Are synergies a top down coordinated effort or bottom up reality? To find out join our conference in Prague in the Czech Republic on July 7 and 8, 2022.
Synergies are more and more important in the research, development and innovation joint effort between member states and the European Commission. RDI beneficiaries have been used to screen the whole RDI landscape in order to find the most suitable funding instruments for their different RDI activities. However, overlappings, lack of sufficient coordination and different rules made the orientation in the RDI landscape difficult and complicated lives of beneficiaries and applicants.
EC made synergies one of the horizontal themes already in the programming period 2013 – 2020. A lot of effort has been made. Synergies are the top horizontal theme in this programming period. Where do we stand today? What has been done and what is still to be done? What are the synergies between cohesion policy funds, Horizon Europe, national and regional programme and other instruments? And what all can be meant when we talk about synergies in RDI?
Prague conference on synergies, organised in the frame of the Czech presidency to the Council of the EU, will give both perspectives – the top down perspective of responsible ministers and European commission representatives, as well as the bottom up perspective of research performing organisations, research funding organisations and other beneficiaries.
Mr. Tomáš SACHER
Tomáš SACHER studied media and communication. As an author and moderator, he has been covering economic and political issues, focusing on European integration. He participated in the selection of the Czech Innovation of the Year. From 2016 until recently, he was the head of the Czech Centre in Berlin, and for the last two years he also served as president of the EUNIC Berlin network. This year, he took over the leadership of the Czech Centres' projects for the EU Presidency.
Mr. Martin BUNČEK
Martin BUNČEK is the managing director of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR). He has been with the Technology Agency from its very beginning – first in the position of member of the board, then as the deputy chairman and since March 2018 as managing director. Martin graduated from the University of Pardubice, Faculty of Chemical Technology and completed his postgraduate studies at the Charles university, Faculty of pharmacy. Then, he worked at different positions in the company GENERI BIOTECH s.r.o. where he participated in its conceptual orientation, especially in the research and development field. He is involved in many international working groups or expert/evaluation panels
Mr. Allen WEEKS
Allen WEEKS is Director General at the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI), which he joined in November 2017. Since that time ELI has been established as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium and is the world's most advanced high-power laser infrastructure, with locations in the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Before joining ELI, Weeks was a senior manager at the European Spallation Source ERIC (ESS) where he managed the In-Kind Coordination programme. That effort brought together over 50 European institutions to deliver more than €550 million to construction the leading next generation neutron source. He was also responsible for managing communication and outreach activities, as well as grants.
Weeks began working with European and global research infrastructures in 2005, coordinating the FERMI free-electron laser project in Trieste, Italy. He has experience in industry, having served as Executive Director at Instrumentation Technologies for business development. He spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry. Weeks has experience with many aspects of research infrastructure management and has worked with a large number of stakeholders in Europe, and around the world.
Mr. Weeks is American, and has called Slovenia his European home for 30 years. He has also lived in Slovakia, Italy, Sweden and now the Czech Republic, and has worked extensively in Hungary and a number of other European countries.
Mr. Jean-Eric Paquet
Jean-Eric Paquet became Director-General of DG Research and Innovation on 1st April 2018; however, his involvement in EU research policy dates back from 2002, as Deputy Head of Cabinet of Philippe Busquin, then Commissioner in charge of Research and Development.
Jean-Eric’s career at the European Commission started in 1993. Since then he contributed in shaping EU policy in various fields and achieved major breakthroughs, notably in DG Transport, where he led the development of the Trans-European Transport Network Policy and was responsible for Europe’s transport infrastructure policy and investment strategies, the single European rail area, inland waterways and port policy.
He also gained considerable experience at international level: in DG Enlargement, his portfolio covered Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and FYROM. He was also EU Ambassador in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania from 2004 to 2007.
In 2015, he was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the European Commission, in charge of Better Regulation and Policy Coordination.
In all his endeavours, he puts co-creation and systemic change at the heart of the decision-making process, and strongly believes that citizens should be more involved in shaping public policy agendas.
