MEPs discuss opportunities for Ireland in Horizon 2020
Professor Patrick Cunningham, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Irish Government, delivered the keynote speech at an event which brought together guests from universities, institutes of technology and the private sector, as well as the European Parliament and the European Commission. This high-level meeting on the future of EU funding for research and development was hosted by Sean Kelly MEP. The event featured presentations from Gai Oren, Secretariat of the European Paraliament Committee on Industry, Energy and Research; Theodoros Karapiperis, Head of Unit for Science and Technology Option Assessment, European Parliament; Pierre Godin, Policy Analyst at DG Regional Policy, European Commission. Michaela Vlková, Deputy Head of Office at the Czech Liaison Office for Research and Development; Merja Hiltunen, Counsellor for Research and Innovtion at the Finnish Liaison Office for EU R&D; and Jakob Just Madsen, Head of Office at the Danish Research Liaison Office, discussed their experience under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and preparations for Horizon 2020. Professor Patrick Cunningham, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Irish Government, discussed the prospects for the future of research and innovation in Ireland and invited all participants to the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF 2012), to be held in Dublin in July 2012. ESOF will bring together leading scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators, policy makers and the general public from all over Europe to discuss new scientific advances and consider possibilities for the future of science. The seminar facilitated discussion with Irish MEPs on the future priorities for the research community on the island of Ireland and considered the potential impact of Horizon 2020 for industry and academia. “We participate in FP7 and we have a very strong interest in Horizon 2020. The aim must be to make available as much information as possible about Horizon 2020 and encourage people to participate. This makes events like today's very valuable” explained Professor Brian MacCraith, Dublin City University. Kingsley Aikins, Diaspora Matters, added that the meeting gave “a clearer sense of potential sources of support and a better overview of the size and scope of Horizon 2020.” Sean Kelly, a member of the Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee, explained that "a strong research and development sector is vital for Ireland’s economic recovery. The Horizon 2020 programme for 2014-2020 carries a proposed budget of €80 billion and Ireland should benefit from at least €1 billion of that." In order to maximise Ireland's contribution to research and development under the Horizon 2020 programme, Sean Kelly MEP proposed a major conference to be held in the European Parliament in March 2013. "The event would take place in Brussels during the Irish Council Presidency, at a time when many research ideas and project proposals will be put forward" he explained. Photos from the event can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/iscintelligence(opens in new window)
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