Today, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) hosted the Final Conference of the EXPER Project (Excellent Peripheries for a Strong European Research Area) — a landmark event marking 30 months of dedicated work aimed at strengthening research excellence in Europe’s Outermost Regions.
Funded by Horizon Europe, EXPER has been a collaborative effort between universities from outermost regions such as ULPGC (Spain) and the University of the Azores (Portugal), working in partnership with institutions like University of Calabria (Italy) and University of Rostock (Germany). Together, they have fostered institutional transformation and built new bridges for knowledge exchange, innovation, and capacity building.
Held under the theme “Bridging Science and Society: The Future of European Research”, the international conference gathered experts from the European Commission, national ministries, leading research institutions, and innovation agencies. The event was conducted in a hybrid format, welcoming both in-person and online participants, and included high-level discussions on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities for research in widening regions.
Key Highlights of the Conference
Opening the event, Magda De Carli, Head of Unit at DG Research & Innovation (European Commission), and Federica Roffi, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Research Executive Agency, underlined the crucial role of EU-supported initiatives like EXPER in building stronger and more inclusive research ecosystems.
The programme was structured around four strategic pillars, addressing pivotal topics such as:
- Capacity Building for Talent Retention: Discussions focused on tackling brain drain and implementing innovative models like the CLAB model presented by Andrea Simeri (University of Calabria), complemented by insights from EMERGE and FECYT.
- Strengthening Knowledge Transfer and Spin-Offs: Featuring expert interventions from Atrineo, Terinov, University of Rostock, and the University of the Azores, this session explored strategies for effective commercialization of research and collaboration with industry.
- Enhancing Interdisciplinary Research and Societal Impact: Lucía Dobarro (ITC) and Michelle Perello (Consulta Europa) highlighted how interdisciplinary research and gender equality initiatives can drive innovation with societal relevance.
- Improving Research Careers and Institutional Conditions: This session, led by Michele Rosa-Clot (European Commission) and partners from ULPGC and University of Calabria, examined advancements in implementing the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) and new approaches to support research careers.
Forward-looking Perspectives
Further enriching the event, Anselmo Sosa, Spain’s National Contact Point for Horizon Europe Widening, delivered a keynote on the future of Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence, setting the stage for deeper reflections on EU research policy.
Also, Luís Coelho (Setúbal Polytechnic University) presented the results of Ent-r-e-novators, a sister project which aims to strengthen the research and innovation capacity of higher education institutions, countries and their ecosystems.
The event concluded with the presentation of the WiderAdvance Facility by Laura Ruiz Caramés (ACIISI), a new initiative to optimise dissemination and exploitation of research outputs within Widening regions.
A Call for Future Collaboration
The EXPER Final Conference was not just a culmination, but a call to action: to continue fostering collaboration, strengthen institutional capacities, and advance excellence in research and innovation across Europe’s outermost and widening regions. Participants left with a clear roadmap for maintaining momentum and integrating best practices to ensure lasting impact.
