Aftermovie
On November 20, 2024, Neth-ER welcomed participants to its annual conference and networking event: “Investing in Knowledge & Changing Global Perspectives” at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs in Brussels. The event explored how investing in education, research and innovation can strengthen the position of the European Union in a changing world. Want to experience it for yourself? Watch our aftermovie to revisit the highlights that made for an insightful afternoon.
Live poll
During the event, we asked 170 participants to answer questions and share their views through an application called “Mentimeter”. Mentimeter is an interactive tool that allows audiences to share their thoughts and opinions in real-time through live polls, word clouds, and Q&A sessions.
Audience says: “Budget and funding: biggest challenges for our sector”
When asked: “What are 3 challenges for EU research, innovation and education policy?”, the most prominent answers were “budget” (12 replies) and “funding” (9) alongside mentions of “AI”, “bureaucracy”, and “polarisation”. With these challenges in mind we also asked: “Where should the EU find more funds for innovation, research and education?” to which participants voted on “Member States’ contributions” (39), “private investments” (34), and “cohesion policy” (22), as the most viable options. Investment priorities for the EU were clear: “Erasmus” (22) stood out as the favorite, followed by “Horizon Europe” (11) the “European Research Council” (10) and “Skills” (9).
Main takeaways
The day’s discussions left a strong impression, with participants voicing thought-provoking insights. One attendee stressed the need for change, urging, “Simplify procedures for funding. Trusting the researchers”. Another highlighted, “Education and research is the basis for our competitiveness”. In an interview, Jurgen Rienks, Director of Neth-ER, captured the event’s spirit, emphasizing, “There is a sense of urgency. We really need to make a difference with Europe in the world, and we can only do this if we invest more in research, education and innovation. That’s the sort of message that we need from a conference like this”.
