institutes in Germany. https://lnkd.in/epNEJxPD

This month, researchers from our project partner Centre for Social Sciences, ELTE, Budapest showcased their work at major international conferences, highlighting INTERFACED’s ongoing engagement. 📌 At the 2025 Annual Conference of the Italian Political Science Association (SISP), Gerő Márton explored how Hungary’s governing party relies on pro-government civil society organisations to manage its interactions with society. 📌 At the 4th National Contemporary History Conference, organised by the VERITAS Institute, Szabina Kerényi and Róbert Balogh led a panel on environmentalism. In this panel, Szabina Kerényi, Alida Szalai, and Csilla Zsigmond examined how the Hungarian government uses social control to suppress resistance and consolidate power in the environmental field—drawing on the case of the Samsung SDI EV battery factory in Göd. Read more about their contributions here: https://lnkd.in/eHuQyixd

Virginie Robin, Board member of the EAIC - European Association of Innovation Consultants and CEO of Euronovia, shares her perspective in an exclusive opinion piece for News Tank Academic. As the European Commission’s proposal for the EU’s next multi-annual budget suggests a reduced share for Pillar 2 in FP10 compared to Horizon Europe, she raises concerns about the future of collaborative projects - a key driver of innovation and competitiveness. 🔎 👉 Discover her full insights on what is at stake for Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/eD9GuBz5

Europe Facing Global Challenges – Expert Panel on EU Technological Sovereignty Held in Kraków in June 2025 as part of the ESFRI Stakeholder Forum and the Polish EU Presidency, this high-level panel brought together leading voices from policy, research infrastructures, industry, and academia to explore how European Research Infrastructures (RIs) can secure technological sovereignty. 📽️ Watch the full panel here: https://lnkd.in/dct4-xUT Topics included: 1. Strategic use of EU funding (Horizon Europe, InvestEU) 2. Public-private collaboration for critical technologies 3. Balancing international cooperation with European autonomy Featuring: ▫ José Luis Martínez (ESFRI Chair) ▫ Michael Arentoft (European Commission) ▫ Cédric Peltier (Consul General of France) ▫ Antje Keppler (ERIC Forum Chair) ▫ Helmut Dosch (LEAPS - League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources Representative) ▫Michał Goszczyńskii (Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education) Organised by Prof.Jakub Szlachetkoo, Director of theCentrum SOLARISS. ESFRI - European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructuress

Read insights from Mark Johnson, Head of Partnerships and Communication at the ILL - Institut Laue Langevin, into how Eiroforum contributes to shaping the development of EOSC as a Mandated Organisation – through ILL. https://lnkd.in/dgTN7hft Mark highlights that, given the scale and maturity of our world-leading research infrastructures and the established scientific communities we serve, Eiroforum has an important voice in helping to shape EOSC. In particular, our collective experience in delivering scientific and societal benefit through infrastructures will help focus EOSC to meet the scientific communities needs and enable researchers to do things they couldn’t do before.

Next up, IUVSTA president François Reniers provides an overview of the union and its areas of focus, highlighting the importance and relevance of vacuum science and technology for global challenges and innovation.

📢 𝐔𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 The European Commission’s Research and Innovation Directorate-General is hosting a Reality Check on the implementation of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme. 23 Sep. 10:00 - 12:00 CEST (Brussels time) 👉 This virtual round table will gather feedback from researchers, innovators, and stakeholder organisations to identify opportunities for simplification and better implementation. 👉 The Commission will be in listening mode, focusing on practical experiences across Horizon Europe’s three pillars. This session also builds on discussions from the Implementation Dialogue with Commissioner Zaharieva on 16 September. https://lnkd.in/esrEN4nE 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨 & 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: https://lnkd.in/eWZVpqUW

Melbourne will host Vision 2027, the 16th International Conference of the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF LOW-VISION RESEARCH AND REHABILITATION. Read more 👉 https://ow.ly/6C0T50WXRtw

The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) successfully held its 80th Governing Board (GB80) meeting on August 25–26, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. Chaired by Mr. Ronald Lehman, the meeting brought together representatives from ISTC member countries to review progress, set strategic directions, and strengthen international scientific collaboration. The 80th GB Meeting focused on strengthening ISTC’s role as a platform for multilateral cooperation and innovation. Minister Sayasat Nurbek of Kazakhstan addressed the Board, proposing deeper engagement with academic and innovation communities. The Board endorsed the development of a new outreach narrative to attract partners and stakeholders, based on ISTC’s success stories and evolving priorities. The event reaffirmed ISTC’s commitment to building a safer, more secure, and sustainable future through science, technology, and international cooperation. The GB will reconvene in person in 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia to follow up on the progress of the ISTC mission to deliver secure and safety through knowledge and innovation. More details on the event please here: https://lnkd.in/d7Fp6c_z

On August 25–26, 2025, the 80th Governing Board (GB80) meeting of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) was held in Tokyo, Japan. Representatives of ISTC member countries attended the event to review recorded progress, define strategic directions for international scientific cooperation, and outline steps aimed at deepening collaboration. As Armenia’s representative to the ISTC Governing Board, the Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee, Dr. Sargis Hayotsyan, took part in the meeting. One of the central topics of the 80th GB Meeting was strengthening ISTC’s role as a platform for multilateral cooperation and innovation. Within the discussion on more sustainable and synergistic approaches, Dr. Sargis Hayotsyan delivered a brief report presenting the reforms envisaged under the draft Law on Higher Education and Science. He highlighted the legal frameworks designed to strengthen the synergistic links between education, science, and industry, directly linked to sustainable development, as well as green and digital transformation. The Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee emphasized the importance of promoting interdisciplinary research, which should also become a priority in preparing project proposals submitted to ISTC. Addressing the agenda item on emerging themes and new areas of cooperation, Dr. Hayotsyan referred to competitive funding programs launched by the Higher Education and Science Committee. These programs support advanced, innovation-driven research projects of high socio-economic impact in priority areas of science and technology (such as artificial intelligence, data science, robotics, materials science, biotechnology, etc.), promote international cooperation in science, foster the creation of new competitive research directions through the involvement of foreign scientists, and encourage the participation of researchers from ISTC member organizations as international partners, thereby integrating them into Armenia’s scientific community. Overall, the participants reaffirmed ISTC’s commitment to building a safer, more secure, and sustainable future through science, technology, and international cooperation. The next ISTC Governing Board meeting is scheduled for 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, to review the progress of ISTC’s mission to ensure security and safety through knowledge and innovation. Following the Governing Board session, an ISTC Special Day event took place on August 27 at EXPO 2025 in Osaka. The achievements of researchers from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan—supported by Japan, a key Funding Party of ISTC—were presented. During EXPO, outstanding contributions to ISTC-funded projects were honored with special awards, followed by a panel discussion entitled “A New Approach to Sustainability: Why International Collaboration in Science & Technology Is Crucial for the Future of Our Planet.”