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We will resume our services on 7 January 2025.

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Your team at the Bavarian Research Alliance

After three and a half years of intensive research, the EU project CIRCULAR FoodPack has developed new processes to effectively recycle flexible polyethylene food packaging. The results of the project will pave the way for a sustainable circular economy in this area.

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The European Commission has published the first 130 projects to be labelled by the Strategic Technologies for Europe (STEP) platform. The label aims to raise the profile of promising projects in the fields of clean, resource-efficient and digital technologies and help them attract additional public and private funding.

The European Union and Japan are setting a milestone by negotiating for the first time a formal association of Japan with Horizon Europe, the EU's ambitious research and innovation programme. If successful, Japan will become part of the EU's closest form of cooperation in this field.

On 28 November 2024, in front of 200 guests, Bavaria's State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Tobias Gotthardt, opened the kick-off event of the BAIOSPHERE AI Compass. This innovative matchmaking tool is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), AI experts, funding agencies and networks in the Bavarian AI ecosystem. The Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR), whose managing director is also the acting spokesperson of the Bavarian Research and Innovation Agency (BayFIA), is sponsoring the topic “Financing and Funding”.

On 5 November 2024, the European Parliament's Industry, Energy and Research (ITRE) Committee confirmed Ekaterina Zaharieva as EU Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation. After a three-hour hearing, MEPs approved the appointment of the Bulgarian politician. Zaharieva presented her goals for the next five years: more money for research, a drastic cut in red tape and better conditions for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The European Innovation Council (EIC), part of the EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, will support European deep tech research and high-potential start-ups with €1.4 billion next year. The EIC Work Programme 2025, which the Commission adopted today, represents an increase of nearly €200 million in comparison with 2024.

With the successor to the current "Horizon Europe" programme due to start in 2028, and eight stakeholders from Germany have set out their recommendations for the EU‘s 10th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10). The result: a clear consensus on the necessary budget, but also some differences on other aspects.

More excellent research, impactful innovation and technology scale-ups are needed to make Europe more globally competitive, secure and sustainable. These are among the twelve expert recommendations presented today to the Commission to strengthen Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme, and its successor.

On 17 September, re-elected EU Commission President von der Leyen announced the names and allocated policy portfolios who will form the next College of EU Commissioners. Ekaterina Zaharieva (a Bulgarian MP and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs) has been entrusted with a portfolio named “Startups, Research and Innovation”, which she will oversee under the guidance of two Executive Vice-Presidents (for prosperity & industrial strategy; and tech sovereignty, security and democracy).