Mr. Lukáš LEVÁK
Lukáš LEVÁK joined the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Czechia in 2009, after completing his studies (History, Latin America Studies) at the Charles University. Before he was appointed the Director of Department for R&D (2014), he had been in charge of development of bilateral cooperation of Czechia in R&D, and participation of Czechia in the ARTEMIS and ENIAC Joint Technology Initiatives under the 7th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Since 2014, Mr Lukáš LEVÁK has been the Director of Department for R&D, which consists of the Unit for Research Infrastructures and the Unit for European Research Area. His duties and responsibilities, therefore, comprise particularly policy-making and public funding of research infrastructures (including Czech memberships in international R&D organisations and the ERIC consortia), and formulation and implementation of the strategy for international collaboration of Czechia in R&D in the framework of the European Research Area (including agenda of the EU Competitiveness Council of Research Ministers). As of 2014, Mr Lukáš LEVÁK has been the Czech delegate to ERAC (European Research Area and Innovation Committee), while also serving as the delegate of Czechia to ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) since 2019. Mr Lukáš LEVÁK has also represented the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Czechia on other platforms, such as the ERA Forum, the ELI ERIC General Assembly (Extreme Light Infrastructure European Research Infrastructure Consortium) or the ESS ERIC Council (European Spallation Source European Research Infrastructure Consortium).
Mr. Jacques DEMOTES
Jacques Demotes is the director general of the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN), which he founded in 2004. In this role, he is responsible for the strategy and overall management of the infrastructure with the support of the ECRIN Management Office (located in Paris, France), the ECRIN European Correspondents (located in each Member / Observer country), and ECRIN’s Scientific Partners (i.e., national networks of clinical trial units).
A neurologist and professor of cell biology, Demotes is an advisor to the biology and health research department at the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. While at ECRIN, he has contributed to numerous initiatives and collaborative projects related to multinational clinical trials. In particular, he chaired the working group that drafted the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Council Recommendation on the Governance of Clinical Trials.
Prior to ECRIN, he worked as a clinical neurologist and basic neuroscientist, then as director of the clinical investigation centre in Bordeaux.
Demotes received his MD (with a specialisation in neurology), a PhD in neuroscience, a Master of Science (MS) in neuroscience, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in mathematics and computer science from the University of Bordeaux. He also received an MBA from IAE Paris, and completed a training course in science policy with the Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology in Paris.
Mr. Věslav MICHALIK
Věslav MICHALIK was born in Český Těšín. Studied nuclear physics at ČVUT where he finished his PhD. More than 10 years worked as scientist in the Czech Academy of Sciences and abroad (Russia, Germany, France), published dozens of international scientific papers. Acted as top manager in banking and capital markets and is still active as private investor.
Since 2002 he has been involved in local politics. Since 2004 as a mayor of Dolní Břežany, since 2012 is representative of Central Bohemian Region, today acts as vice governor of the region. Since 2014 he has been a member of the board of STAN (Mayors and Independents) party. In 2021 was elected as vice-chairman of STAN.
Mr. Andreas PETZOLD
Andreas PETZOLD is an atmospheric scientist with longstanding experience in the measurement of climate relevant aerosol optical properties across the troposphere in various environments. Today, he is heading the Research Group for Global Observation at the Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Troposphere (IEK-8) of Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany. He is also member of Faculty of the Physics Department of University of Wuppertal and serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Group Aerosols of the Global Atmosphere Watch programme of WMO. One of his primary tasks is the coordination of the European Research Infrastructure IAGOS (www.iagos.org), jointly with colleagues from France and the U.K. As a convinced supporter of the concept of research infrastructures, he is contributing to the Community of the European Environmental Research Infrastructures ENVRI and coordinates the EU Project ENVRI-FAIR which connects the cluster of ENVRIs to the European Open Science Cloud.
Mrs. Jana KOLAR
Jana Kolar is the chair of ESFRI and the Executive Director of CERIC-ERIC, a research infrastructure for characterisation of materials and biomaterials, established by the EC’s implementing decision. She has a broad range of expertise, ranging from policy development and implementation, research and innovation, to entrepreneurship. Among others, she was Director-General of Science in Technology at a ministry in Slovenia, chairman of the Board of Slovenian Technology Agency, a member of the Governing Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. She was a member of the High-Level Group of Innovators for a European Innovation Council, that advised the Commission on how to strengthen support for breakthrough, market-creating innovation and of the ERA Council Forum Austria - a high-level expert body advising the Austrian Minister responsible for Science and Research, for which she was awarded a Golden badge of honour for services to the Republic of Austria.
