Draft:Directorate "Healthy Planet", European Commission

Directorate “Healthy Planet”, European Commission

Bell at the “A New Era of Blue Enlightenment” event, 2017

The European Commission is composed of 56 departments and executive agencies. Iliana Ivanova is the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth portfolio. Marc Lemaître is the Director General to provide overall strategic orientation and management of Directorate-General for Research & Innovation, within the framework set by the Directorate’s-General mission statement and annual work programme.

Dr John Bell is the "Healthy Planet" Director in DG Research & Innovation, leading the European Green Deal research and innovation transitions on Climate Change, Oceans and Arctic, Water, Bioeconomy, Food Systems, Environment and Biodiversity, Nature-based Solutions, Earth Observation, Circular Economy, and Bio-based systems.

The European Green Deal

Besides, Research and Innovation is driving the transformative change for the Green Deal incorporation, leading the Green Deal Research & Innovation on the European Green Deal, now going through the European Green Deal EUR 1 billion call.

Horizon Europe Missions - Innovation in delivering moonshot type of impact

Galway Statement celebratory event, 2023

Bell has launched, led and developed EU Green Deal Missions for Oceans and Waters with Mission Chair Pascal Lamy and Climate Adaptation with Connie Hedegaard from 2019-2021, and Cities with Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.

EU missions are a commitment to solve major societal challenges. Horizon Europe delivers missions as a portfolio of excellence-based and impact-driven R&I actions across disciplines and sectors, intended to achieve within a set timeframe, a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions.

Sustainable Policy Innovation - Bioeconomy

Bell has led and developed the EU Bioeconomy policy from 2014 to date.

The EU Bioeconomy Policy evolution starts by February 2012 when Europe’s initial bioeconomy strategy is adopted. It addresses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into vital products and bioenergy. In November 2017, a new way forward is decided at the bioeconomy policy day. Bioeconomy stakeholders’ manifesto is launched, providing guidance to regions and EU countries developing their own strategies, as well as to the EU as a whole. By the beginning of next year, a review of the bioeconomy strategy refocuses the actions to better support the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement climate objectives and new EU policy priorities.

Chair/Vice Chair of the EU Governing Board Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE) public-private partnership

CBE funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe. He has been Chair (2022-2023) and Vice-Chair of the EU Governing Board of EUR 2 billion Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE) public-private partnership with industry. He leads the deployment of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy together with the Chair Rob Beekers, Director of New Business Development at Cargill Bio-Industrial Group. The Governing Board is the main decision-making body of CBE Joint Undertaking (JU). It supervises the implementation of the CBE JU’s objectives, adopts its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) as well as its yearly work programme and budget, and approves the annual activity report.

Innovation International Ocean Research Cooperation - All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance

John Bell, through his commitment to science diplomacy for sustainability, he has delivered a 1.000 research teams’ programme All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) through the “Galway” and “Belém” Declarations with the US, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Argentina, Capo Verde, Morocco, as well as Arctic cooperation, International Bioeconomy Forum, Global Earth Observation, Mediterranean Water Agriculture PRIMA and African Union Food and Nutrition Security.

AAORIA is the result of science diplomacy efforts involving countries from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It builds upon the success of two existing cooperative agreements: the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation, which was signed by the European Union, United States, and Canada in 2013; and the Belem Statement on Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Cooperation, which was signed by the European Union, Brazil, and South Africa in 2017.

AAORIA aims to enhance marine research and innovation cooperation along and across the Atlantic Ocean. In 2022, the “All-Atlantic Declaration” was signed to revitalize collaboration among current initiatives and enhance the coordination between the Galway Working Groups, All-Atlantic Joint Pilot Actions, and related projects. Additionally, it aims to engage new partners and initiatives to join the All-Atlantic community.

International Science Diplomacy Innovation

International Bioeconomy Forum

Bell at the 2nd International Bioeconomy Forum, 2019

The International Bioeconomy Forum (IBF), launched in November 2017 by the European Commission, is a platform aimed at facilitating international cooperation on a limited number of research and innovation priorities and horizontal activities that are crucial for the development of a global sustainable bioeconomy.

Partnerships for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA)

Bell visiting PRIMA’s office, 2024

The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) is a ten-year initiative (2018-2028), partly funded by EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 and supported by the EU and 19 states from both shores of the Mediterranean. The innovation and scientific unique diplomacy program funds projects in the fields of sustainable and integrated water management, farming systems and agro-food value chain.

Based on equal footing, all PRIMA projects must include a minimum of three research teams from different participating countries, with at least one partner from the North and one partner from the South of the Mediterranean. The 19 participating countries in the program are Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.

The PRIMA foundation is in charge of implementing the partnership with an investment of EUR 709 million euros.

AU-EU Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture

Bell at “Food 2030” conference, 2024

Food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture was the first common priority research and innovation area, as part of the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation, embedded in the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES). The AU-EU Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) and roadmap were endorsed at the AU-EU Summit in 2017.

The partnership addresses the challenges set out in United Nations Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by stimulating joint AU-EU research and innovation activities for an initial period of 10 years.

Activities complement current research and innovation partnerships supporting the food security objectives of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024).

The partnership is evolving with the new political priorities of the AU and EU. It is part of the green partnerships in relation to the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy.

The partnership has channelled a joint investment of EUR 381 million on 4 priorities: sustainable intensification of agriculture, agriculture and food systems for nutrition, expansion and improvement of agricultural trade, and markets and cross-cutting topics.