The European project led by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will bridge the gap between university and private sector in the Canary Islands and Azores by bringing knowledge transfer opportunities, as well as enhancing scientific excellence and innovation capacity of the partnering universities and their role as drivers of economic and social transformation in their territories.

EXPER project partners already met in Gran Canaria to kick-off this Horizon Europe project led by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). The initiative, titled “Excellent Peripheries for a strong European Research Area”, is funded under the Widening programme, which aims at enhancing research and innovation capacity of Member States, Associated Countries and Outermost Regions (ORs) that underperform in terms of research and innovation. “EXPER will bring many opportunities related to knowledge transfer to the Canary Islands, dealing also with the connection between university and private sector, as well as intellectual property rights issues or the creation of spin-off base companies, something really important to us”, explained Sebastián López, director of Innovation and Technology Transfer of the ULPGC and coordinator of the project.

In this sense, the project will enhance scientific excellence and innovation capacity of the partnering universities and their role as drivers of economic and social transformation in their territories with a focus on research fields, addressing challenges and opportunities offered by the blue economy and circular economy. Cooperation between universities is also “very important”, as stated Arturo Gil, vice-rector of the Azores University for Science, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer. “We are implementing our knowledge transfer center and thanks to this project we can benefit from universities in Germany or Italy”, added Gil.

The two universities will work in close collaboration with all actors of the innovation ecosystems in each of the two outermost regions. “This project will give us the opportunity to explore how to improve communication channels, so that companies can access all the research activity carried out at the university”, said Alma Cruz, head of ITC’s Innovation Department. “We want to give voice to the small companies that have come out of the university, bringing ideas from universities to the market”, commented Alice Gervasoni, coordinator of the R+D+i Department of the EMERGE Association. Innovation actors involved from the Canary Islands are the Scientific and Technology Park of the University, the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands (ITC), Canary Islands Society for Economic Promotion, EMERGE and Consulta Europa. In the case of Azores, the Science and Technology Park will represent the business community.

The participation of the business sector is key in EXPER, since the project will put in place a series of capacity building and supporting activities for knowledge transfer and the creation of spin-offs. In doing so, ATRINEO, a German SME specialized in knowledge transfer and exploitation, will play a key role in commercialization and innovation activities. “We will support the universities with capacity-building activities and individual cases related to topics such as IP, patterns or market research, helping them with spin-up creation too”, explained Néstor Rodríguez, managing director from the German-based company.

At the same time, the project aims at involving the non-profit sector and the civil society to ensure that the knowledge produced in the universities will help territories in addressing current and future societal challenges. To achieve this, social innovation will be fostered in the project along with technological innovation, and specific awareness raising, and communication activities will be deployed to reach the society. To do so, the project counts with a budget of 1,95M€, funded 100% by the European Commission. EXPER counts also with an Advisory Board composed of experts in research and innovation from the countries participating in the consortium.

During the kick-off meeting, partners have agreed in the steps to be taken in the next two years. The first year will be devoted to performing an assessment of the innovation performance of the two outermost regional innovation ecosystems. Based on that, at the beginning of the second year of activity, an Action Plan will be developed per each region to enhance innovation and foster international cooperation in sectors related to the Blue Economy and Circular Economy. The activities foreseen in the Action Plan will be then implemented during more than one year with the support of the partners from Italy and Germany, also involving the quadruple helix representatives from Azores and the Canary Islands.

The EISMEA online workshop, which took place on September 29, gathered all the representatives of the projects funded by EISMEA under the call “Boosting sustainable tourism development and capacity of tourism SMEs through transnational cooperation”.

The TOURISME’s Project Coordinator, Consulta Europa, attended the online workshop organised by EISMEA to share the best practices of TOURISME and the lessons learnt with the experience of SME beneficiaries involved in the project. The event was attended by other sister projects funded under the same call for proposals. The online workshop had the objective to share the best practices about third party financing support with the EC.

