Key priorities in the field of R&I are primarily based on the areas covered by the RIS3 Lead Markets (see below) and include related issues such as internationalisation, interregional cooperation (interregional innovation investments, Interreg Europe etc.) and the future of research, innovation and smart specialisation in the context of the COVID pandemic, the European Green Deal and the (just) transition to a low-carbon economy as well as societal challenges such as digitisation and demographic change, including its effects on public services and the health sector.
The Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the EU is part of the State Chancellery and Ministry for Cultural Affairs and, as such, represents the interests of the regional government. We also work closely with regional stakeholders such as universities, research organisations and trade associations.
The representation’s team has substantial experience of working in R&I policy and practice.
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As part of the regional smart specialisation process, Saxony-Anhalt set out its Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS3) 2014-2020. Building on earlier strategies, the RIS3 includes five priority areas (“Lead Markets”) which were identified on the basis of key regional strengths and with a view to identifying future global challenges and opportunities. The Lead Markets are:
Accompanying the Lead Markets are three cross-sectoral areas (ICT, Nanotechnology, Microtechnology) seen as vital components for successful innovation in all industries. As key technologies, the cross-sectoral fields can link activities in the Lead Markets, thereby enabling a holistic approach to innovation.
In implementing and monitoring RIS3, specific projects and activities within the Lead Markets and cross-sectoral fields have been developed on the basis of the entrepreneurial discovery process (EDP).
The main RIS3 governance structure bodies are:
Five working groups for each of the Lead Markets, bringing together relevant stakeholders.
How can we stimulate European businesses, knowledge institutes, and relevant partners to join forces to discover new ideas which could lead to innovation? Beyond EDP focuses on this question aiming to strengthen the entrepreneurial discovery process in Europe and boosting the Regional Innovation smart specialisation strategy (RIS3) adopted in 2014.
WEBSITE>Chemical innovations are important for many downstream industries and foster solutions for societal challenges such as energy, new materials, etc. S3Chem aims to improve the implementation of RIS3 with focus on chemical-related topics through interregional exchange of experiences and mutual learning between public authorities from seven European chemical regions.
WEBSITE>The project DeepHealth will combine High-Performance Computing infrastructures with Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence techniques to support biomedical applications that require the analysis of large and complex biomedical datasets and thus, new and more efficient ways of diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of diseases.
WEBSITE>EpiDiverse is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network aimed at the study of epigenetic variation in wild plant species. Understanding the epigenetic contribution to adaptive capacity will help to better understand species responses to global environmental change, and can open new directions for sustainable agriculture and crop breeding.
WEBSITE>Until 20 October 2023, 46 regions that have been identified as facing a sharp working-age population decline, in combination with a low and stagnating share of people with tertiary education and brain drain can apply for an open call for technical assistance under the Talent Booster Mechanism.
The Research Campus STIMULATE at Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg and its partners innovate and develop image-guided minimally invasive operations, transferring them to industry and ultimately to patients. The public-private partnership, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and Saxony-Anhalt, is using innovative methods to improve the treatment of age-related common diseases in oncology, neurology and cardiovascular diseases. This event will take place in Brussels on 25 October from 09:30 to 13:30.
Saxony-Anhalt, together with Intel, is hosting the event 'The EU Chips Act – How semiconductor ecosystems increase competitiveness in Europe’s regions' on 7 December from 18:00-20:00.
On 7 November in Brussels, the Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and Environment of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Prof Dr Armin Willingmann, is organising an event "Saxony-Anhalt on the way to a model region for green hydrogen – chances and challenges in the context of European energy and climate policy".
The Representation of the State of Saxony-Anhalt to the EU together with UPM are organizing on 17 May the event ‘Boosting green growth: Opportunities in Circular Bioeconomy to enable sustainable transformation of European industry’. The event will focus on the role of the circular bioeconomy in the EU's green transition.
On Thursday, 17th March 2022, the final conference of the Interreg Central Europe project YOUMOBIL will take place as a hybrid conference – online and in Weißenfels (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany).