Estonia attaches importance to the European Scienc

The first national debate on the new European horizons of the European Science and Innovation Framework Program yesterday, participants took the view that the Framework Program wou...

It is important for Estonia that the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation will change

Indrek Reimand, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Research, who opened the debate day, emphasized the need for better use of European research money. "For Estonia it is important that the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation becomes a forerunner in important areas, by investing more resources in the past. Estonia has significantly better opportunities to shape the future of European science thanks to the presidency, "Reimand said. "Prioritization of science and better targeting of resources will help these areas to achieve development benefits and gain financial leverage from Europe. For Estonia, for example, it is cyber security, personal medicine, bio-economy and e-state capabilities, "added Reimand.

Estonian researchers and entrepreneurs have been very successful in applying for the current Horizon 2020 program compared to other countries, while the implementation of projects that are broader in scope is a concern. The discussion concluded that it would be necessary to develop national co-operation between research institutions, government agencies, the private sector and the third sector in order to further exploit the resources of European programs. In addition, the participants emphasized that the Horizon program must become a natural part of the Estonian research, development and innovation system, which supports the development of Estonian society through international research and innovation cooperation and the transfer of knowledge and applications of the front line.

At the beginning of June, the European Commission published a draft European Horizons research program, which will spend nearly 100 billion Euros on science between 2021 and 2027. The discussion is organized by the Ministry of Education and Research and the Estonian Science Agency in order to discuss Estonia's positions with the key partners and experts on the negotiation of the new program. Together with the subsequent discussions, by the end of the summer, Estonia's positions will be formed, which will be approved by the Government of the Republic.