A representative of the TOURISME beneficiaries – the travel agency Turiart from Spain – was present at the workshop and shared its experience and feedback on the third party financing support received by the EC through the project. Finally, the project’s Coordinator also showed a video testimony from our SME beneficiaries, Genuine Spain and Saracen Hotel from Italy.

You can re-watch the testimonies on TOURISME’s YouTube channel here.

Consulta Europa is excited to announce the appointment of Beatrice Avagnina as Managing Director of the company. With an academic background in EU studies, Beatrice has an extensive experience on a wide range of European programmes such as Horizon 2020, European Innovation Council, and Erasmus+. With her incorporation, she will bring thus not only her experience but also her wide network of organizations in Europe. 

She has last week stepped into this exciting role which will see her lead the firm with the founder and Chief Executive, Michelle Perello, to shape the next chapter of the company. 

“My incorporation will bring further developments and expansion of Consulta Europa, so stay tuned for newexciting projects and initiatives!”– Beatrice Avagnina.  

Feel free to reach out to her at beatrice.avagnina@consulta-europa.com

The pandemic, climate change and the war between Russia and Ukraine have had serious consequences for Europe’s energy system, which is going through an unprecedented crisis. One answer to the global energy challenge is being devised at the local and regional level through clean-energy communities.

This idea consists of the creation of a renewable energy system under new community ownership structures. Its aim is to develop cheap, clean and safe energy that brings energy generation closer to the people who will use it. These renewable energy communities are made up of groups of people who pool their resources to jointly produce, store or distribute energy. Most of them take the legal form of a cooperative, although they can also take the form of associations or foundations.

The vision is the evolution from an energy system based on large centralized power plants to a citizen-driven energy production model based on renewable energy sources.

Moreover, for energy communities to succeed, civic engagement is critical. For this reason, some of them have developed specific approaches to include marginalized groups and people living in energy poverty. W4RES is also including a gender perspective in this area so that women, as agents of change, can make a difference in the energy transition. 

Although this is a relatively new innovation, it does have an enormous potential, and its development is expected to have a major impact on the energy transition and the everyday lives of European citizens.

Human activity is degrading the vital ecosystems that enable our oceans to function. To solve this problem, the European Union has presented two projects whose mission is to restore marine ecosystems, eliminate pollution and make the marine economy neutral and circular. These projects are Mission Atlantic and AFRIMED.

Researchers from around the world are working to undo the damage that human activity has caused to our seas, but to do so they must understand the magnitude of the problem. In this context, Mission Atlantic aims to understand the complexity of the system and resolve the unknowns surrounding it.

The size of the Atlantic Ocean and the immense diversity it harbours means that there are many enigmas about it. Understanding the complexity and magnitude of the problem, Mission Atlantic’s main objective is to help countries, industries and individuals to treat the ocean in a sustainable way.

To do so, this project maps, models and assesses the ecosystems of the Atlantic Ocean, thus identifying the main existing threats. In addition, it aims at applying systematic approaches to marine ecosystems, as well as system feedback and complexity. 

On the other hand, the AFRIMED project focuses on identifying areas for kelp forest restoration, testing technologies to restore these sites, and finally, elaborating a step-by-step guide on how to rebuild these systems.

There are different complications in kelp forest restoration. The most important one is that anthropogenic pressure needs to stop in order to start the scientific or ecological process. In addition, it is important to note that transplanting kelp can strip other vulnerable habitats, and not all kelp survives in another location, so it is essential to find a good site for restoration.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of the project, it is required r not only the participation of algae experts, but also experts in ecosystem and environmental conditions, as well as a technician for the laboratory. Also, restoration involves socio-economic components, so stakeholder involvement is essential.

La Unión Europea ha seleccionado una iniciativa presentada por el Cabildo de Gran Canaria para convertir la isla en una de las 118 regiones de 18 Estados miembros que integrarán el programa de investigación e innovación de la UE para impulsar la adaptación al cambio climático y la resiliencia climática para 2030.

