The University of Porto sounded the starting pistol at the end of January for the project BRITE-EU – Boosting R&I Talent Interoperability and Employability in Europe, as detailed in a statement. The initiative is coordinated by the Competence Centre on Active and Healthy Ageing of the University of Porto (CCEAS-UP) and is receiving financial backing of 3 million euros within the framework of the European Union’s Horizon Europe program. The aim is to promote talent and strengthen cross-sector collaboration over the next four years in order to improve research and innovation in what are known as the Widening countries, i.e. European nations with lower research and innovation performance.
The emigration of highly skilled professionals and gender inequality in the research labor market are two of the biggest challenges facing the Widening countries, of which Portugal is one. BRITE-EU seeks to address these issues by strengthening research and innovation capacities in countries such as Portugal, Czechia and Romania. Its objectives include increasing employability, promoting cross-sectoral collaboration and supporting institutional reforms by the end of 2029.
“Our aim is to reduce the emigration of highly skilled professionals, improve gender parity and equal opportunities, and make Widening countries such as Portugal more attractive to top talent”, explains Elísio Costa, CCEAS-UP coordinator, in the statement.
The consortium with a focus on digital health brings together the expertise of eleven institutions from Widening countries including Portugal, Czechia, Romania and Serbia, as well as from more advanced innovation ecosystems such as Spain and Sweden. The partners include the universities of Alcalá (Spain), Novi Sad (Serbia) and Lund (Sweden).
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