Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels (SLORD)

🌱 Today in Brussels, we are building consortia for new European projects! 🇪🇺 Today, researchers, universities, businesses, public authorities, NGOs and other stakeholders from across Europe are coming together for the Horizon Europe Cluster 6 Brokerage Event: Partnering for Nature, Agriculture and Resilience. 🤝 The event is designed to help participants find suitable project partners, present their project ideas and build international partnerships for the upcoming Horizon Europe 2027 calls under Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment. 🎯 This afternoon, participants will have the opportunity to: 🔹 explore selected Horizon Europe 2027 calls, 🔹 present their project ideas and partnership needs, 🔹 take part in matchmaking and bilateral meetings, 🔹 network and exchange with potential partners from across Europe. 🌍 Today’s discussions cover a wide range of topics, from biodiversity and organic farming to the circular bioeconomy, digital innovations, resilient agriculture and rural communities. 🇸🇰 From Slovakia, we will be joined by representatives of Mesto Lučenec, BioPark, Slovenská pol'nohospodárska univerzita v Nitre | Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Envien Group, National Agricultural and Food Centre - NPPC, Skutočne zdravá škola, Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Trnave, Technická univerzita vo Zvolene, Slovenská akadémia vied / Slovak Academy of Sciences (Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre), Comptech 🤝 The event is organised in cooperation with our partners from the Pannon Egyetem - University of Pannonia, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), University of Zagreb / Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Lithuanian RDI Liaison Office LINO, NCBR Office in Brussels and the Euro Atlantic Diplomacy Society. #HorizonEurope #Cluster6 #BrokerageEvent #ResearchAndInnovation #EUfunding #Agriculture #Biodiversity #Bioeconomy #Brussels

💡 New ideas, shared experiences and networking! Members of the IGLO network, bringing together Brussels-based liaison offices for research, development and innovation, met at the IGLO Peer-Learning Exercise 2026 to exchange knowledge, share best practices and inspire one another in their daily work. 🤝🇪🇺 Polish Science Contact Agency "PolSCA" of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Brussels #IGLO #ResearchAndInnovation #EUResearch #Networking #KnowledgeSharing #Brussels

🤖 What happens when AI enters both sides of the research funding process? AI is changing how researchers develop ideas and write proposals. But it is also beginning to influence how those proposals are read, assessed and evaluated. 🤔 Where should we draw the line between useful support and human judgement? Join us on 20 October 2026 in Brussels for the V4 R&I Liaison Offices’ annual conference “Exploring the Role of AI in Research” and discuss these questions with researchers, research organisations, EU institutions and experts from across the V4 region. The programme will explore two sides of the changing research landscape: 🔹 Proposal writing & AI – originality, responsibility, workload and the changing role of researchers 🔹 Proposal evaluation & AI – fairness, consistency, bias and the role of human judgement The programme features speakers from the European Commission, national research organisations, universities and research institutions, offering perspectives from across Europe. 📅 20 October 2026 | 09:30–14:30 📍 Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, Rue de Trèves 92, Brussels 👉 Registration is closing soon. Secure your place: https://shorturl.at/DjMSz 🤝 The event is jointly organised by the Czech Liaison Office for Education and Research in Brussels, NKFI Hivatal - Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal (NRDIO), Biuro PolSCA and SLORD. #V4Brussels #AI #AIinScience #Research #HorizonEurope

🌾 Save the date: EU Agri-Food Days 2026 The 4th edition of the EU Agri-Food Days will take place in Brussels on 8–9 December 2026, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). The conference will bring together discussions on the future of European agriculture, food security, sustainability, digital technologies and agricultural market developments. The event will also be available to follow online via live streaming. 📅 8–9 December 2026 📍 Brussels + online 👉 More information: https://shorturl.at/nkqvJ. #EUAgriFoodDays #Agriculture #Food #EU #Sustainability

🔬 Updated Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027 is out! On 29 September, the European Commission published the updated Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, adding €500 million for new calls. The programme’s total budget for 2026–2027 now reaches around €14.8 billion. The update introduces two new cross-cutting funding schemes: 🌱 Transformative Change Towards a Nature-Positive Economy and Society – R&I actions supporting biodiversity. 🚀 Bridging Actions 2027 – supporting advanced technologies and innovations with commercial potential, strengthening the link between research, innovation and the market. The scheme also helps prepare the ground for Horizon Europe 2028–2034 and its future link with the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). 📅 Most new calls will open in October 2026. 👉 Find the updated Work Programme on: https://shorturl.at/b1r5T. #HorizonEurope #ResearchAndInnovation #EUfunding Source: European Commission

🌱 Information Day: Horizon Europe 2026–2027 horizontal calls 📅 16 October 2026 🕘 9:00–17:00 CEST 💻 Online As part of the Information Day, the European Commission will present the new NATURE and BRIDGING horizontal calls under the Horizon Europe 2026–2027 Work Programme. 🔬 💡 The NATURE call focuses on research and innovation in the field of nature and biodiversity, while the BRIDGING call will support better linking of research and innovation results with their further use and uptake. 👉 More information: https://shorturl.at/Hj9un Source: European Commission #HorizonEurope #ResearchAndInnovation #Biodiversity #Nature 

