9th EU-Chile Joint Steering Committee Meeting (JSCM) on Research and Innovation

The 9th EU-Chile Joint Steering Committee meeting (JSCM) under the ‘Agreement for Scientific and Technological cooperation between the European Community and the Republic of Chile’ took place on 2 December 2021, virtually and hosted by Chile. The meeting was co-chaired by Ms Aisén Etcheverry, National Director of the National Agency for Research and Development, and Ms Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Global Approach and International Cooperation at DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission.

The JSCM was an opportunity to review STI relations under Horizon 2020 and discuss prospects under Horizon Europe.

Chile presented the new national institutional framework in STI with the creation of the Ministry for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Knowledge in 2018. The EU side presented the ‘Communication on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation, Europe's strategy for international cooperation in a changing world’ and the opportunities offered by Horizon Europe.

Both sides recognized the central role of research and innovation in the overall EU-Chile relations, recalling the substantial participation of Chile in Horizon 2020, where Chile ranked third among Latin America countries and 11th among all non-EU and non-Associated countries.

The Committee discussed cooperation in areas such as the green and digital transitions, health, and the development of common solutions for a sustainable recovery. On clean energy, both sides acknowledged the valuable collaboration within Mission Innovation, and noted with satisfaction that Chile co-leads with the European Commission the new mission on clean hydrogen.

Other topics addressed include climate-neutral, sustainable and inclusive cities, where there are excellent perspectives for cooperation, and bio-economy, where the Commission invited Chile to join the International Bio-economy Forum and its Working Groups.

All in all it was a very successful meeting, paving the way to future cooperation under the Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the European Community and the Republic of Chile bound to be renewed in 2022.