Annual_Report_2024

Editorial

However You Look At It, 2024 Was a Year of Change!

Uncertainty continued globally and local con- flicts influenced regional and broader decision- making and international policy. The elections in the USA raised new questions concerning that na tion’s long-term relationships with the rest of the world, not only in the geopolitical arena but also in terms of the nature and desirability of unrestrict ed scientific collaboration and exchange. Unlike many countries in Europe, Switzerland was affected by changes to the US export control regulations put in place on 15 January 2025, and only the future will reveal how potentially restricted access to next-generation chips will affect aspirations for competencies in artificial intelligence.

2024 was no less a year of change for Eure search. To begin at the end: December saw the protracted negotiations between Switzerland and the EU finally reach the stage where Swiss-based researchers could be beneficiaries of EU funding for calls in Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme. The vision is to achieve Association status retroactively to 1 January 2025. Research- ers and innovators in Switzerland can now apply for all mono-beneficiary funding, such as the prestigious European Research Council Starting, Consolidator and Advanced Grants. Swiss re searchers can also become active coordinators of projects and participate more fully in the planning processes for the future programmes. For Euresearch financially, 2024 saw the beginning of the financing period 2024-2027 that was successfully negotiated with the State Secre tariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) in 2023. This seamless transition against a back ground of uncertainty was evidence of the dedicated commitment of the Euresearch and SERI teams to achieving a mutually acceptable contract to sup- port Swiss research and innovation. The year saw the closing of the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024 period. We look forward with enthusiasm to greater involvement in the second planning period.

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Annual Report 2024