Portugal’s minister for science, technology and higher education, Manuel Heitor, on Wednesday (14 January) described space as a “critical resource” in the EU green and digital transition and in promoting “a new future for Europeans”.
He said that European space development policy should be based on “three terms of reference”: promoting supply, strengthening demand and building bridges linking the two.
In terms of supply, the minister said that “the role of governments in general, and the European Commission in particular, should be to create markets” in areas that extend from the register of land and biodiversity – “which are not traditionally in the space sector, but which need high-resolution satellite images” – to “productivity of land and agriculture, maritime surveillance, sustainable urban development and autonomous mobility.
12 Jan 2021 | News
Portuguese presidency sets out to revive the European Research Area
Better integration of funding streams is the route to fostering the long-elusive single market for research, says Portugal’s research minister Manuel Heitor
Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor. Photo: EU Commission.
The Portuguese presidency has made strengthening the European Research Area (ERA) a priority over the next six months, with the country’s research minister, Manuel Heitor saying that integrating different European, national and private funding streams is key to making this happen.
Convergence of the different programmes: Horizon Europe, the €750 billion COVID-19 recovery fund, EU cohesion money and national R&D funding, is vital for raising the overall level of investment in science, Heitor believes.
On January 1, Portugal took over the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union, and announced
: to promote Europe’s recovery from the pandemic, its programmes for social solidarity, and its “strategic autonomy.”
Important for success is a focus on research careers, and on strengthening the European Research Area – a set of policies promoting cooperation and mobility of ideas and researchers across the EU. So argues Manuel Heitor, Portuguese minister for science, technology and higher education, in this essay for Science|Business.
Progress achieved in the development of the European Research Area over the past 20 years has attracted broad support, and now it is time to challenge European citizens and institutions to further enhance and improve it. As part of that, as we launch the next EU R&D programme Horizon Europe, we must reaffirm the target that the EU spend 3% of gross domestic product on R&D by 2030 [up from 2.18% in 2018].
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