2020 ECRN General Assembly took place on February 21, gathering all ECRN member regions to take strategic decisions on the future of the network. Members appointed Mr. Lieven Top from Flanders region as a new member of the executive board, voted on the 2020 ECRN budget and approved the new ECRN Action Plan.
2020 represents a strategic year for the ECRN network in order to consolidate its presence in Brussels and relaunch its activities. As underlined by Fabrizio Sala, ECRN President:
“ECRN cooperation is built on strong basis. The clear focus and strong regional dimension make ECRN a unique network. ECRN still represents the core of the chemical industry and research system in Europe because of the innovative chemical industry and of the numerous SMEs and universities that are in ECRN member regions.”
However, according to the President, to maximize its impact the Network should identify some strategic priorities to pursue in the coming years.
During the Assembly the ECRN Secretariat presented the new ECRN Action plan, setting the basis for the future work of the network. In the action plan four priority areas have been identified:
- Bio-based chemical production
- Plastics and chemical recycling
- Energy transition with a focus on hydrogen
- Support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
In order to define political and technical positions under each priority area, regions have agreed to set up specific working groups that will develop position papers to be presented at the ECRN Political Conference in October 2020. The Conference will indeed offer the opportunity to relaunch the Network within the European scene and it will consolidate its position as a stakeholder in front of the EU institutions.
The new action plan and the indicated workflow were approved by all members of the Assembly.
