The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities

In its Opening Symposium on ‘Overcoming Boundaries: Open Science and Open Innovation’, leading researchers from Guild members explored some of the key challenges and opportunities for universities, research funders and the Commission around Open Science and Open Innovation. They focused on the significant potential for the production and application of new knowledge if this is shared more effectively, and challenged universities and national funders to find more effective ways to recognize this work.
In response, Antonio Vicente, Head of the Moedas Cabinet, emphasized the importance of universities in the innovation process. Recognizing the challenges presented by the diversity of the European innovation landscape, he underlined the opportunities this also gives for the sharing of ideas and the development of new practices. And he argued that Open Science and Open Innovation would allow Europe to improve its performance in research and innovation globally.
In response, the Guild will examine what innovation processes are particularly effective amongst its members, and how barriers to innovation might be overcome in the diverse national and regional contexts of Guild members. It will also engage with the connectivity between Open Science and Open Innovation, to identify more clearly what barriers exist within universities.
Jan Palmowski, Secretary-General of the Guild, said: ‘The Open agenda is about culture change, and what needs to be done to support this. Members of the Guild will offer the resource of its members, both in engaging with potential problems at an institutional level, and in developing solutions, in conjunction with all those already involved in the OSSP.“