The agreement signed this week with the Natural Resources Institute of Finland (LUKE) is aimed at submitting European projects jointly to Horizon Europe calls for proposals, especially in the fields of life sciences, bioeconomy, forestry, agri-food and ecology. CERCA centres and LUKE will also work on research data management policies, technology transfer and other cross-cutting issues affecting research and innovation management.

The agreement includes the possibility of opening mobility programmes for research staff, co-organising workshops and symposia on topics of mutual interest and, especially, exchanging experiences in research assessment.

A CERCA delegation plans to visit the LUKE facilities in Finland in the near future, and Finnish researchers plan to do the same before the end of the year.

The LUKE is a research institute whose aim is to promote the bioeconomy and sustainable use of natural resources, linked to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.