11 Jul Online Networking Meeting for Research Funders from EU and Japan
On 21st April, the EU-Japan.AI project hosted representatives from Japanese and European research funding agencies (and one associated body) for an online networking meeting. Representatives from the following agencies presented:
Japan:
- NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Agency): Japanese Applied Research Agency
- JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency): Japanese Basic Research Funding Agency and Government Science Advisory Agency
EU:
- EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association): A non-profit association of manufacturing companies, official representative to the EC on the ‘Made in Europe’ co-Programmed Partnership on Manufacturing Research & Innovation.
- FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency): Austrian Applied Research Agency
- FWF (Austrian Science Fund): Austrian Basic Research Agency
The representatives each presented their agencies’ approaches to the issues relevant to AI in Manufacturing, as well as their varied approaches to international collaboration. The key lesson from the meeting is that EU-Japan cooperation on research into this important area is feasible and would be useful, but that anything other than individual researchers’ being involved in each others projects takes political discussion by ministers before significant action can be undertaken by the funding agencies themselves.
Author: Coordinator, MINDS & SPARKS GmbH