El presidente del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, aseguró que “estamos muy satisfechos con poder entrar en este grupo de 118 territorios que estarán a la vanguardia de la adaptación al cambio climático. Además, las misiones de la UE recibirán financiación en el marco del programa de investigación de la UE Horizon Europe para lograr objetivos concretos a través de proyectos de investigación y medidas políticas”. 

Morales ha insistido en que “somos conscientes de que debemos priorizar las políticas de mitigación, de reducción de emisiones a través de las renovables y la eficiencia energética. Pero también debemos asumir que la temperatura va a subir en los próximos años y, por lo tanto, debemos estar preparados. El poder entrar en esta misión de la UE significa también dar un impulso a nuestra propia Estrategia Insular de Adaptación al Cambio Climático. Desde el Cabildo seguimos actuando de manera proactiva para convertir a Gran Canaria en un laboratorio en la lucha contra el calentamiento global”.

El coordinador técnico de Desarrollo Económico, Soberanía Energética, Clima y Conocimiento del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Raúl García Brink, ha señalado que «estar seleccionado en esta Misión de Adaptación al Cambio Climático es un gran reconocimiento del trabajo y los logros de Gran Canaria a través del Cabildo. Lo que es más importante, la misión ofrece un gran potencial para Gran Canaria buscando sinergias entre nuestras instituciones de investigación, centros tecnológicos, nuestras empresas y la sociedad”. 

La Misión de Adaptación al Cambio Climático tiene como objetivo acelerar la transformación de 118 territorios de la UE para convertirse en ‘resilientes al clima’ ayudándolos a encontrar inversiones y soluciones innovadoras para gestionar los posibles riesgos climáticos. “Se trata de movilizar toda nuestra inteligencia colectiva para buscar soluciones frente al mayor desafío de la humanidad”, concluye García Brink.

Sobre la Misión de Adaptación al Cambio Climático

La Misión Adaptación recibirá 370 millones de euros de financiación de Horizon Europe para el periodo 2021-23. Las acciones de investigación e innovación abordarán la reconstrucción de áreas afectadas por fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, la agricultura vertical o la creación de una ciudad «perfectamente adaptada» lista para resistir una tormenta o una ola de calor. También existe la posibilidad de crear iniciativas conjuntas con otras misiones y programas de la UE. La Misión también brinda oportunidades de creación de redes, intercambio de mejores prácticas entre regiones y autoridades locales, y apoyo para involucrar a los ciudadanos.

El 14 de marzo de 2022, la Comisión lanzó una invitación a las regiones de la UE y las autoridades locales para unirse a la Misión. A partir de ahora, los nuevos signatarios se beneficiarán de la Plataforma de Implementación de la Misión, que estará operativa a principios de 2023. Juntos desarrollarán vías hacia la resiliencia climática mientras tienen acceso a datos climáticos y metodologías para las evaluaciones de riesgos climáticos. Además, recibirán orientación personalizada sobre medidas de adaptación eficaces.

La Misión para la Adaptación al Cambio Climático comenzó en septiembre de 2021 con la adopción de una comunicación sobre las misiones de la UE, seguida de la aprobación de los planes de implementación individuales de las misiones. Hay otras cuatro misiones de la UE que cubren desafíos globales en las áreas de ciudades inteligentes y climáticamente neutrales, restaurando nuestros océanos y aguas, y suelos saludables. El 15 de diciembre de 2021 se publicó un programa de trabajo específico para las misiones de Horizon Europe que apoyan las prioridades de la Comisión; como el Pacto Verde Europeo, Europa preparada para la era digital, Vencer al cáncer y Nueva Bauhaus europea.

¿Qué regiones participarán en representación de España?

Los 118 participantes provienen de 18 Estados miembros, con seis partes más provenientes de países asociados o potencialmente asociados con Horizonte Europa, el programa de investigación e innovación de la Unión Europea.

Estas regiones y autoridades locales han firmado la Carta de la Misión en el primer Foro de la Misión de la UE sobre Adaptación al Cambio Climático del Comité de las Regiones. Otras 17 empresas privadas, centros de servicios, redes de investigación y grupos de acción local activos en la mejora de la resiliencia climática respaldarán la carta y se convertirán en amigos de la misión.

