Launch of Mediterranean Initiative, Horizon Europe WP 2023-2024

• Building on the outcomes of the UfM Ministerial Conference on Research and Innovation held in June 2022, the UfM co-organised an event on the ‘International Cooperation in Research and Innovation (R&I) for Mediterranean resilience – Launch of Mediterranean Initiative: Horizon Europe WP 2023-2024’, together with the European Commission and the EU Delegation in Cairo.
• The Mediterranean Initiative included in the Horizon Europe Work Programme brings new significant opportunities for Mediterranean research stakeholders

Cairo, 30-31 January 2023. For the first time ever, the Horizon Europe 2022-2023 programme is foreseeing a “Mediterranean Initiative”. This series of R&I calls, open to Mediterranean countries over the biennium, builds thematically on the three UfM Roadmaps for R&I, namely climate change, renewable energy and health. In order to support Southern Mediterranean participation to these new opportunities, the launch event was co-organised by the European Commission and the Union for the Mediterranean in Cairo on 30 January 2023.

This hybrid event had seen more than 500 participants and was opened by Cristian Berger, EU Ambassador to Egypt, Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Global Approach & International Cooperation in R&I at the European Commission, the UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel, and Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, with the closing remarks by Signe Ratso, Acting Director General at DG Research and Innovation.

The event presented an overview of Euro-Med R&I cooperation through the UfM context, presented upcoming calls targeting the UfM Roadmaps, reflections on South MED Participation in Horizon Europe, led by UfM R&I National Focal Points, and with an overview on the thematic Clusters and mobility opportunities for researchers.

UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel said: “Our shared sea, as an interface between different continents, presents unique challenges and can offer untapped opportunities, if harnessed through a win-win approach. Science is an unavoidable ingredient in reaching a sustainable and just shared prosperity.”

On 31 January, a moderated Roundtable titled “R&I for Mediterranean Resilience – Different instruments for shared Goals” was held at the EU Delegation to Cairo. The discussion was based on the UfM Regional Platform in Research and Innovation recently agreed priorities (health, renewable energies and climate change).