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The preparations for Horizon Europe proceed, Finnish universities organise a series of high-level seminars to share their vision on the missions – “We must unite our forces in turning science and technology for the benefit of people and society”

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The preparation of European Union’s next framework programme for research and innovation Horizon Europe is currently underway. The Commission has published its proposal for the programme, with a budget of €100 billion and a focus on mission-oriented approach. At the moment, further negotiations and strategic planning, including co-designing of the missions are in progress.

Universities Finland UNIFI, representing all Finnish universities, has shared its views earlier this year by publishing a position paper suggesting missions under five different themes: health, climate change, natural resources, digitality, and inclusive and secure society. UNIFI has also taken a strong stance in supporting the doubling of the framework programme’s budget to €160 billion. If sufficient resources are provided, the missions will have a genuine possibility to generate real breakthroughs.

– We find it extremely important that Europe accepts its global responsibility in terms of climate change and other big challenges the humankind is facing today. As a country whose competitiveness and well-being are based on high-level research and competencies, Finland has all the prerequisites to do its share in this difficult task and be a bold pioneer, actively creating solutions and finding ways to tackle these problems together with our European partners, states UNIFI’s Chair Jukka Mönkkönen.

To share its future visions on the missions of Horizon Europe, UNIFI, together with Finnish universities and Brussels-based regional offices, is organising a series of high-level events in Brussels. Moonshots of the 2020s seminars, taking place in October and November, will gather representatives of the European institutions, public sector, industry, and other stakeholders, to discuss the great global challenges of our time and their scientific solutions, together with researchers and academic leaders.

– We hope to see a wide range of different stakeholder groups in these events. It is important to hear their thoughts on the big challenges of today as well as to discuss possible scientific solutions that we should pursue together, Mönkkönen says.

UNIFI believes that strong cooperation is the key to succeeding in the missions. As an open society, Finland has great potential to be a forerunner in creating flexible and close collaboration between different actors of the society, including public sector, companies, and non-governmental organizations as well as citizens. Joint efforts are needed in order to ensure a sustainable future and guarantee well-being for the generations to come.

– This is why we are asking everyone to join us in Brussels din the next weeks. We must unite our forces in turning science and technology for the benefit of people and society, Mönkkönen says.

For more information on the seminar series see www.unifi.fi/brussels.

Universities Finland UNIFI, is a co-operational organisation for Finnish universities. UNIFI promotes higher education, research and arts by addressing far-reaching, university related issues. UNIFI aims to influence the Finnish higher education and research policy, and to promote common interests of universities.

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