She is currently a Slovenian delegate of the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), a member of its Executive Board, and a chair-elect. She is also chairing the Board of the Slovenian Research Agency.
She has authored/co-authored several expert reports contracted by the European Commission.
Trained as a chemist, she had published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers and a European patent.
Mrs. Sylvie SAMKOVÁ
At the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Sylvie SAMKOVÁ has long been involved in supporting research, development and university projects from the European Structural and Investment Funds.
In the past ten years, she has held the position of Head of the Call Conception Unit, which is mainly responsible for preparing interventions to support improvement of research & development capacities and international competitiveness of universities and also for factual supervision of the implemented projects to meet the objectives of the operational programs. She has participated in the implementation of the Operational Program Research, Development and Innovation, the Operational Program Research, Development and Education and together with her team is currently intensively preparing interventions for the new operational program Johannes Amos Comenius, which will be implemented until 2029. Synergy interventions with Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe have been implemented under the last two mentioned operational programs. Namely they include co-funding of Teaming for Excellence projects based in the Czech Republic and alternative funding of high quality MSCA-IF projects.
Mrs. Katarzyna Kaczkowska
Deputy director of Department for Innovation and Development Support Programmes, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional policy
Katarzyna Kaczkowska is a deputy head of department in a Managing Authority for EU-financed programmes, supporting innovation and R&D in business and science. She focuses on various forms of financial instruments, support for strategic projects, smart specialization and international co-operation. She has experience in drafting and negotiating programmes with the European Commission, and she is currently involved in programming for the 2021-27 perspective.
Mrs. Inka VAVERKOVÁ
Inka VAVERKOVÁ works as a consultant for research, development and innovation in the Strategic Studies Department of the Technology Centre of the Czech Academy of Science. She focuses on the analysis of research and innovation policies and on research infrastructures. Before joining Technology Centre CAS she worked at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, where she first dealt with the European research and then participated in preparation and implementation of Operational Programme Research, Development and Education (OP RDE) and preparation of Operational Programme Johannes Amos Comenius (OP JAC), both in area of research and development. In her work, she also addressed the issue of synergies between the Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation and the European Structural and Investment Funds.
Mrs. Monika Vrbková
Monika Vrbková is the head of technological cooperation team at JIC responsible for access to finance services. She has more than 10 years of experience in delivering advisory services and training on EU funding to innovative SMEs. She specializes in Horizon Europe and its European Innovation Council programmes. Monika is also the main contact point for EIT Digital in Czechia providing the innovation, entrepreneurship and education opportunities of EIT Digital to potential Czech beneficiaries. She was the chair of a working group of Enterprise Europe Network which provided recommendations on the evolution of services for SMEs in the overall context of Horizon Europe.
Mr. Keith SEQUEIRA
Keith is head of the team supporting the European Innovation Council (EIC) Board, preparing the EIC work programmes, and overseeing communication, planning and policy feedback activities of the EIC and SME Executive Agency of the European Commission. From 2015 to 2019, Keith was senior advisor to Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for research and innovation, on open science and open innovation, including Horizon Europe, scientific advice to policy, and the European Research Council. He was previously in the Cabinet of the Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and has worked in the European Commission on monitoring national policies, Horizon 2020, the 7th Framework Programme, the Innovation Union flagship initiative, innovation indicators and public procurement of innovation. He has previous experience in the UK government (bioscience, trade, finance and international S&T policy) and a private company (advising on public private partnerships and public sector spin-outs). Keith studied physics at Cambridge University and has a doctoral degree in innovation studies from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the Sussex University.
