On 4 February 2021, the European Commission launched the new European Research Area (ERA) Forum for Transition. It is composed of EU Member States’ representatives, and it also includes one representative from each EEA/EFTA country.

The main goal of the ERA Forum for Transition is to provide recommendations to the Directorate-General Research and Innovation (DG-RTD) on the governance structure of the ERA, and on the development of the first ERA policy agenda.

In a press release, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) demanded that EU cities and regions become more involved in the new ERA Forum for Transition, and in the ERA in general.

‘The Committee therefore advocates taking a cross-cutting approach closely linked to regional policies, involving a wide range of stakeholders – academia, industry, the public sector at various levels, the general public and civil society – and also highlights the need to fully recognise the role of smart specialisations and their collective and entrepreneurial process as one of the cornerstones of European research and innovation performance.’

Press release – The European Research Area: Towards full recognition of Regional Innovation Hubs,
European Committee of the Regions (CoR),
4 February 2021

Read more about the new ERA Forum for Transition here.

About ERA:
The European Research Area (ERA) is a system of scientific research programmes across Europe. It enables free circulation of researchers, science, and technology by integrating the scientific resources of the European Union. The original ERA plan was launched in 2000, and a process to revitalise it began in 2018.