European Commission launches public consultation on Horizon 2020
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The European Commission is calling upon researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, citizens, organisations and all stakeholders who have a say on research and innovation activities in the EU to take part in the public consultation that will feed into the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020. According to the Commission, the interim evaluation will help improve the implementation of Horizon 2020 and will also lay the ground for the next EU research and innovation funding programme beyond 2020. This consultation will remain open until 15 January 2017.
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EIP on Raw Materials calls for new members
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The European Commission’s DG GROW is calling for the application of new members to make up the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials (EIP) High-Level Steering Group and Operational Groups, including one dedicated to biotic raw materials. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2017. The membership of the High-Level Steering Group will be composed of 70 representatives at the highest hierarchical level, while the new membership of Operational Groups will consist of 70 experts, who will provide advice to the High-Level Group. Please access this link to read more about the conditions of the call and eligibility criteria; you can also download the templates to submit your application.
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Innovation trends highlighted at European Paper Week
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“We have seen the future and advanced examples of the bioeconomy 2.0 today”, affirmed the Chairwoman of the FTP Board Lena Ek in her speech to the scientists presenting innovative ideas for the pulp and paper industry at the Young Researchers Session of European Paper Week (EPW), in Brussels, on 22 November 2016. “The new possibilities that you have introduced using different materials, innovative applications and production flows go beyond the current understanding of the bioeconomy”, she continued.
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Top row: Panellists at the Young Researchers Session of EPW. Second row, from left to right: Bernard de Galembert (CEPI); Leo Arpa (Mondi Paper Europe & International); Lena Ek (FTP and Södra) and Herman Schwartz (Siemens).
© CEPI
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Later in the evening, a Welcome Cocktail co-organised by FTP and the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) opened the three-day official conference, inspired discussions about the latest trends in the sector and encouraged networking among global industry representatives and European policymakers. FTP Managing Director Johan Elvnert emphasised the relevance of the sector’s investment in innovation: “FTP is a cooperation platform for innovative solutions. We fight problems with the support of a robust strategic research and innovation roadmap and pursue our Vision for 2030. Our efforts have been recognized with significant public funding. However, the major effort to unlock innovation is carried out by the sector”, he concluded.
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From left to right: Johan Elvnert (FTP); Lena Ek (FTP and Södra) and Sylvain Lhôte (CEPI).
© CEPI
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FTP Vision 2030 and SRA reconfirmed as key roadmaps for forest-based innovation in Europe
Among the recommendations of the Bratislava Declaration on the EU Forest Strategy: a new impulse on a way forward, is to stimulate relevant actors in the forest-based sector across all Member States to make the best use of synergies between FTP’s Vision 2030 and Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for 2020 (SRA), as well as the EFI strategy 2025. The Declaration was adopted as an outcome of the informal meeting of EU Forest Directors, that took place in Bratislava on 7-9 November 2016, and gathered together Forest Directors from Member State ministries, forest authorities as well as stakeholder representatives, including the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF) and the European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR).
In addition to research and innovation in supporting sound policy decisions, the Bratislava Declaration also addresses forests in the 2030 climate and energy framework, underlines the need for in-depth discussion of the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) proposal and further emphasises the role of forests in biodiversity conservation, among other relevant and global forest-related issues.
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Bratislava Agenda highlights strategic role of ETPs in steering innovation cohesion in Europe
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Revamping the European Technology Platform (ETPs) concept with strong industrial leadership and efficient national mirror platforms is among the positive notes of the Bratislava Agenda - A call for a European Industrial Revolution to Re-industrialise Europe. In the document, ETPs are defined by their potential to develop an “ecosystem that will facilitate the European Industrial Revolution”, trigger innovation and steer increased cohesion towards a common industrial ecosystem in the EU, while respecting the particularities of Member States. Such strategic positioning of ETPs positively reflects on the work of FTP and enhances the possibilities to develop much more influential work on behalf of forest-based innovation in the EU.
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The Bratislava Agenda calls upon all European stakeholders to recognize and act on the paradigm-shifting changes that challenge industries across world regions. It was launched during the international conference Re-industrialisation of the EU 2016 (REinEU 2016) that took place in Bratislava, from 26-28 October 2016. As a member of the conference High-Level Steering Group, FTP Managing Director Johan Elvnert chaired the session ‘Biotechnology disrupting traditional sectors’.
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European paper industry foresees 40% more investment to lead the low carbon bioeconomy
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At the 18th edition of EPW, the European pulp and paper industry outlined its investment agenda towards achieving the industry’s 2050 vision of a low-carbon and resource-efficient bioeconomy. Building on the roadmap CEPI laid out in 2011, the industry reaffirmed its vision of leading Europe’s bioeconomy transition towards 2050 by cutting its carbon footprint by 80%, while creating more than 50% added value. These key findings of the roadmap review are now available for stakeholders’ consultation of the discussion paper Making industry transformation happen in Europe released at EPW.
The goal is to broaden the collective input of the document through seeking consultation with key stakeholders on enabling conditions for industry transformation and to table a revised roadmap in early 2017.
©CEPI
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