On 3 and 4 October, the UAB will host the ECIU University Research Conference, the first addressed to both the university community and regional stakeholders, such as businesses, public administrations and civil society, with the aim of proposing and sharing challenge-based research initiatives. With more than 230 people already registered to attend, the conference is organised by the ECIU University as part of the ECIU University Research Institute for SMART European Regions (SMART-ER) project, funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, and by the Erasmus+ funded programme ECIU University (ECIUn+). It is also coordinated by a scientific committee made up by members of the 12 ECIU universities.
On 3 and 4 October 2023, the UAB will play host to the first ECIU University Research Conference at the EXE Campus Hotel. The inaugural session will include the presence of UAB Rector Javier Lafuente, ECIU President Màrius Martínez, ECIU General Secretary Katrin Dircksen, and SMART-ER Institute Scientific Director Xavier Gabarrell, who will introduce the inaugural conference, entitled "Public Engagement: Challenges & Opportunities", which will be given by Troels Jacobsen from the University of Stavanger, Norway.
The conference aims to provide an interactive forum for discussing common challenges, exploring potential collaborations, and contributing to the implementation of shared policies to enhance the resilience of cities and society. It will be made up of different sessions, as well as presentations of the outcomes of some of the challenge-based research initiatives conducted within the SMART-ER project.
Also participating in the sessions will be Artur Silva, lecturer of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, who will talk about the ins and outs of the SMART-ER Seed Programme; Stephane Berghmans, research and innovation director at the European University Association (EUA), who will speak on the EUA's open science agenda; Fernando Vilariño, lecturer at the UAB, who will offer a plenary conference on citizen science projects under SMART-ER; and the president de la European Open Science Cloud Association, Karel Luyben, who will speak on open science.
Over 230 people have already registered to attend the conference, including members of the ECIU University, city councils, third-sector entities, and businesses and external stakeholders interested in sharing and proposing challenges related to the current issues being dealt with at the ECIU: energy and sustainability, circular economies, transport and mobility, and resilient communities.
SMART-ER Institute
The ECIU University Research Institute for SMART European Regions (SMART-ER) is an alliance in research, innovation and education, enabling all member universities to jointly address complex societal challenges under the framework of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The objective of the project is to give support to the research and innovation sector of the ECIU University by developing a shared, comprehensive and long-term strategy in synergy with its educational dimension. There are currently 17 SMART-ER research projects underway, all funded by the Seed Programme and the Citizen Science pilot programme, and seven of these include the involvement of the UAB: BiciZen, CARE Citizen Arenas, ECIU-UTC, EASEM, INSCE, BrownBin, and RN4EUHEALTH.
