Brussels, Helsinki, Budapest, 30th November 2010

EuroNanoForum is a biannual event organised within the framework of the Presidency of the European Union. EuroNanoForum 2011 will be the fifth event in this series, and will take place under the Hungarian Presidency at the Budapest Congress and World Trade Center from 30th May to 1st June 2011. EuroNanoForum 2011 has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 266810, and from the National Office for Research and Technology in Hungary.

Invited by the National Office for Research and Technology (NKTH), representatives of the ASPERA network (AStroParticle physics ERAnet – European Research Area network responsible for astroparticle physics) have conferred in Hungary. The main purpose of the initiative supported by EU is to join forces of the European funding agencies in astroparticle physics and develop a strategy for the future in this research field. The ASPERA network has prepared the European Strategy for Astroparticle Physics, which determines the most important research infrastructures needed in the area of astroparticle physics in Europe. The main objective of the ASPERA Hungarian National Day organized in Budapest on 15 October 2010 was to present the Hungarian science activities in astroparticle physics and the science funding system in Hungary to the other 21 partner funding agencies in the network. ASPERA is creating a roadmap for future directions in this research field and is identifying the large research infrastructure it will support in the near future, therefore it is important for Hungarian researchers to be informed about this decision making process and it is also imperative that the voice of the Hungarian research community be heard.

Preceding the EUREKA Ministerial Conference on 25th June, 2010 in Berlin, the EUREKA Innovation Award was presented to the Onom@Topic+ project, which was carried out with the active participation of Hungarian Compuworx Ltd. The project was realized within the EUREKA MEDEA+ (with the theme of microelectronics) cluster, focusing on the development of the European citizenship card system and mobile multimedia applications.

Based on the result of the relevant tender, Károly Molnár, Minister without portfolio responsible for R&D, appointed Gyula Csopaki, CSc (PhD) of technical sciences, as President of the National Office for Research and Technology (NKTH). Priority task of the new president will be - while ensuring predictability and stability - to make sure that the efficiency of the system of calls for proposals under the Innovation Fund is increased.

On 15 September 2008, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) was launched at a ceremonial opening in the building of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Hungarian and EU dignitaries opened the inaugural meeting in the morning. In the afternoon, the first meeting of the EIT Governing Board took place, where Mr. Martin Schuurmans was elected as chair of the board.

The National Office for Research and Technology (NKTH) and the Ministry of Economics and Transport (GKM) organised a joint conference on the national innovation system on 29th March 2007. They invited prominent stakeholders of the Hungarian science sector and innovative enterprises.

On the 18th of January 2008 Ferenc Pártos, the president of the National Office for Research and Technology of Hungary (NORT) and Thirumalachari Ramasami the under-secretary of the Department of Science and Technology of India (DST) has signed a Letter of Intent to set up a strategic fund for R&D; 1-1 million EUR I year.

Minister of Economy and Transport, János Kóka introduced Ferenc Pártos - who is to take the presidential seat of the National Office for Research and Technology (NKTH) on 1st August 2007 - to the key representatives of the sector at a sectoral meeting.