Conference on EU Science:Global Challenges, Global Collaboration, 4-8 March, Brussels

The European Parliament will host a five-day conference on "EU Science: Global Challenges, Global Collaboration" (ES:GC2), starting on 4 March 4 2013 in Brussels. The conference is organised in association with the Irish Council Presidency and in conjunction with Seán Kelly MEP and other MEPs.    

The aim of the conference is to promote global cooperation on access to research infrastructures and to facilitate networking between Europe-based researchers with potential research partners worldwide. It will bring together science policymakers, scientists and industry representatives from around the world and will place EU research at the centre of the international response to global challenges.

The conference takes place at a time when many research ideas and project proposals are being put forward. Its purpose is partly to increase international participation in Horizon 2020 Europe and maximise Europe's contribution to global science cooperation.

A meeting was held at the EP Information Office in Ireland on Thursday 20 December to help prepare a major conference on "EU Science: Global Challenges, Global Cooperation". Members of the Irish research community were today briefed on the Conference by a panel of experts which included MEP Seán Kelly.

The Conference on "EU Science: Global Challenges, Global Collaboration", which will be held in European Parliament premises in Brussels in the week of 4-8 March 2013, will place Irish researchers and EU research funding instruments at the centre of a global discussion on the scientific responses to global challenges, for example in the key area of health policy. The conference will bring together scientists and science policymakers from 100 countries and help to lay the foundation for collaborative R &D projects to be supported by Horizon 2020 and other funding mechanisms. It will be organised in partnership with the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU.