EU Info Day 2025 focused on future European research collaborations

On October 6, 2025, the full-day seminar EU Info Day was held. The event was jointly organized by the Impact Innovation programs Swedish Metals & Minerals and Net Zero Industry, and it was fully booked to the last seat.

The day began with Rachel Pettersson from Jernkontoret and Boel Wadman from RISE welcoming the participants. They introduced the day’s program, explained how it connected to the organizing Impact Innovation programs, and provided general insights into how to work with EU projects.

The first session provided an overview of the European research landscape, focusing on partnership programs for the green and digital transition. The five programs highlighted were Made In Europe, Process 4 Planet, Clean Steel Partnership, Innovative Advanced Materials 4 EU, and Raw Materials Partnership.

This was followed by an international outlook focusing on Austria and Finland. Karin Sommer from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce explained Austria’s approach to EU research and how the country participates in joint EU projects. Riikka Virkunen from VTT spoke about Finland’s engagement in EU research and VTT’s strategies for supporting Finnish companies in European research programs.

The afternoon program began with Emma Wikner from Teknikföretagen and Johan Lindberg from Vinnova, who discussed the future of EU research, upcoming challenges, and new policy proposals in Brussels. They also touched on the proposed European Competitiveness Fund, aimed at securing Europe’s industrial future.

Next, several European technology platforms were presented, including ETP – Sustainable Mineral Resource, ESTEP, IAM-I, ASPIRE, and MANUFUTURE.

The final session of the day began with Marie Vaadre from Vinnova, who explained how Vinnova works with Horizon Europe and EU SME Support. Adam Andersson from RISE spoke about a new European strategy for research and technology infrastructures and what this new strategy entails in practice. The final speaker, Åsa Bergerus Rensvik from the Swedish Energy Agency, presented CETPartnership, a transnational research and innovation collaboration, explaining how it operates and why it is important.

EU Info Day 2025 concluded with informal networking and mingling.

In photos (from the left): Rachel Pettersson & Boel Wadman, Karin Sommer, Riikka Virkunen, Emma Wikberger & Johan Lindberg