Mrs. Táňa HÁLOVÁ PERGLOVÁ
Táňa HÁLOVÁ PERGLOVÁ is involved in the team of the Czech Presidency in the Council of the EU at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic in Brussels. She has gained professional experience in research and innovation policy in different positions in CzechInvest, CZELO (Czech Liaison office for Research and Development in Brussels), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Before joint he CZ PRES team she worked as director of horizontal and international section in the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. She dealt with human resources, international cooperation, synergies with Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe, innovation policy or gender aspects in research. She is militant for cooperation at all levels and gender equality.
Mrs. Lucie NUÑEZ
Lucie has been working at the position of the Head of Unit of the European Research Area at the Department of Research and Development of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic for three years. Lucie is responsible for creating and developing strategy for an effective R&D policy at national level and engaging stakeholders to ensure its successful implementation. Furthermore, she is involved in implementing international cooperation in R&D and coordination of the Czech participation in international R&D programmes, notably the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe. Since 2013, Lucie has participated in activities carried out by the High Level Group for Joint Programming (GPC) and, subsequently, Transitional Forum for Partnerships as national delegate of the Czech Republic; currently she serves as national representative in the Horizon Europe Strategic Programme Committee, ERA Forum and Partnership Knowledge Hub. Furthermore, Lucie has been national delegate for several years in Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Mr. Miroalsv HALTUF
Miroslav HALTUF is an independent expert and project manager. His working experiences include various positions at the Czechoslovak and Czech Railways (railway transport technology), then international Affairs – UIC activities within East –West Task Force, special projects and European Transport Corridors. He worked for several companies related with railway system as an advisor for international affairs, projects on information technologies and strategic development. Nowadays Mr Haltuf is a specialist focused on international activities and projects. He is especially focused on operation management of RUs and IMs, TSIs (TAP and TAF).
Mr Haltuf has an Engineer diploma in Transport Technology and Economics from University of Transport in Žilina. Within EUROPE´s Rail JU (successor of Shift2Rail) he is a member of the States Representatives Group for Czech Republic (since October 21, 2014). He was its chairman (from April 29, 2015 – December 31, 2018) and vice- chairman (since January 1, 2019).
Mrs. Brit Helle
Managing Director of the Eureka Secretariat in Brussels since 1 September 2021.
Professional experience from a variety of fields and locations within finance, administration and trade policy in both private and public international sector. Based in Brussels since 2005 and has held several management positions related to the European Economic Area Agreement within the European Free Trade Association before joining Eureka. Holds a BSc in Management Science from University of Warwick and a Masters in Finance, Commerce and Administration from Toulouse Business School. Trilingual English, French and Norwegian.
Mr. Michael Hübner
Michael Hübner is educated in the field of communication engineering. In his studies at the Technical University of Vienna he additionally became involved in the topics of sustainable development, environmental and societal aspects of technology as well as energy systems and renewable energy. Since 1998 he has been working for the Department of Energy and Environmental Technology in the field of strategy development, program management and international cooperation, focusing on energy system innovation and the digital transformation of the energy sector. Since 2006 he has been building up the focus area “smart energy systems and networks”. He is a member of the executive committee and chairman of the National Stakeholders Coordination Group of the „European Technology and Innovation Platform on Smart Networks for the Energy Transition (ETIP SNET)“. Since 2016 he is co-chairing the European member-states working group on SET-Plan Action 4- Increase the resilience and security of the energy system“. Since 2014 Michael Hübner has been coordinator of the European joint programming platform “ERA-Net Smart Energy Systems (former ERA-Net Smart Grids Plus)” with 30 financing partners from 25 countries. Since 2019 he is working to establish the “Clean Energy Transition Partnership” with more than 70 partners from nearly all European countries and a number of associated countries.
Mrs. Radka WILDOVA
Professor Radka WILDOVA graduated from Faculty of Education of Charles University in Prague. Before joining Educational Faculty administrative staff in 1993, she taught at several primary schools and thus have a practical experience. Between 2009 and 2016 she was dean of the Faculty of Education. From 2016 to January 2022 she held the position of Vice-Rector for the Conception and Quality of Education at Charles University. Since February 2022 she has been the deputy minister for higher education, science and research at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. She is author and co-author of numerous publications and member of several national and international expert teams.
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If you have any question or request, you can contact us at: tana.halovaperglova@msmt.cz
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