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Research and innovation
News article30 November 2021Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

Horizon Europe Programme and Euraxess-Armenia Portal Inauguration conference

Photo from the event
Ms. Signe RATSO, Deputy Director-General, DG R&I, European Commission – on the screen. From left to right: Mr. Sargis HAYOTSYAN, Chairman, Science Committee, Republic of Armenia, Mr. Artur MARTIROSYAN, Deputy-Minister of Education, Science, Culture and S

On 24 November 2021, and only few days after the signature of the Horizon Europe association agreement between the European Commission and Armenia the Horizon Europe Programme & EURAXESS Armenia Portal Inauguration conference was held in Yerevan, Armenia at Matenadaran Conference Hall.

The event was organized by the Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center (SIPAC) in close collaboration with the European Commission, DG R&I, the Science Committee of Republic of Armenia and the National Academy of Science. It was attended by representatives of various research institutes, universities, private companies, NGOs and other research-intensive organizations of the country.

The main objective of the event was to present to the Armenian research community opportunities for participation in Horizon Europe arising from the Association of Armenia to the programme and to inaugurate the EURAXESS Armenia Portal as a platform supporting mobility and better career development for researchers.  

Armenia’s association to Horizon Europe gives Armenian research entities the possibility to participate in Horizon Europe activities and calls on equal footing with entities from EU member states. Armenia was the 41st country to join the EURAXESS initiative, a transnational commitment to remove the geographical barriers to researchers’ mobility and foster attractive research careers and scientific collaboration.

Keynote addresses at the conference were delivered by Mr. Artur Martirosyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG R&I, European Commission, Mr. Sargis Hayotsyan, Chairman of Science Committee of  the Republic of Armenia and Prof. Ashot Saghyan, President of the National Academy of Sciences.

Signe Ratso, the Horizon Europe Chief Negotiator and Deputy Director-General of the Commission’s Directorate-General of Research and Innovation, underlined in her keynote speech that Armenia is an important partner for the European Union in the field of science, technology and innovation in the neighbourhood of the European Union, and collaboration opportunities have increased since its association in 2016 to the previous Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020. She congratulated the Republic of Armenia on the recent signature of the Horizon Europe Association Agreement that enables Armenian researchers, innovators and research entities to participate on equal terms with EU Member States legal entities in the world’s largest Research and Innovation programme, Horizon Europe. Ms Ratso expressed as well a high recognition for the dedication and energy Armenia has invested in the creation of the EURAXESS national portal and the set-up of the network of support centres for researchers, despite the challenging context of Covid-19.  Ms Ratso stressed that participation in EURAXESS will help Armenia to improve researchers’ employability and support the reform of the R&I system related to brain circulation, attractive research careers and conditions, skills development,  and knowledge circulation to address innovation and talent gaps.

Mr. Martirosyan,  Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia congratulated the Armenian research community on the occasion of the Association of the Republic of Armenia to Horizon Europe. He stressed the importance of more active participation with main focus on the research and innovation component of the programme, for which a special entity, the Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center has been created to deliver information, advisory and support services to researchers throughout the whole process of proposal preparation and participation in Horizon Europe.

More information

International cooperation with Armenia

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Publication date
30 November 2021
Author
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation