A seminar on the topic of “Status of Innovation and Research in the Regions and Оpportunities for European Union Funding” took place at Burgas Free University on 5 August 2020. Leading experts from Brussels presented Horizon Europe, the next research and innovation framework programme (2021 – 2027).
The event was organised jointly by Burgas Free University and the Southeast Digital Innovation Hub. The participants included Prof. D.Sc. (Pedagogy) Galya Hristozova, BFU Rector, Ms. Vesna Baltina, Burgas Municipality Deputy Mayor for Strategic Development and Ecology, Digitalisation and Climate Changes adaptation, representatives of Burgas Municipality, companies from the region, professors at Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov University and BFU.
The participants learned about the topics of policies and funding for research and innovation in the EU in the period 2021 – 2027; European Innovation Council: results and prospects; future missions, the place of the maritime area and of intelligent specialisation; best practice of ЕCSEL Joint Undertaking; digital innovation hubs – the example of the Southeast Digital Innovation Hub.
The topics were presented by Assoc. Prof. Evgeni Evgeniev, Head of the Science Section of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union, Ms. Elitsa Beyska, Programme Coordinator for the SME Instrument, Accelerator of the European Innovation Council at the Executive Agency for SME of the European Commission, Prof. Dr. Milen Baltov, BFU Vice Rector and Project Manager for the IRISI Project under the Research Fund, Assoc. Prof. Georgi Kuzmanov, Programme Coordinator of ЕCSEL in Brussels, and Mr. Petko Georgiev, Director of ICT Cluster Burgas.
The seminar participants received the most up-to-date information from the negotiation procsess under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, the characteristics of the financial instrument of the European Innovation Council and the Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership (ECSEL) Joint Undertaking, which aims to finance high-technology research projects and to provide support for start-ups with innovative ideas which submit projects at a lower technological readiness level.
The discussion also offered an opportunity to talk about the future possibilities to consolidate the Bulgarian research and innovation system which needs to increase its competitiveness to apply for EU-funded projects.
The seminar presented topics from the work under the project “Regional Indexing of the Innovation Activities in Industries (IRISI) – scenarios in the four priority areas for intelligent specialisation identified in the Innovation Strategy for Intelligent Specialisation and their place in the circular economy” funded from the Research Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science.
Source: Burgas Free University
