june, 2021

14jun11:0012:30Virtual EventInnovation At The Heart of NextGenerationEU11:00 - 12:30 Event Type:K4I Forum Event

Time

(Monday) 11:00 - 12:30

Event Details

The K4I Forum invites you to attend the EIA online event series: Innovation At The Heart of NextGenerationEU

“The NextGenerationEU is more than a recovery plan. It is a once in a lifetime chance to emerge stronger from the pandemic, transform European economies, create opportunities and jobs. We can make this happen. We have the vision, we have the plan, and we have agreed to invest 750 billion euros together. It is now time to get to work, to make Europe greener, more digital, and more resilient.” (Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission).

Next generation Innovations and new technologies are major drivers behind the NextGenerationEU. It is clear that the EU finds itself in a pivotal moment. Now is the time to get to work, to make Europe greener, more digital, and more resilient. Wherever they are in Europe, all innovators and entrepreneurs must be empowered to realize their full potential, for they are the active force powering the wave of the green industrial revolution. The NextGenerationEU fund needs to support ambitious innovation projects in various industrial ecosystems, in healthcare, for a sustainable food provision, the generation of green energy and clean mobility. The projects being funded are needed to secure a sustainable future for the planet and people. 

Agenda 

  • Welcome by Maria da Graça Carvalho, MEP, Chair of the K4I Forum
  • Keynote video message by Minister Manuel Heitor, Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal
  • Keynote by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth

National Action Plans – Driving the Green Transition – Innovation at the Heart of NGEU

  • Representative of the Slovenian government
  • Andrej Čuš, State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology
  • Welcome by Franc Bogovic, MEP

Mr Andrej Čuš was born on July 29, 1990 in Maribor. In March 2021, he was appointed as a State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Slovenia. At the Ministry, he covers the portfolio of green economy and green transition.

He has a Master’s degree in Intercultural Management from the Faculty of Applied Social Studies, University of Nova Gorica. He is currently undertaking his PhD studies.

He was an alternate member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia in february 2013, where he served as an expert associate prior to that.

In 2014, he was re-elected in the parliamentary general elections. In his mandate, he focused on the areas of sustainable development, green technologies, youth initiatives and coherent regional development.

From 2014 to 2018 he gained experience in the business sector, as an entrepreneur and was a member of the Supervisory Board of Public Services Ptuj, Ltd..

In addition to his professional career, Mr Čuš has been very active in youth politics and holds national and international medals in judo.

  • Representative of the Finnish Government
  • Maria Kaisa Aula, State Secretary, Ministry of Finance

Ms. Maria Kaisa Aula (born 1962) has a long career in parliament, government and civil service since early 1990´s.  She has worked in the fields of economic policy, human rights and child and family policies.  She is Licentiate of Political Science by education.

In June 2019 she began her recent work as the State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. Before that she worked as a Program Director in the Ministry of Social and Health Affairs. reforming the social-, health and education services towards more child and family centered approach. During 2005 – 2014 she acted as the first Ombudsman for Children in Finland.

She was elected Member of Parliament 1991 – 2003 from the Center Party and acted four years as the chair of budget committee. 

She is active in the NGO field, too. Since 2014 she has been the president of the Family Federation of Finland. 

She is a mother of two teenagers and lives in Middle Finland, Viitasaari.

  • Representative of the Italian Government
  • Michele Quaroni, Ambassador — Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy

Ambassador Michele Quaroni is the Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy. Prior he was the Diplomatic Advisor of the Minister of the Economy and Finance – Rome. He started his diplomatic career in 1991 with dutuies in the US and Russia among other places.

  • Representatives of the Spanish Government
  • Teresa Riesgo Alcaide, Secretary General for Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Science and Innovation 

Teresa Riesgo holds a PhD in Electronic Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) where she is Full Professor of Electronics since 2003. In 2018 she joined Minister Duque’s team at the Ministry of Science and Innovation where she is now the Secretary General of Innovation.

  • Javier Ponce Martinez, Director General, Centro de desarrollo tecnológico e industrial (CDTI)
  • Representative of the Latvian Government
  • Dmitrijs Stepanovs, Deputy State Secretary for the Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Education and Science
  • Representative of the Romanian Government
  • Prof. Dragoş Mihael Ciuparu, Secretary of State for Research, Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization

He is registered as a participant

Prof. Dragoş Mihael Ciuparu is a chemical engineer by training with a Ph.D. from the University of Paris 7 “Denis Diderot”. He spent almost 7 years with the Department of Chemical Engineering at Yale University, first as a post-doctoral fellow, and later as Research Scientist. At the end of 2005 he returned to the Petroleum – Gas University of Ploieşti, Romania, establishing a new research group and obtaining the title of professor. Prof. Ciuparu has published over 70 peer reviewed papers, coauthored 3 technical books, and holds 5 US patents.

Prof. Ciuparu’s involvement in public administration and policymaking started as a member of the Presidential Commission for Education and Research Policy, widely credited with contributing to the jumpstart of the sectoral reform process in Romania, and of the National Council for Scientific Research. Between 2010 and 2012 he was President of the National Authority for Scientific Research, managing all policymaking and competitive research funding programs in Romania. Starting with January 2020 he was appointed Secretary of State for research within Ministry of Education and Research and from June 2021, he was appointed Secretary of State for research within the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization. 

