First Swiss-Spanish Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Innovation
Bern, 03.10.2024 - On 2 October, Swiss and Spanish representatives met in Bern for the first Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Innovation (JCM), convened for the purpose of exploring ways to reinforce ties between their respective research communities. Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, and Eva Ortega-Paíno, Secretary General for Research at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, led the delegations and discussions.
Spain is an important European partner country for Swiss researchers. Under the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (2014-2020), Swiss and Spanish researchers worked together in over 1,500 projects. Under Horizon Europe (2021-2027), the number has already reached over 670 research projects. Since it was founded in 1985, the EUREKA platform for international cooperation in innovation has supported around 90 cooperation projects involving partners from both countries.
The delegations attending the Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Innovation in Bern on 2 October included representatives from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), from the main research and innovation funding agencies in the two countries, as well as other stakeholders in education, research and innovation.
The JCM confirmed the commitment of Switzerland and Spain to continue their close partnership, cooperation and coordination in the areas of research and innovation. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and its Spanish partner organisation, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), announced the launch of a Lead Agency Agreement.
The basis for the first JCM was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in July 2023 by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation and the then Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. This MoU encourages cooperation in all areas. Particular emphasis is placed on climate and sustainable development, digital transformation, energy, equality and diversity, humanities and social sciences, life sciences and health, quantum sciences and space.
Address for enquiries
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI
Communication
medien@sbfi.admin.ch
+41 58 485 67 74
Publisher
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
http://www.sbfi.admin.ch
