Advancing Euro-Mediterranean Research and Innovation: UfM hosts Extraordinary Platform Meeting and Scalability Roundtable

Barcelona, 5 June 2026. The Union for the Mediterranean continues to drive forward the regional scientific agenda with two pivotal meetings held this week: the Extraordinary Session of the UfM Regional Platform on Research and Innovation on June 1, and the Regional Roundtable on the Euro-Mediterranean Scalability Strategy on June 4. These gatherings mark a critical step in translating academic research into actionable policy and market-ready solutions across the region.

During the Extraordinary Session, UfM Deputy Secretary-General for Human Development, Petra Kežman, highlighted the region’s demographic shifts and the critical role of scientific cooperation. “Science has built bridges across millennia. It creates human connections, invisible networks and trust that traditional diplomacy sometimes struggles to maintain. In a conflict-affected region such as ours, this is of particular importance,” she stated.

The session gathered National Focal Points and regional stakeholders to review the progress of the Platform’s two primary Working Groups. Working Group 1, co-chaired by Egypt and Italy, presented its policy paper on Researcher Mobility and Capacity Building. Their recommendations emphasize promoting a balanced circulation of talent, and integrating access to research infrastructures. The group also discussed a proposal on a Mediterranean Science Diplomacy Center, in line with the EU Pact for the Mediterranean, advocating for a uniquely Mediterranean approach. Meanwhile, Working Group 2, led by Jordan and Spain, presented a policy paper on Open Data and Digital Tools. Addressing current barriers such as fragmented infrastructures and uneven digital skills, the group outlined the foundations for a data exchange platform designed to make digital resources accessible and interoperable across borders.

Building on these discussions, the Regional Roundtable on the Euro-Mediterranean Scalability Strategy on June 4 provided a multi-stakeholder forum to address the persistent “scalability gap” between research outputs and their societal or market uptake. National Focal Points, funding agencies, and regional innovation enablers engaged in a co-creation session to analyze the draft strategy and its recommendations. The initiative aims to transform isolated pilot projects into a cohesive Euro-Mediterranean innovation ecosystem, directly supporting the objectives of the EU Pact for the Mediterranean and aligning with ongoing UfM efforts such as the Research to Business (R2B) programme.

The outcomes of the two Working Groups, including their policy papers, and the final Scalability Strategy will be thoroughly discussed during the upcoming 32nd Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Research and Innovation, scheduled for October in Barcelona. The October meeting will serve to endorse the final versions of these documents, laying the essential groundwork for the planned UfM Ministerial Conference on Research and Innovation.