Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine representative took part in an international event organised by Regional Council of Île-de-France
In April, Security Mission Information & Innovation Group Event took place in Paris, France. The event was organised by the Regional Council of Île-de-France, the CMINE (Crisis Management Innovation Network Europe) and the European Commission. The event is one of the key events in the field of civil security and innovation (SMI2G – Security Mission Information & Innovation Group) in Europe. Maksym Kolisnyk, leading officer of Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine, NRFU, took part in the event within the Ukrainian delegation, whose visit was supported by the French-Ukrainian project “KALYNA: United to Acquire Skills in European Project Management”.
On the first day of the event, a Panel Discussion: From innovation to impact, dedicated to the implementation of innovative solutions in the civil security sector, took place. In addition, pitching sessions on infrastructure protection were held, during which the Ukrainian delegation presented proposals for the implementation of innovative solutions in the area of cyber defence and technological demining under a state of war. Their presentations met a lot of interest from their European colleagues.
Also on that day, a series of working meetings took place on the development of bilateral cooperation with the Regional Council of Île-de-France and the Department of European and International Affairs of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of France, which serves as the Horizon Europe Office, and technological “deep-tech”-cluster Systematic of Île-de-France Region.
On the second day of the event, during the working sessions, recommendations were developed regarding protection against terrorist threats, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime, as well as border management. During working meetings with Cédric Guillon-Lavocat, Director of the Department of European and International Strategies at the Regional Council of Île-de-France, and representatives of the KALYNA project, the parties discussed expanding partnerships and organising joint events to strengthen cooperation between Ukrainian and French applicants under the Horizon Europe Programme.
In addition, opportunities for further developing the capabilities of French and Ukrainian businesses were discussed with representatives of ISKRA-Partners, focusing on participation in joint Horizon Europe projects and other EU structural funds in Ukraine, as well as the contribution of French business to the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine following the military aggression.
The intensive visit included a trip to the start-up incubator PERQO of the Regional Council of Île-de-France, which runs several start-up development programmes. These are aimed at supporting both innovative start-up entrepreneurs and existing small and medium-sized enterprises, which are clearly aligned with the region’s socio-economic development strategy, namely: innovative technologies to enhance the autonomy of people with disabilities; the green transition; artificial intelligence and impact. One aspect of the start-up incubator’s activities is preparing innovative businesses to apply for Horizon Europe grant funding.
Overall, the working visit to France and participation in the matchmaking event are of great importance to the Ukrainian delegation, as SMI2G is a platform where start-ups, researchers, industry and government bodies work together to establish contacts, exchange experience and form international consortia to prepare and submit joint applications under Horizon Europe.
