Bulgaria’s Commissioner-designate for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, has promised to make the most of her short tenure as innovation chief and focus on preserving scientific prowess and leadership of the EU in the world.
Former MEP (2009-2012) and member of the European Court of Auditors (2013-2023), Ivanova will take on the role of European Commission for Innovation, a role that her compatriot Mariya Gabriel left earlier this year in favor of d rise to the highest position in the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Last week, Ivanova, 47, successfully made her way to the European Parliament audience and will now, pending Parliament’s approval on Tuesday, serve as the EU’s innovation chief until June next year.
Structural reforms and talent attraction
Ivanova’s portfolio includes a budget worth 120 billion euros and a series of initiatives, including the European Union’s seven-year scientific research program Horizon Europe, the Erasmus+ educational exchange initiative , the development of the European Research Area, the continued realization of the European Education Area. by 2025, the revision of the digital education action plan, the implementation of the new European agenda for culture and support for creative industries under the Creative Europe programme.
During the hearing, the Bulgarian diplomat presented her plan and initiatives regarding structural reforms that Member States can undertake to ensure that research and innovation thrives across the Union. This approach can also be implemented through the continued development of the European Research Area, she added.
“Complete the package of measures aimed at advancing the development of the European Research Area, supporting dialogue with Member States in their efforts to achieve the objective of 3% of GDP invested in research and innovation (R&I), and taking steps to strengthen academic freedom are examples where we can work together by helping to create incentives to attract graduates and increase the number of researchers,” Ivanova said.
Attracting talent and reducing the brain drain is another key issue she will focus on during her term.
“To attract talent and reduce the brain drain, I believe in the openness and circulation of talent to foster the best ideas and ensure that scientists can spread excellence and innovation. However, we also observe that the EU and many EU Member States or regions are facing an unbalanced situation and failing to retain the talent they have helped to train, with researchers leaving and not being replaced. My ambition is that our continent remains attractive to carry out excellent research and innovation everywhere,” explained Ivanova.
MEPs also raised a range of questions during their debate regarding the strengthening of Horizon Europe, its budgetary allocation, operational efficiency and transparency.
At the heart of these discussions was the question of how Member States and regions could be better supported to achieve optimal results within the programme, thereby ensuring that allocated funds serve the best interests of taxpayers.
“My first priority will be to preserve Europe’s position as a world leader in science, research and innovation by ensuring that every euro of the existing budget is used in the most useful way possible and thus encourage greater investments in research and innovation (R&I). and necessary reforms and continue the successful implementation of Horizon Europe. I will focus my efforts on putting the EU at the forefront of the new technological race and increasing its competitiveness in the face of increased economic competition,” Ivanova said, adding that she would rely on all existing instruments to attract additional funding, as well as finding innovative ways to achieve this.
Digital transition and closing the innovation gap
One of the key questions of the hearing was how to align the Commission’s strategic agenda with promoting the green and digital transitions.
Thus, the Commissioner-designate expressed his commitment not only to overseeing the effective execution of programs within his portfolio, but also to upholding transparency in monitoring and reporting the results of these initiatives.
“I look forward to continuing our efforts to implement the European Green Deal and the digital transition. In this context, there is an urgent need to develop products that are sustainable by design. As a concrete step, I will support the next coordinated action plan with Member States on advanced materials which will be essential for our ability to coordinate our actions and find suitable substitutes. Creating stronger ties with like-minded countries is essential in this difficult geopolitical context and involving them in Union programs is essential in this regard. I will continue my efforts to successfully complete ongoing negotiations with a number of strategic international partners of the EU,” Ivanova emphasized.
Bridging the innovation gap was also one of the key topics the MEP asked Ivanova about. Although considerable progress has been made in mitigating the research and innovation gap, there remains a need to maximize the impact of the expanded initiatives that have been implemented, she stressed.
“In order to overcome persistent disparities, much remains to be done and I see the enlargement process not only as a series of actions aimed at reducing the research and innovation gap. This is a constant effort that requires all parties involved, the Member States concerned, the Commission, the research community and other stakeholders, to continue to implement the necessary structural reforms, create the environment appropriate, guarantee infrastructure and funding for researchers,” she added.
Furthermore, Ivanova also emphasized that the development of digital education remains paramount, especially given the contemporary need to be digitally literate and to be able to manage information critically and discerningly in our daily lives.
The European Union faces a notable lack of digital skills, and the digital gender gap is a growing concern. Currently, only 24 out of 1,000 female tertiary graduates pursue ICT-related studies, and only six of them ultimately enter the digital sector, despite women’s strong performance in digital skills, as shown International Computer and Information Literacy Study.ICILS).
“I will continue to support actions to improve digital skills and skills development at all levels of society. To give you just two concrete examples: firstly, the free, multilingual, web-based SELFIE tools, developed by the Joint Research Centre, which allow schools and teachers to assess their strengths and weaknesses in the use of digital technologies. And secondly, the European Digital Education Hub was created to provide a platform for the exchange of good practices in digital education and to connect national authorities, the private sector, experts, researchers, providers education and training and civil society,” explained Ivanova. .