The Commission will organise a “Coordinators’ Day” for coordinators of successful proposals on 27 September 2017.

The Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union hosted the meeting of the European Union’s Competitiveness Council (COMPET) on 25 July 2017 where József Pálinkás, President of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary argued for the positive effects of R&D on economic growth and for the importance of an enhaced coordination between national and EU funding programmes.

József Pálinkás and Klement Tockner, President of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), agreed on further publication of joint calls for research proposals in Vienna on July 14.

The event offers a chance for businesses, researchers and knowledge institutes to meet new partners and outline innovative solutions and collaborative investments, cross regional project proposals in the fields of Industry 4.0.

On behalf of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Science|Business invites you to take a survey regarding the importance and future of European research and innovation.

Spain shows interest in joining the international consortium formed to utilise the capacities of the ELI laser research centre in Szeged, Hungary, however, further negotiations are necessary before making any commitment on membership – József Pálinkás said to Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday, summing up the results of his three-day visit to Madrid.

Hungary can be proud that Science on Stage this year was hosted by a university town of a Teaming winner consortium, one of the excellence centres of our country – the President of the NRDI Office said in Debrecen at the closing ceremony of Europe’s largest natural science education fair. The prestigious event organised for teachers was sponsored also by the NRDI Office.

The world’s largest X-ray laser, the European XFEL, has now entered its operation phase.

At its 53rd meeting yesterday, EMBL Council selected Edith Heard as the organisation’s fifth Director General. Heard’s mandate is scheduled to begin 1 January 2019. Hungary has recently become a full member state in Europe’s leading laboratory for the life sciences.

After visiting seven Hungarian university towns and London, the roadshow of the Startup Campus launched with the support of the NRDI Office was finished in Berlin. In his opening presentation at the event, József Pálinkás, President of the NRDI Office highlighted the development achievements of the domestic innovation ecosystem and also told about the concept of the Campus Budapest multifunctional community centre to be launched at the Millenáris area, Budapest.

Over EUR 140 million in funding has been awarded to Hungarian institutions and businesses so far in Horizon 2020, the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation. On an event organised by the NRDI Office, József Pálinkás highlighted success rates, achievements and forthcoming actions within the H2020 programme, while previous winners and evaluating experts also shared their experience with potential applicants.

Diplomats responsible for Central Europe delegated by the foreign ministries of Asian countries were informed about the common, recently concluded or ongoing RDI funding programmes by the President of the NRDI Office. Projects in Asian countries are expected to benefit from a total budget of HUF 1 billion (EUR 3,3 million) on the basis of 2016 and 2017 funding decisions in relation to the programmes facilitating bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.

Financing competitive salaries of researchers from Horizon 2020 grants is a serious challenge to publically financed research centres. In representation of the interests of domestic institutions and in cooperation with the other Member States concerned, the National Research, Development and Innovation Office has urged the European Commission to find a solution to this problem, and finally the accounting rules are now expected to be modified.

The Hungarian researcher community gains access to Europe’s leading biomolecular infrastructure and further training programmes as Hungary confirmed its intent to join in the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), thus becoming the 23rd full member state in the continent’s largest life science organisation.

In 2016, more than HUF 3 billion (EUR 10.5 million) was allocated by the NRDI Office to cover the costs of participation in large research infrastructures, including the investment of EUR 2.2 million for the ongoing project of the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility (European XFEL). Two Hungarian research teams at the Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences are eager to become one of the first users of the facility.

The AAL Call 2017 is now open for project proposals aimed at the innovative integration of existing ICT solutions or the development of new ones to support the ambient assisted living of the older adults. Representatives of the joint financed programme, from the European Commission and the participating countries including Hungary, held a two-day meeting on 9–10 April at the NRDI Office in Budapest, on the financial and coordination tasks of this year’s call and further directions of the programme.

In connection with Horizon 2020 calls, this year the NRDI Office organises more than 20 thematic information days and consultation events to facilitate the participation and success rate of domestic stakeholders in the competition for EU funds. At these events the experts of the NRDI Office provide information and practical advice, and they are also ready to answer questions arising throughout the application process. They also encourage sharing experience of others gained from previous applications, which are all useful and essential for a successful application in the competition for directly accessible European funds.

Sustainability, marketable ideas, own innovation funds, long-term budget planning. These are the pillars on which domestic businesses should build their applications for RDI funds, primarily because from 2020 the focus will shift from the current abundance of domestic sources to EU funds that can be won in international competition – said Zsolt Monszpart, Vice President for Innovation and General Affairs of the NRDI Office to Portfolio.hu at the EU Funds 2017 thematic conference. To make this trend clear to stakeholders, the NRDI Office invited to the conference the heads of some of the domestic businesses which successfully applied for funding under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. They gave an account of their experience at a round table discussion, explaining how their funded H2020 projects boosted their business and interconnected them to the global market.

The Vice President for Innovation and General Affairs of the NRDI Office made a presentation on the support of the innovative businesses in the Hungarian energy sector, the comprehensive system fostering R&D cooperation projects and opportunities of funding, at a conference organised by the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

József Pálinkás held talks on scientific relationships and cooperation between research institutions in Paris.