The European Commission organised a regional conference, "Meeting EuroMed Common Challenges", on Sunday to launch Horizon 2020, the largest collaborative research programme in the world, with an overall budget of €80m. The programme is set to be implemented in the period from 2014 to 2020. The opening session of the conference was led by Egyptian Minister of Scientific Research Ramzy George, Head of European Union Delegation to Egypt Ambassador James Moran, and Elizabeth Lipiatou, Head of the unit responsible for the European Neighbourhood, Africa and Gulf countries at the Directorate General of the European Commission. The conference was also attended by around 400 policy makers, researchers, representatives from academia, industry and research institutes, technology transfer centres, incubators and technology platforms. Ambassador Moran said: "Horizon 2020 offers many opportunities for addressing EuroMed common societal challenges through cooperation in research and innovation." "The programme will support scientists and researchers from courtiers across the two shores of the Mediterranean to work together," Moran stated, adding that "this is essential to social prosperity, political stability and economic sustainability, as well as the future prosperity of the region." The conference aims to promote Horizon 2020 while presenting its different programmes, including science and industrial leadership. Different sessions at the conference initiated dialogue between various stakeholders in the areas of research and innovation. The conference also aspires to enable policymakers, development organisations, research institutions and the private sector to share knowledge and explore the gaps between research and innovation in order to address societal challenges in the Euro-Med region.