En España participan en esta iniciativa las comunidades de Aragón, Islas Baleares, País Vasco, Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluña, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Gran Canaria, La Rioja, Navarra, Asturias y Murcia, así como los consistorios de Soutomaior, Vitoria-Gasteiz y Málaga y la provincia de Granada.

Fuente: https://www.energiagrancanaria.com/2022/06/08/europa-selecciona-a-gran-canaria-para-su-mision-de-adaptacion-al-cambio-climatico/

Fuente: https://www.construible.es/2022/06/09/mision-ue-adaptacion-cambio-climatico-incluye-16-regiones-autoridades-locales-espanolas#:~:text=La%20Misi%C3%B3n%20’Adaptaci%C3%B3n%20al%20cambio,la%20resiliencia%20clim%C3%A1tica%20para%202030.

FORWARD final conference – June 2, 2022

Registration form: here

Hybrid event:
Onsite: KBR venue Kuntsberg 28, B-1000 – Panorama room  – Mont des Arts 28, Brussels
Online: a link to access the conference will be provided upon registration

Agenda: here

FORWARD is the first European project gathering the 9 European Outermost Regions: Azores, Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion Island, Saint-Martin. The Forward project aims at improving the excellence of the outermost regions in research and innovation.

The FORWARD Consortium is pleased to invite you to the final hybrid (online and face-to-face) conference of the FORWARD project on June 2, 2022 (starting hour: 10h30 CEST). 

This virtual and physical event follows the first Island Biology conference held in La Réunion in July 2019 and the second  conference organized in conjunction with the annual meeting of LABEX-CEBA (Laboratory of Excellence, Center for the Study of Biodiversity in Amazonia). Open to the outside public, it aims to present the actions and final results of the project, which is coming to an end.

The conference is also an official Partner Event of the EU Green Week. 

The expected highlights are the following:
– Presentation of the representatives of the OR monitoring committee and the project coordinator (Canary Islands government)
– Results of the diagnosis of the OR Research and Innovation ecosystems
– Results of the thematic groups set up for the common action plans of the ORs
– Round table with OR experts on the green transition
– Post-Forward perspectives and OR-izon network

The full programme of the conference can be consulted here.

Consulta Europa subscribed the EU Rural Pact  which was launched by the European Commission in December 2021. The pact aims at mobilising rural stakeholders, facilitating the exchange of experiences and boosting rural revitalisation. Our team will share the experience about working with rural areas and, in particular, the pilot project on #RuralHubs for rural entrepreneurship. 

If you are also interested in how to revitalise rural areas and have experience to share, you still have time until June to join the Pact through this open invitation and to register to the Rural Pact high-level conference that will take place in Brussels.

About the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas and the Rural Pact

On 30 June 2021, the European Commission adopted its communication “A long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040”. The communication is people-centred and forms part of the Commission’s work on democracy and demography.

The Communication is accompanied by an Action Plan, which outlines the main instruments for investment in rural areas, and puts forward actions that bring all EU policies on-board.

In addition, the Communication introduces a key new initiative, the Rural Pact, which aims to “mobilise public authorities and stakeholders to act on the needs and aspirations of rural residents”. These aspirations are described through ten shared goals, which resulted from extensive participatory consultations and stakeholder engagement processes. The Rural pact should be developed with all levels of governance and stakeholders supporting the shared goals of the vision.

We invite you to fill-in this form to express your support – in your personal capacity or in the name of your organisation, see personal details section – for the shared goals and to join the Rural Pact community and take part in the discussion on its development and implementation.

