From October 9 to 11, 2024, the 3rd Teaming Club Conference was held in Novi Sad, Serbia. This significant event brought together over 40 Teaming projects and 70 participants. A delegation from ISSP UL attended the event, including Dr. Andris Šternbergs, Deputy Director for Science; Ausma Grīnfelde, Deputy Director for Administration; Andris Ozoliņš, Project Manager; and Timurs Safiuļins, International Projects Acquisition Specialist from the Development Department.
This significant event brought together leading centers from Widening countries supported by the H2020/Horizon Europe Teaming program. The conference served as a vibrant platform for knowledge sharing, partnership building, and enhancing European research capabilities.
Timurs Safiuļins had the honor of representing Dr. Šternbergs during the Agriculture, Environment, and Biotech session, where he presented the CAMART2 project’s achievements in improving research infrastructure. His presentation emphasized key research directions at ISSP UL, focusing on the transition from laboratory research to market applications and highlighting successful startups.
Andris Ozoliņš, representing both ISSP UL and CAMART2, chaired the Materials and Physics session of the conference, which featured presentations on the scientific focus and research infrastructure of various Centers of Excellence (CoEs). He also participated in several panel discussions covering topics such as "Spreading and Sustaining Excellence" (the influence of CoEs on their regions and collaborations across the quadruple helix), "Research Infrastructure" (sustainability, lab culture, best practices in Open RI, and ESFRI), and "CoEs Beyond Teaming Projects" (boosting industry collaborations, balancing research and development, experiences from completed Teaming projects, and future directions).
Throughout the conference, ISSP UL engaged in discussions with other CoEs, including GATE and EXCELSIOR, gaining valuable insights into their challenges and successes. Networking opportunities flourished as ISSP UL representatives attended plenary sessions on topics such as Spreading and Sustaining Excellence and Research Infrastructures.
A highlight of the conference was a presentation by the MIT Office of Innovation on translating scientific research into market applications, which closely aligns with ISSP UL’s commercialization goals. Additionally, European Commission representatives emphasized the importance of CoEs in promoting regional cohesion and introduced upcoming funding tools, encouraging a broader perspective for project proposals.
Overall, the 3rd Teaming Club Conference was a valuable experience that fostered collaboration and presented new partnership opportunities, including within the COST program and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) call. The insights gained will significantly contribute to advancing ISSP UL’s mission and enhancing its research impact.
