2024 Mar/13

EU-CONEXUS Enables Project successfully launched in Bucharest

On 12-13 March 2024, the EU-CONEXUS embarked on a relatively new initiative, launching the EU-CONEXUS Enables project in Bucharest, Romania. This project aims to foster sustainable synergies among EU-CONEXUS member universities, municipalities, and stakeholders with special regard to Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability (SmUCS) challenges.

The launch event started with a kick-off meeting held at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest (UTCB), followed by insightful sessions, engaging discussions, and collaborative brainstorming. Professor Radu Vacareanu, UTCB Rector, expressed his gratitude for initiating this transformative project. Saying that EU-CONEXUS is more than just a project; it’s the European University, uniting our community for cooperation at a higher level. With EU-CONEXUS Enables, we’re set to bring even more value, sharing digital infrastructures across all levels.

Ilinca Nastase, Project Manager of EU-CONEXUS Enables

Throughout both days, participants reflected on the project’s vision, allocated roles and responsibilities, discussed the proper ways of communication, and exchanged ideas for knowledge transfer and research collaboration. The program for this event also emphasized upskilling opportunities and research career development support activities to empower researchers and foster academic excellence. “I am excited that boosting innovation will start with driving the young generation of EU-CONEXUS researchers for upskilling and trans-European cooperation,” highlighted Ilinca Nastase, the head of the project.

Under Horizon Europe, the European Commission has been instrumental in funding research and innovation projects aimed at strengthening collaboration across Europe. Beginning with the Science with and for Society programme – Research for Society project, we now gathered for the Widening participation and spreading excellence programme – standing in the name of EU-CONEXUS Enables. This initiative unites Eastern and Western European countries to foster research excellence. Over the next five years, all engaged partners will work together to create an ecosystem aimed at developing long-term digital solutions for smart urban coastal sustainability.

Jean-Marc Ogier, the President of EU-CONEXUS

Under the thematic umbrella of SmUCS, EU-CONEXUS Enables, lead by professor Ilinca Nastase and Bogdan Gheorghe, aims to establish an innovative ecosystem by leveraging Digital Twin technology. This approach facilitates collaborative knowledge sharing and joint efforts aimed at tackling pressing issues in coastal sustainability. Spanning from February 2024 to January 2029 and powered by 4 966 092 Euros of allocated funding, this project will have a pivotal role in advancing research, innovation, and societal service.

We aim to be a role model of a collaborative local public administration. We already developed 5 projects with UTCB – targeting areas from energy efficiency, innovation, positive energy districts, reinventing green space areas, shared community – we already talk of an institutional strategy. I‘m positive that we can benefit from these very ambitious initiatives. This is my call to action to all of you – we are eager to work with you and make your research projects a part of the response the community needs.

Elena Tudose, City Manager of Bucharest District 2

Led by the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, EU-CONEXUS Enables brings together a consortium of 18 partners. Associated partners include municipalities and organizations which take the role in shaping the project’s impact on coastal sustainability.