Over 230 people proposed and shared initiatives for challenge-based research at the first edition of the ECIU University Research Conference, which took place on 3 and 4 October at the UAB. The conference was organised by the ECIU University as part of the ECIU University Research Institute for SMART European Regions (SMART-ER) project.
On 3 and 4 October, the UAB played host to the first ECIU University Research Conference at the EXE Campus Hotel, with over 230 participants from different European universities and regional stakeholders: businesses, public administration and civil society.
In the inaugural session, SMART-ER Institute Scientific Director Xavier Gabarrell spoke on the project and "conference as being different" given that what is most important is "to work as a team, without restrictions and a cross-curricular approach, a new class of conference on open research". ECIU General Secretary Katrin Dircksen also participated in the inaugural session, where she highlighted that "interactions between researchers and different regional stakeholders" as one of the most important aspects of the project. For ECIU President Màrius Martínez, "this initiative focuses on collaborations committed to working with the region, is challenge-based, multidisciplinary and not at all traditional". UAB Vice Rector for Research Assumpció Malgosa welcomed the attendants to the university, which she described as "a true city, a real living lab" and described how the conference and the SMART-ER institute works towards completing the ECIU with research and innovation.
In a videoconference, Stjn Delaure, Policy Officer of the European Commission, spoke on new financial opportunities that will open up in the coming years under the framework of the new European Research Area (ERA), a research and innovation agreeement with priority areas in the countries participating. The inaugural session gave way to the first of the plenary sessions, conducted by Troels Jacobsen of the University of Stavanger, Norway, who did a practical demonstration of public engagement by conducting a live survey which participants could answer through their phones..
Artur Silva, from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, presented a general view and the results of the SMART-ER Seed Programme, which gives support to the development of a research career and the implementation of a shared R&D&i agenda based on international, cross-curricular and intersectorial training, mobility and involvement.
Stephane Berghams, director of research and innovation at the European University Association (EUA), opened the second day of the conference with a description of the variety of areas covered by open science: citizen science, dissemination and communication, open access publishing, data sharing, open assessments, open education and open research software, etc. Berghams presented a list of recommendations to guide universities on their path towards an open science, and highlighted that "the objective is for open science to become the norm". UAB Professor Fernando Vilariño presented the ECIU's citizen science pilot projects, belonging to very different areas, which "has allowed creating a methodological approach to these types of projects". The last session was conducted by Karel Luyben, president of the European Open Science Cloud Association, who spoke on the association's role on helping institutions to advance towards an open science.
During these two days, the conference aimed 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 was 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. There were presentations on challenges and projects related to artificial intelligence, circular economy in the textile industry, logistics, architecture for extreme environments, improvements in urban bike mobility, management of forest fires, less packaging, urban sustainability, sustainable industrial parks, smart cities, farming efficiency, improvement in solar energy use, and many more items.
The conference was funded by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework, and by the Erasmus+ project "ECIU University" (ECIUn+). It was coordinated by a scientific committee made up of members of the 12 ECIU universities.
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.