🛡️ Research, innovation and new partnerships for the future of European borders and defence On 23–24 September 2026, the international matchmaking event “The New Era of European Borders and Defence Innovation” took place in Brussels, bringing together researchers, innovators, public institutions and private-sector representatives from several European countries. 🤝 👥 More than 65 participants discussed the future of European security, external border protection, defence innovation and opportunities for international cooperation. 🟢 The first day focused on external border protection and cooperation under Horizon Europe – Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society. 💡 The European Commission’s perspective was presented by Dr Giulio Maria Mancini, who highlighted how EU-funded research and innovation support solutions ranging from automated border controls and maritime systems to detecting illicit goods and supporting law enforcement. 🔬 🛂 The international perspective was provided by: 🔹 Jesse Seppälä, Deputy Director of the Technical Division of the Finnish Border Guard 🔹 Mantas Mieželis, Chief Defence and Security Expert at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania 🔹 Aleksander Raketski, Head of the Border Management Department at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences 🇸🇰 The Slovak perspective was presented by Dr Jozef Kubinec, Innovation Procurement Advisor at the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. He addressed how European research and innovation can be translated into practice through innovation procurement and presented Horizon Europe projects focusing on advanced border surveillance, identity and travel-document security, and new border-crossing solutions. 🟢 The second day focused on the European Defence Fund (EDF) and opportunities under upcoming calls. 🛡️ The EDF Programme was presented by Erno Vandeweert, Deputy Head of Unit, DG DEFIS, European Commission. 🔹 The discussion also featured Heinrich Wilhelm Klopp, Seconded National Expert and Policy Officer at DG DEFIS, European Commission, and Marco Appodia, Policy Officer at DG DEFIS, European Commission. 💡 🤝 Pitching sessions and one-to-one matchmaking meetings gave participants opportunities to find new partners, identify areas of cooperation and build consortia for upcoming Horizon Europe and EDF calls. 💬 The event brought together civil security and defence stakeholders, creating opportunities for cooperation between public authorities, research organisations, industry and innovative companies to turn European research and innovation into concrete solutions. 🙏 Our sincere thanks to all speakers, participants and partners for their valuable contributions and active engagement. The event was co-organised by the ETAG - Estonian Research Council, Hämeen liitto / The Regional Council of Häme, Lithuanian RDI Liaison Office LINO, Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels (SLORD), and EIS | Enterprise Estonia

💧 Europe is strengthening its water resilience: meet the European Water Academy The European Commission has launched the European Water Academy – an initiative led by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) that aims to connect research, innovation and practical experience in the water sector. 📚 The Academy connects professional training, research and innovation with real-world practice. Its activities will focus, for example, on: 🔹 training in areas such as wastewater treatment, leak detection and drinking water production; 🔹 wastewater pathogen monitoring and solutions for water reuse; 🔹 connecting researchers, public authorities, water utilities and businesses to test and implement innovative solutions. EUWA is one of the initiatives under the European Water Resilience Strategy and aims to help bridge the gap between research and solutions that can be applied in practice. More information can be found here: https://shorturl.at/1I93E #SLORD #EuropeanWaterAcademy #WaterResilience #WaterInnovation #ResearchAndInnovation #EU #JRC Image source: Kritsada Seekham, Pexels. https://shorturl.at/l9v0a

🤖 How is AI changing the way research proposals are written and evaluated? Join us for the V4 R&I Liaison Offices’ annual conference Exploring the Role of AI in Research, taking place on 20 October 2026 in Brussels. The discussion will focus on the use of AI in proposal writing and evaluation, responsible AI use, skills development, and the changing pressures faced by researchers and research institutions. 📅 20 October 2026 | 09:30–15:30 📍 Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, Rue de Trèves 92, Brussels The event is jointly organised by Czech Liaison Office for Education and Research in Brussels, NKFI Hivatal - Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal (NRDIO), Polish Science Contact Agency "PolSCA" of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Brussels and Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels (SLORD). 👉 More information and registration: https://shorturl.at/DjMSz #V4_Brussels  #AI #Research #HorizonEurope

Day 2 of “The New Era of European Borders and Defence Innovation” Following the discussions on research and innovation in border management, day 2 of our event turned to the European Defence Fund (EDF) and opportunities for future cooperation. The morning programme included: 🛡️ A presentation of the European Defence Fund Programme. The European Defence Fund session featured Erno Vandeweert, Deputy Head of Unit, Heinrich Wilhelm Klopp, Seconded National Expert and Policy Officer at DG DEFIS and Marco Appodia, Policy Officer at DG DEFIS 💡 Discussion on European research, innovation and the development of security and defence capabilities 🤝 One-to-one matchmaking meetings connecting organisations looking for partners for future projects and consortia 🌍 Continued cooperation between stakeholders from Slovakia, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania The two-day event reflects the importance of connecting research organisations, industry, public authorities and innovators when developing and bringing new security and defence technologies into practice. 📍 Häme EU Office, Brussels 📅 24 September 2026 #EuropeanDefenceFund #EDF #EUDefence #Innovation #HorizonEurope #BorderManagement #SecurityResearch #EUInnovation