The Australia-EU Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) meetings are the principal forum to discuss Australia-EU research collaboration priorities and opportunities in areas of mutual strategic interest. The 15th Australia-EU Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee meeting was hosted by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science in Canberra on 23 July 2019.
The meeting was co-chaired by Mrs Jane Urquhart, Acting Deputy Secretary of the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and by Mr Jean Eric Paquet, Director General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission. The JSTCC provided an opportunity for the European Commission and Australia to discuss the critical role that science and innovation can play in addressing the rapidly changing technological environment and their common social, environmental and economic challenges. To that end, both sides highlighted the importance of open science and sharing scientific knowledge, including through open access and data.
The European Commission highlighted progress in the development of its next framework programme for research and innovation. Horizon Europe, to respond to these challenges through missions, clusters and partnerships. The Commission outlined possible future opportunities for collaboration with Australia, including through association to Horizon Europe. Australia expressed willingness to build on existing strong levels of collaboration by remaining engaged in Horizon Europe’s future development and its models for international engagement.
Both sides noted the excellent rates of existing Australia-EU collaboration, due in part to opportunities offered by Horizon 2020 (the current EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation) and in particular through its Maric-Sklodowska Curie Actions. Both sides discussed areas for ongoing and potential future cooperation, including in research infrastructure, earth observation, hydrogen, open science, mission innovation and opportunities to collaborate across the Pacific.
Both parties welcomed the preparation of a bilateral dialogue on digital economy and technology policy, the Research Data Alliance (RDA) 15th Plenary Meeting for 2020 in Melbourne, and the work on mapping ARDC flagships to EC clusters. Australia also expressed interest in exploring possibilities to host major international conferences and meetings on research infrastructure in the future.
The two parties welcomed the work of the Group of Senior Officials (GSO) on Global Research Infrastructures (GRI), as a forum to foster international cooperation, and agreed to keep supporting the Global Ecological Research Infrastructure (GERI), as a positive example of national and regional infrastructures and networks jointly addressing some pressing environmental issues.
The European Commission welcomed Australia’s organization of the 2019 Ministerial Summit of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) in early November, and reaffirmed its support. Both parties noted the importance of GEO’s role in helping drive open data policies and action against priorities such as climate change, decarbonisation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
Both Australia and the European Commission noted progress from the 2016 Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee meeting, and acknowledged the opportunities offered by the signing of two Implementing Arrangements between the European Commission and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 2018 and with the Australian Research Council (ARC) in early 2019.
The European Commission welcomed Australia’s role as observer in the International Bioeconomy Forum (IBF), and the involvement in the Microbiome working group. The Commission invited Australia to become a full member of the IBF and to be engaged in further IBF working groups.
Both parties expressed satisfaction for the co-lead (together with Germany) of the Innovation Challenge on Hydrogen, and for the common progress recently made in this area. They agreed to continue discussions on the future Mission Innovation strategy, a global initiative working to accelerate clean energy innovation.
The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the European Commission agreed to explore future opportunities to strengthen their relationship in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation, and agreed that the next Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee meeting will take place in Brussels in 2021.