  • Representative of the Belgium Government
  • Thomas Dermine, State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investment
  • Representative of the Austrian Government
  • Brigitte Weiss: Head of Unit for International Technology Policy and Programs, Directorate General Innovation and Technology, Austrian Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology

Head of Unit for International Technology Policy and Programs, Directorate General Innovation and Technology

Responsible for the steering of EU- and international affairs of the Directorate General: Framework Program Horizon Europe, European Research Area, EU Missions and R&I Partnerships, IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest), COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology)

6/2006 – 1/2012: European Commission, Directorate General Innovation and Technology, Unit Research Infrastructure, in charge of the sector Energy and Engineering

1996 – 5/2006: Unit Energy- and Environmental Technologies in charge of programs “Building for Tomorrow”, “Factory for Tomorrow”, circular economy, bio-economy, sustainable energy

  • Representative of the French Government
  • Benjamin Delozier, Head of Innovation and Enterprise Development, French Finance Ministry 
  • Input from representatives of other European Member States

Responses by Members of the European Parliament

Questions from Stakeholders

Closing Remarks, Maria da Graça Carvalho, MEP, Chair of the K4I Forum

Organizer

Knowledge4Innovation Forum

Host

Hosted by MEP Maria da Graça Carvalho, K4I Forum Chair

Speakers for this event

  • Andrej Čuš

    Andrej Čuš

    State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Slovenia

    Mr Andrej Čuš was born on July 29, 1990 in Maribor. In March 2021, he was appointed as a State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Slovenia. At the Ministry, he covers the portfolio of green economy and green transition. He has a Master's degree in Intercultural Management from the Faculty of Applied Social Studies, University of Nova Gorica. He is currently undertaking his PhD studies. He was an alternate member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia in february 2013, where he served as an expert associate prior to that. In 2014, he was re-elected in the parliamentary general elections. In his mandate, he focused on the areas of sustainable development, green technologies, youth initiatives and coherent regional development. From 2014 to 2018 he gained experience in the business sector, as an entrepreneur and was a member of the Supervisory Board of Public Services Ptuj, Ltd.. In addition to his professional career, Mr Čuš has been very active in youth politics and holds national and international medals in judo.

    State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Slovenia

  • Brigitte Weiss

    Brigitte Weiss

    Head of Unit for International Technology Policy and Programs, Directorate General Innovation and Technology

    Head of Unit for International Technology Policy and Programs, Directorate General Innovation and Technology. Responsible for the steering of EU- and international affairs of the Directorate General: Framework Program Horizon Europe, European Research Area, EU Missions and R&I Partnerships, IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest), COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) 6/2006 – 1/2012: European Commission, Directorate General Innovation and Technology, Unit Research Infrastructure, in charge of the sector Energy and Engineering 1996 – 5/2006: Unit Energy- and Environmental Technologies in charge of programs “Building for Tomorrow”, “Factory for Tomorrow”, circular economy, bio-economy, sustainable energy

    Head of Unit for International Technology Policy and Programs, Directorate General Innovation and Technology

  • Franc Bogovic

    Franc Bogovic

    MEP, Member of the K4I Forum

    MEP, Member of the K4I Forum

  • Javier Ponce Martinez

    Javier Ponce Martinez

    Director General, Centro de desarrollo tecnológico e industrial (CDTI)

    Director General, Centro de desarrollo tecnológico e industrial (CDTI)

  • Manuel Heitor

    Manuel Heitor

    Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Portugal

    Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Portugal

  • Maria da Graça Carvalho

    Maria da Graça Carvalho

    MEP, EPP, Portugal

    Maria da Graça Carvalho is currently member of the European Parliament (2019-2024). In the European Parliament she is a full Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and a substitute Member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and substitute member on Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She follows as well the parliamentary Delegations for relations with the United States, for relations with the countries of Central America and Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a MEP, she was appointed rapporteur of the Specific Programme Implementing HORIZON 2020 and of the report on Simplification of the Rules of Participation in the European Programs for Research and Innovation. In 2011, she was awarded the Prize for the best MEP in the area of Research and Innovation.

    MEP, EPP, Portugal

  • Mariya Gabriel

    Mariya Gabriel

    EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth

    Mariya Ivanova Gabriel is a Bulgarian politician and a member of the GERB party serving as European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth since 2019. She was previously a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 to 2017. In the European Parliament, she served as Vice-President of the European People’s Party (EPP) group, Vice-President of EPP Women, and head of the Bulgarian EPP delegation. She was first appointed to the European Commission in 2017 as European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society to fill a spot left vacant by the departure of Kristalina Georgieva.

    EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth

  • Teresa Riesgo Alcaide

    Teresa Riesgo Alcaide

    Secretaria General de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

    Risk assumed the General Directorate of Research, Development and Innovation between 2018 and January 2020, a ministerial position whose functions include the promotion of Innovation through actions such as innovative public procurement, promoting tax deductions in research, development and innovation activities (I + D + i), promote Technology Centers, or promote work networks, as well as develop R + D + i plans, or develop Science, Technology and Innovation Information Systems (SICTi). The ministerial reform of January 2020 led her to occupy the General Secretariat for Innovation , being also president of the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI).

    Secretaria General de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

  • Thomas Dermine

    Thomas Dermine

    State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investment

    During the formation of the De Croo Government , on October 1, 2020, Thomas was appointed Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments in charge of Science Policy, deputy to the Minister of the Economy and Labor, Pierre-Yves Dermagne . Within the federal government, he is responsible for leading the coordination of the Recovery Plan at Belgian level and for ensuring close collaboration between the European Commission and Belgium. In parallel with this mission, Thomas also supervises the Federal Science Policy, including in particular 10 federal scientific establishments and a multitude of skills ranging from Belgian aerospace policy to the management of federal museums through the Federal Research Policy.

    State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investment

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