The 18th April 2024 a new portal “Euro-Mediterranean Hub on Research and Innovation” (https://euromedhub-ri.org/) was launched by the European Commission and the Union for the Mediterranean with the presence of the D5+5 Portugal Presidency Secretariat.

This portal serves as a learning and collaborative platform for Mediterranean cooperation. It aims at bolstering the UfM Regional Policy Dialogue on Research and Innovation (R&I) and facilitating the implementation of R&I roadmaps on Health, Renewable Energies, and Climate Change. By registering on the portal, members can connect with other R&I stakeholders across the Mediterranean region and contribute with new knowledge to the portal’s repository. 

The portal offers a one-stop shop for information on research results, best practices, policy papers and other relevant publications, as well as a portfolio of opportunities for R&I collaboration, such as funding opportunities, networks and cluster organisations. The main objective is to foster the exchange and circulation of knowledge and data among R&I stakeholders across the Mediterranean region in the fields of health, renewable energies and climate change.

The priority areas are:

• Climate change: following the 25th Meeting of the UfM Platform on Research and Innovation in June 2020, experts proposed three roadmaps to address climate change: Water scarcity, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity. Effectively managing water scarcity is crucial for safeguarding livelihoods and sustaining socioeconomic development. Regional collaboration is paramount to tackle challenges posed by upstream restrictions.
• Renewable Energies: the effective integration of renewable energies into existing networks and the promotion of equitable access to clean energy are priorities for the Euro Mediterranean region, as well as to minimise environmental impact and to stimulate local economic development.
• Health: health landscape in the Euro-Mediterranean region is undergoing rapid changes driven by socioeconomic developments, demographic shifts, and epidemiological transitions. Despite some improvements, numerous challenges persist, and new ones are emerging, primarily induced by the aging of the population, urbanisation, and climate change’s effects.