University of Birmingham hosts first Horizon Europe Insights Day

The University of Birmingham is welcoming researchers, entrepreneurs, and government colleagues to campus as it hosts the first Horizon Europe Insights Day. Hundreds of guests from across the country are expected on the Edgbaston campus today (Wednesday 13 March) to learn, connect and discuss opportunities for collaborative research and innovation through Horizon Europe. 

Working in collaboration with Innovate UK and DSIT, the University is hosting a day that will raise the profile of what can be achieved through Horizon Europe funding. Following a morning of breakout sessions focused on key thematic and sector areas, Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, will open the afternoon. Adam Jackson, DSIT’s Director (International Research and Innovation) will give the first keynote before guests hear from the Russell Group, CBI and Innovate UK.   

Research funding through Horizon Europe lends itself to interdisciplinary collaboration and creates opportunities for building academic-industry consortia with shared real-life goals. Professor Alicia El Haj, Director of the Institute of Translational Medicine, joins industry partners and researchers from other universities in the West Midlands to share her experiences of participation.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, Professor Adam Tickell said: "The UK’s engagement with Horizon Europe is a significant opportunity for our research and innovation ecosystem. We know international collaborations enhance the quality of our research, which is already amongst the best in the world. I was delighted when the UK’s reassociation was confirmed, and I am thrilled the University of Birmingham is hosting the first Horizon Europe Insights Day in collaboration with Innovate UK and DSIT."

Professor Robin Mason, Pro Vice Chancellor for International joins the agenda, alongside Cathy Alexander, Deputy Director (International Research & Innovation) for DSIT who will close the event.  

Horizon Europe is the world’s largest collaborative research programme worth £80bn+ over seven years (from 2021). The University of Birmingham has an outstanding track record in securing funding through Horizon and working with a range of other academic and industry partners in areas as diverse as irregularised migration, how DNA repair can help us better understand cancer and the role of music in decision-making for environmental challenges.