Euro-Chemistry Summit in Strasbourg

On December 15 Euro-Chemistry, the new pan-European organisation representing chemistry funding agencies across the continent, is organizing a summit at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to deliver a powerful message on how chemistry can help resolve the grand challenges facing the world today. SusChem will, of course, be there.

The summit will bring together stakeholders including chemistry performers, chemistry funders, chemical industry, policy makers (national & European level), international organizations, and non-European stakeholders such as the US National Science Foundation to discuss how funding for the vital work of chemistry can be improved.

SusChem board member Dr. Louis Vertegaal is President of Euro-Chemistry and will open the summit. He will be followed by Nobel Prize winner Prof Jean-Marie Lehn and Prof George Whitesides of Harvard University who will outline the grand challenges facing society. A policy viewpoint will be given by Catherine Trautmann, MEP.

Gernot Klotz of Cefic and SusChem will chair a round-table discussion on future funding. Further details of the summit programme can be accessed here.

Euro-chemistry
Established in Autumn 2010, Euro-Chemistry brings together national research organizations and funding agencies to establish joint strategies for collaborative research and improved funding mechanisms for European research in chemistry.

Chemistry is one of the key driving forces behind the welfare development of our society and for the global competitiveness of the European economy. It is ready to help meet the grand challenges facing society today including environment, health, energy and materials. These challenges for chemistry go beyond what can be acheived at a national level and demand wider collaboration. European research organizations and funding agencies need to join forces to create the synergy required for such a challenge.

Euro-Chemistry will collaborate with other consortia including industry federations. European networks and technology platforms and scientific societies to help design the future of European chemistry. SusChem has observer status in Euro-Chemistry.

For more information on Euro-Chemistry download their brochure or contact the organization now.