The European Knowledge Valorisation Week, organized by the European Commission, the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, the EU Member States, and EEA countries, was held from March 29 to April 1, 2022.

European Knowledge Valorisation Week brought together a large number of European experts and policy-makers to discuss and exchange experiences on available capacities and skills for knowledge valorisation in the European Union, but also on ways to improve investment in innovation and research and develop innovation ecosystems (clusters). YUFE was represented by Professor Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Ph.D., Rector of the University of Rijeka and YERUN President, who participated in the panel “New Directionality for Knowledge Valorization in the EU” as the only representative of the university community.

Other panel participants include Bruno Maquart, President of Ecsite and President of UNIVERSCIENCE, Paris, Kjell Håkan Närfelt, Chief Strategy Officer at VINNOVA, Lisa O’Donoghue, CEO, Votechnik. The moderators were Jean-Eric Paquet, Director-General Research & Innovation, European Commission, and Martin Bunček, Director of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic.

During the event, the participants had the opportunity to see excellent examples of policies and tools that encourage the use of scientific results for the benefit of society as a whole, created by the joint efforts of all stakeholders from science and arts community, business sector, and civil society.

European Knowledge Valorisation Week contributes to the new European Research Area (ERA), which calls for better integration of research and innovation results into the economy and society. It will support ongoing work on “upgrading EU guidelines for better valorisation of knowledge” and allow research into the interests and possibilities of future EU joint action based on existing best practices.