In this editorial, Slawomir Tokarski, Director of Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing, within the Directorate General for Internal Market, industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) of the European Commission, shares his view of Smart Specialisation and industrial modernisation issues. Read more…

Smart Stories: Sharing your experience of implementing S3 

In the challenging phase of RIS3 implementation, we encourage stakeholders – including inter alia, members of the partnerships from the Agri-Food, Energy and Industrial Modernisation Thematic Platforms, together with higher education institutions and managing authorities at national and regional levels – to submit their Smart Stories, in English or in their native language. Advertised through various European Commission’s media channels, the Smart Stories reflect the ways in which the S3 concept is used to develop innovation-driven economic transformation agendas. Read more… 

Strategic Forum on IPCEIs – Call for applications 

The European Commission has set up a Strategic Forum for Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI). Its objectives are to identify key value chains of strategic importance to Europe, as well as joint investments, which can make the most of value chains, for all participants. Deadline for applications: 16 March 2018. Call for applications  DG GROW Strategic Forum 

The Academy of Finland will organise the 2^nd Water JPI Conference in Helsinki on 6–7 June 2018. The aim of the international conference is to attract some 200 experts in emerging pollutants to meet and discuss common challenges and share their recent discoveries and knowledge. The conference is targeted at both researchers and end-users, especially policy-makers. Come and contribute towards reaching our common goal of developing safe water systems for citizens.

Millions of Europeans receive high-quality drinking water every day. However, the provision of safe water for drinking purposes is threatened by, for instance, the improper disposal of chemicals, animal and human waste, pesticides, emerging pollutants and emerging risks from “established” pollutants, aged water supply infrastructures, sub-optimal water management, and natural hazards.

By bringing together stakeholders from research and industry as well as policy-makers and relevant organisations, the conference contributes to filling knowledge gaps regarding the environmental behaviour of pollutants and their effects on human health. Specific topics to be covered include development of analysis and detection systems, water treatment opportunities, impacts of wastewater reuse on human health, new water management practices and risk predictions.

The Council of the European Union decided to launch a Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) in water research in December 2011. The aim the Water JPI is to have a joint European view of how to achieve sustainable water systems for a sustainable economy both in Europe and worldwide.

Please see the preliminary programme here.

The call for abstracts is now open! > DL has been extended until 15 March

This award will facilitate the EURAXESS Worldwide coordinators to access the MCAA database. EURAXESS Worldwide coordinators often need to find recipients of EU research funding based in cities in their territories to act as speakers in meetings they organise. MSCA has a database of over 10,000 members globally and this number is growing very strongly. Over 25% of the membership is of non-EU citizenship and many of those who return to their home countries make careers in research.

Brian Cahill, Chair of the Marie Curie Fellows Association, stated: “I first heard of EURAXESS Links during my time as MCAA German Chapter Chair. Many of the International Outgoing Fellows returned from the USA with great reports of the activities of EURAXESS North America. These activities, particularly the Science Slams, gave MSCA fellows in North America almost their only chance to meet each other. In November 2015, I attended the EURAXESS Germany network meeting in Bonn, where Alice Wignjosaputro explained exactly how the network worked. As Chair of MCAA, I had the pleasure of making contact with Ainhitze Bizkarralegorra Bravo of EURAXESS India to help coordinate the activities of the MCAA Indian Chapter. Ainhitze put me in contact with all of the EURAXESS Links Coordinators throughout the world. This was a very useful way for MCAA to found chapters in all EURAXESS Worldwide territories apart from Japan. These chapters work closely with EURAXESS Worldwide and the coordinators very often hand-picked the founding chairs to ensure excellent chapter leadership. The coordinators helped our chapters to build effective networks from the very beginning. The most spectacular achievement was last year’s 3-day MCAA Brazil-Europe conference that attracted 260 attendees. MCAA is taking part in the mentoring scheme for diaspora researchers organised by EURAXESS North America. Our South-East Asia Chapter has been particularly effective at promoting European research in many countries: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. Our China Chapter Chair organised a joint event with EURAXESS China this summer. I had some interesting discussions with Mathieu Py about the particularities of the Japanese research world.”

Scientists reveal how recent vegetation cover changes have ultimately made the planet warmer. Read more…  

World’s biggest city database shines light on our increasingly urbanised planet 

The world’s largest data platform on cities reveals the planet is even more urbanised than we thought. Read more… 

Sharing knowledge and supporting innovation in the Western Balkans 

The Commission unveiled a new plan this month, laying out paths to EU membership for the Western Balkans countries. The JRC has a key role in these efforts.  Read more… 

Minimum quality requirements for water reuse in agriculture 

The JRC has published a report on the minimum quality requirements for the use of treated waste water for agricultural purposes.  Read more… 

How safe is your email? 

The ‘My Email Communications Security Assessment (MECSA)’ tool can run a quick check on your email communications and provide feedback on how well-protected they are.  Read more… 

New tool to report cancer burden statistics and trends across Europe 

Cancer may seem to strike European citizens randomly, but there is actually great variation across Europe in incidence, mortality, and survival.  Read more… 

The majority of chemicals on a combined list of more than 2700 potential marine contaminants are what’s known as ‘emerging pollutants’: substances that have the potential to enter the environment and cause adverse ecological and human health effects, but are still largely unregulated. Read more…  

Teaming up to prepare for emergencies: JRC data helps international community 

The JRC joins forces with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to assess similarities in emergency preparedness and response across sectors, identify lessons learned and set out good practices for the nuclear sector. Read more… 

Conserving our biodiversity: priorities for well-connected protected areas 

The JRC has measured progress and shortfalls in the connectivity of protected areas in countries across the world, identifying the main priorities to sustain or improve connectivity in each country. Read more… 

Are we circular yet? Focus on critical raw materials in circular economy 

Critical raw materials are not used to their full extent as part of the circular economy and there are several improvement opportunities to reuse and recycle these materials. Read more… 

How far to the nearest city? Global map of travel time to cities published 

A team of researchers have mapped urban accessibility worldwide to support global and local decision-making on development and environmental policies. Read more… 

Saving lives on our roads: ensuring 112 emergency auto-call technology works  

The JRC and the GSA have released guidelines to ensure that automatic 112 call devices (eCall) meet compatibility and performance requirements ahead of their compulsory installation in all new cars and vans from the end of March 2018.  Read more… 

• Have a total cost of at least EUR 1 million
• Be in one of the pre-determined high economicvalue-added sectors
• Be expected to start within three years of submission (or shall have started already)
• Be promoted by a public or private legal entity established in an EU Member State
• Be compatible with all applicable EU and national laws

More information…