The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's in-house science and knowledge service, employing a substantial staff of scientists devoted to conducting research to provide independent scientific advice for EU policy. Focussed on various research areas aligned with EU priorities, the JRC excels in delivering scientific evidence for policymaking and has published numerous science-for-policy reports and scientific articles. Drawing on a scientific integrity statement, surveys among JRC's research staff, and thematic discussions with JRC's research leaders, the JRC has developed a comprehensive Scientific Integrity and Research Ethics (SIRE) framework, including instruments, procedures, and guidelines to ensure high standards and independence in its research. Key components of the SIRE framework include a Scientific Integrity Officer, an Editorial Review Board, a Research Ethics Board, and guidelines for responsible conduct of research. This article provides an overview of the JRC's SIRE framework and how it was developed, emphasising the importance of maintaining independence, integrity, and ethics in scientific research that supports EU policy. The article also discusses potential gaps in the framework and where additional efforts may be needed, comparing with the recent U.S. National Science and Technology Council report on Protecting the Integrity of Government Science.

This report presents a proposal for the strategic positioning of Joint Research Centre (JRC) research infrastructures (RIs) within Horizon Europe, both in the nuclear and non-nuclear areas. Its objectives is to define how best JRC RIs can fulfil the mission of the JRC, and to propose a strategy to best exploit JRC RIs, including their role in the Horizon Europe programme. It does so by examining five different Focus Areas: 1) Exploitation of JRC RIs; 2) Integration with the European and International R&I ecosystem; 3) Training and capacity building; 4) Outreach and dissemination; and 5) Anticipation and preparedness. For each Focus Area the staff reflected on the current state-of-play and relevance of JRC RIs, in setting a vision on where we want to be in the next 10-20 years, in identifying gaps to achieving this vision and proposing recommendations on how to address these gaps. The report should also serve to create awareness on the strategic role of JRC RIs and how they are integral to the work programme of the JRC with demonstrable policy impact. The report concludes that only a prioritisation exercise that leads to a long term clear planning with sufficient and sustained investments will allow the JRC to fulfil its mission. This can be achieved by best exploiting its most precious asset: its research infrastructures.

Taking a deep look at how China has transformed its capacity for scientific research and innovation provides a window into the country’s ambitions and possible paths in the future.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

Chapter 4 introduces the 20 universities that actively contributed to our case studies and submitted RII self-appraisal reports. Taking a closer look at a subset of those universities, we present information on their RII capacity gathered through a dedicated questionnaire. The survey findings clearly indicate their commitment to regional innovation engagement, but also reveal where universities experience challenges to implement their RII ideas and aspirations. The information from each university is structured around the ‘RII portfolio domains’ within their engagement profiles. The four domains that were introduced in part 1 are: (i) regional orientation, strategic development, and knowledge infrastructure; (ii) education and human resources development; (iii) research, knowledge creation and technology transfer; (iv) support to enterprise development and entrepreneurship education. The final section presents an analysis of those self-appraisal reports from the viewpoint of RII indicators.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

The relationship between democracy and science has long been discussed by scholars. However, the question has not been adequately addressed empirically at the international level. Using panel data on 161 countries over a seven-year period, we estimate the effects of democracy on scientific influence, controlling for globalization, population size, publication output, and level of international research collaboration. The results show that countries with higher levels of democracy tend to have higher impact science.

Since the release of global rankings in 2003, rankings have become important actors in the higher education landscape and much has been written about their impact on universities and higher education policy. These tools are in particular subject to criticism regarding their methodology, indicators, data sources and capacity to adapt to change. This paper aims to build on existing debates to provide an assessment of the use of the main academic rankings for shaping higher education policy in Europe. To do so, it first examines the main theoretical issues linked to rankings' capacity to be used for higher education policy purposes. Second, the study builds on an EU-wide consultation of research and innovation experts to identify how rankings have effectively been used for higher education policy-making in EU Member States. Finally, we reflect on the extent to which global rankings are compatible with higher education policy purposes.

Chapter 5 examines how universities form part of regional innovation ecosystems. Our case studies show a variety of roles, from ‘orchestrator’ and leader to technical partner. Importantly, the discussion sheds light on the crucial factor of relationships and connections within the ecosystem that generates innovation. One is increasingly relevant, namely cooperation with local and regional authorities that manage Smart Specialisation Strategies, which is a key EU policy area on regional economic development. This new form of place-based innovation policy relies more than ever on the knowledge and human capital produced by universities. Finally, inter-regional cooperation involving the case study universities increases the knowledge connectivity of their host regions and helps to harness global knowledge to address local challenges

Chapter 1 sets the scene by describing the current circumstances under which many universities operate with regard to their local or regional engagement activities. It presents a definition of ’regional innovation impact’ and introduces a conceptual model of an ‘RII system’ in which a university and its local environment are intertwined and interdependent. The ‘RII delivery space’ connects both domains: this domain consists of the university’s RII pathways and ’places and spaces’ where external impacts may occur.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

Chapter 6 looks at how university graduates can bring their newly acquired knowledge and skills, their novel methods and new ideas into practice. This positions the university as a vital institution for regions to attract, develop and retain talent within a challenging demographic context. Using examples from the case studies, this chapter reviews how innovative teaching methods such as problem-based learning, internationalisation strategies and employment schemes for graduates have helped to reinforce the human capital in universities’ host regions. While universities often consider education to be less important than research, this chapter helps to underline the importance of students to regional innovation, who represent ‘knowledge transfer on legs’.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

The type of assessment and its objectives differ per type of user - be it universities, governments or funding bodies at the international, national or regional level. Chapter 10 focuses on the potential applications of RII assessment within European policy development, more specifically the importance of incentive systems to steer and boost RII performance within universities. We discuss various possibilities for designing or implementing such systems, framed within the context of European Commission policies and funding instruments.

Chapter 7 concentrates on knowledge production as a resource and potentially a delivery space for the regional impact of universities. While our case studies are all research-intensive universities, it is interaction and co-creation of knowledge with business that allows them to have a regional impact. This collaboration often happens in physical locations such as science parks or dedicated research centres within the university campus. Technology transfer offices at the case study universities are evolving to cater for different demands related to knowledge transfer activities, adopting models of open innovation to enhance the commercialisation of new research.

Driven by European Union policy challenges, this cutting-edge book focuses upon the Regional Innovation Impact (RII) of universities, to analyse the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.