The EU-LAC Foundation, in close collaboration with Mexico, in its capacity as Pro-Tempore Presidency of CELAC (PPT CELAC), the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, and the Coordinator of the LAC National Contact Points, organised the virtual Workshop titled “Exchange on progress made and opportunities for bi-regional cooperation in research and innovation - one year after the agreement on the JIRI EU-CELAC 2021-2023 Strategic Roadmap” which took place on Tuesday, 19 October 2021.
This initiative strived to follow up on the Eighth Senior Officials Meeting on the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation (JIRI-SOM) held on 30 October 2020, wherein participants agreed on the “Strategic Roadmap 2021-2023” that gives way to the future steps to be taken to further develop the EU-CELAC Joint Research Area in four pillars (researcher mobility, research infrastructure cooperation, global challenges - particularly health, environmental aspects of sustainable development/green transition, digital transformation -, and innovation).
One year after the Eighth JIRI SOM, and in line with its role to serve as a privileged space for dialogue, connection and promotion of synergies between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, the EU-LAC Foundation considered that this was an opportune moment to convene stakeholders in science, technology and innovation from both regions to learn about the progress made in terms of the formal approval of the Roadmap by the European Council as well as the work generated in each of the pillars. This workshop also supported the dissemination of information on current and upcoming funding opportunities for scientific collaboration, clarifying the sources of such funding as well as the modalities and criteria for participation. Not least, the EU-LAC Foundation promoted an exchange of ideas on how to dynamise and concretise the initiatives in each of the pillars to ensure that these opportunities for scientific cooperation are effectively used by potential beneficiaries in both regions.