A panel of innovation ministers and their delegates from the Eureka member countries, with Hungary represented by László Bódis, Deputy State Secretary for Innovation at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, approved the full Eureka membership of South Korea and Canada, and the renewal of Chile’s association with the programme. A Cooperation Agreement was signed between the European Commission and Eureka, focusing on joint support for innovative SMEs, further strengthening cooperation with countries outside Europe and contributing to the development and implementation of the new European Innovation Agenda. A Funding
Agreement was also signed with the European Commission to co-fund the Innovative SMEs Partnership Programme (Eurostars3) from the EU budget of the Horizon Europe programme.
Established in 1985, the EUREKA network for intergovernmental cooperation aims to strengthen the productivity and competitiveness of European industry on the world market by supporting market-oriented development through international cooperation. In its 37 years of existence, Eureka has supported more than 50,000 SMEs, large companies, universities and research institutes through more than 7,000 innovative projects, worth around EUR 40 billion, contributing to economic growth, job creation and the well-being of citizens.