According to a survey presented by MOVE.BG, 42% of green startups and research projects, as well as 26% of civil society initiatives, develop global innovative solutions on key sustainability topics.
What place does the innovation have in the European process? How can research stimulate a sustainable and competitive economy in Europe? What are the mechanisms for sharing, openness and community development of research and science in the European Union?
Those questions have been answered - in the new pan-European report “101 Ideas”. The report was presented in Brussels on March 5 during a conference, which brought together leading members of academic society, business innovators, state institutions as well as innovative European think-tanks. The conference was the final event of R&I Tour d’Europe by RISE Group - a high-level expert body that advises the research commissioner Carlos Moedas. The tour is also part of the initiative of the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that seeks a wide and open reflection on the future direction of the European project.
The one hundred and one ideas came from one-year long R&I Tour d’Europe meetings in 15 EU member states plus Serbia in which RISE’s members had met with representatives of the innovative local science and business communities. MOVE.BG is the Bulgarian partner of RISE and co-organized the Bulgarian stop of R&I Tour d’Europe. The Sofia meeting connected leading local academics, business innovators, and brave startups last year.
MOVE.BG in support of brave Bulgarian innovators
Sasha Bezuhanova, founder and Chairwoman of MOVE.BG’s Board, was one of the guests in the panel “Vision and Values for Research and Innovation in Europe” during the “101 Ideas” Conference.
“We need to revisit the R&I agenda in Europe by mobilizing in interdisciplinary open and collaborative missions driven innovation process the scientists, new generation innovators, and citizens in finding solutions for the tomorrow’s world,” Ms. Bezuhanova told attendees.
Ms.Bezuhanova, speaking at “101 Ideas” Conference, Brussels, March 2019.
The “101 Ideas” report includes lots of proposals from the meeting between the RISE Group and the Bulgarian innovators, among them:
- Bridge the increasing gap with Europe’s citizens to build trust and put people at the center of the R&I sector
- Enabling open research and innovation as they can bring science closer to society
- Support new pockets of innovation outside of the traditional center such as universities
- Stop comparing Europe to the US and China - most Europeans don’t want a society that resembles the US or China
- Reconcile the past, present, and future - since the Renaissance science and art have common roots in Europe
- Realizing that the path towards innovations requires times and is not the easy one
“101 ideas” report is not a strategy, but a tool that allows the EU to create a common discussion around the policymaking at the European and member state level, or at the regional or city level, explained RISE Chair Daria Tataj.
MOVE.BG will continue to create forums for dialog and stimulate active debate with the participation of the leading Bulgarian academics and creators of brave new projects - initiatives that aim to change Bulgaria, Europe, and the world positively.
MOVE.BG knows that Bulgaria has innovative potential and people can resolve the current global challenges. Therefore, we’ve launched our latest project - The ChangeMakers of Bulgaria. The initiative identifies, connects and unites the changemakers from across the country into one national network.
Bulgaria has many talents who address global challenges. MOVE.BG wants to show their faces and to stimulate the positive change in Bulgaria and from Bulgaria to the world!
We are making our tomorrow together!