Support the shared goals of the vision for the EU’s rural areas

The 10 shared goals outlined in the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas summarise the common aspirations of rural communities and stakeholders for rural areas in 2040 to become:

1. Attractive spaces, developed in harmonious territorial development, unlocking their specific potential, making them places of opportunity and providing local solutions to help tackle the local effects of global challenges.
2. Engaged in multi-level and place-based governance, developing integrated strategies using collaborative and participatory approaches, benefiting from tailor-made policy mixes and interdependencies between urban and rural areas.
3. Providers of food security, economic opportunities, goods and services for wider society, such as biobased materials and energy but also local, community-based high-quality products, renewable energy, retaining a fair share of the value generated.
4. Dynamic communities focusing on well-being, including livelihoods, fairness, prosperity and quality of life, where all people live and work well together, with adequate capacity for mutual support.
5. Inclusive communities of inter-generational solidarity, fairness and renewal, open to newcomers and fostering equal opportunities for all.
6. Flourishing sources of nature, enhanced by and contributing to the objectives of the Green Deal, including climate neutrality, as well as sustainable management of natural resources.
7. Fully benefiting from digital innovation with equal access to emerging technologies, widespread digital literacy and opportunities to acquire more advanced skills.
8. Entrepreneurial, innovative and skilled people, co-creating technological, ecological and social progress.
9. Lively places equipped with efficient, accessible and affordable public and private services, including cross-border services, providing tailored solutions (such as transport, education, training, health and care, including long-term care, social life and retail business).
10. Places of diversity, making the most of their unique assets, talents and potential.

Los 313 ganadores de la última ronda de los Consolidator Grants del Consejo Europeo de Investigación, respaldados con unos 631 millones de euros, abordarán importantes cuestiones en todas las disciplinas científicas.

La financiación apoyará a investigadores en la mitad de sus carreras y los ayudará a consolidar sus equipos y a realizar una labor de investigación pionera en los temas y con los métodos que elijan. Se calcula que esta nueva ronda de subvenciones, que forma parte del programa Horizon Europe, creará unos 1.900 puestos de trabajo para investigadores postdoctorales, estudiantes de doctorado, entre otros, en 189 entidades beneficiarias.

Mariya Gabriel, comisaria europea de Innovación, Investigación, Cultura, Educación y Juventud, ha declarado: “Los resultados de esta ronda de subvenciones son prueba de la impresionante calidad de la investigación europea. Solamente es posible encontrar nuevas soluciones en los sectores energéticos, sanitarios y de las tecnologías digitales si podemos atraer y retener el talento científico.”

Maria Leptin, presidenta del Consejo Europeo de Investigación, comentó: “Incluso en momentos de crisis, conflictos y sufrimiento, es nuestro deber mantener e impulsar la ciencia y dar a nuestras mentes más brillantes vía libre para explorar sus ideas. Hoy no sabemos cómo sus ideas revolucionarán el mañana, pero sabemos que abrirán nuevos horizontes, satisfarán nuestra curiosidad y nos ayudarán a preparar para retos futuros impredecibles.”

Proyectos de investigación en 24 países

Los futuros beneficiarios realizarán sus proyectos en universidades y centros de investigación en 24 países de la UE y en países asociados. Científicos y académicos de todo el mundo pueden postularse a las convocatorias del Consejo Europeo de Investigación. Los ganadores provienen de 42 nacionalidades. En esta última convocatoria, el 12 % de los 2.652 solicitantes que presentaron propuestas recibirán financiación.

Project duration: 6 to 12 months

Maximum funding per project €50,000

Submission deadline on the 30th April 2022 at 17pm CEST

Budget foreseen for Open Call 2: minimum 350,000 Euros, maximum 500,000 Euros Expected

Innovation Action intends to build, pilot and deploy a large-scale, EU-standardised open platform. The integration of a broad range of technological, organisational, clinical, educational and societal solutions seeks to facilitate long-term healthy and active ageing and the maintenance of a high-quality standard of life. Mediated by technology, in-home and local community environments interact with health and care (H&C) networks contributing to the reduction of H&C costs, hospitalisations and institutional care.

For more details refer to: https://shapes2020.eu/open-calls/call-2/

More information: https://first.art-er.it/_aster_/viewNews/54481/smart-homes-secondo-bando-del-progetto-shapes