Reflecting on 40 Years of EU Research: analysing future frontiers in science and innovation
This year, the European Union commemorates 40 years since the launch of its first Framework Programme (FP) for research. To mark this milestone, Science|Business hosted its public annual Network conference gathering global leaders in science, technology, and innovation to discuss the achievements of the FPs, their future directions, and the role of science and technology in shaping the next four decades. One of the sessions was supported by ATTRACT and introduced a topic based on how to train future tech innovators.
This session, which brought together experts from the sector such as Anna Panagopoulou and Antoaneta Angelova-Krasteva from the European Commission, Ilkka Niemelä from Aalto University, Pablo Garcia Tello from CERN and Chiara Giovenzana, from the ATTRACT project, was focused on one of the challenges that Europe faces: cultivating the talent necessary to drive innovation forward because beyond STEM education, the need for individuals equipped with hands-on experience in teamwork, creativity, communication, project management, and more is crucial to transforming nerdy tech concepts into compelling products and services.
The panellists highlighted although technology is advancing and there are many initiatives for researchers, there is a talent gap, therefore there is a need to enable and develop their skills to have careers beyond Academia. Additionally, they underscored the importance of providing opportunities for young students, educating them in breakthrough thinking, and facilitating their involvement in interdisciplinary teams. This approach not only exposes them to diverse fields but also equips them with the skills to tackle real-world problems effectively, as is the case of ATTRACT Academy.
“It is time to change the training and education paradigm and give young innovators the opportunity to design and manage their own projects vs. projects that are pre-designed for them by others”, explained Pablo García Tello, Section Head of the Development of EU Projects & Initiatives at CERN.
It is worth noting that among the sessions held at the Science|Business conference, there was one dedicated to addressing how the European Union should design FP10, even though there are still more than four years left until the current programme ends. This session was designed to generate specific strategic ideas on addressing key issues that have arisen during Horizon Europe and that will help to enhance its successor, FP10.
Among the speakers were Christian Ehler from the European Parliament, Annelien Bredenoord from Erasmus University Rotterdam, Astrid Söderbergh Widding from Stockholm University, Brit Helle from Eureka, and Sergio Bertolucci, Chair of the ATTRACT R&D&I Committee.
Here you can see the special report that Science|Business has prepared on the 40th anniversary of the EU’s flagship R&D programme.
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