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Coimbra Group Chair to participate in First Silicon Valley European Innovation Days

15 March 2023

The Chair of the Coimbra Group Executive Board, Ludovic Thilly, has been invited to be part of the high-level delegation accompanying European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, at the first ever EU Innovation Days in the Silicon Valley (United States) from 21 to 23 March 2023.

The delegation includes representatives from 40 top corporate companies, unicorns, investors, cities, regions and universities from across Europe, in an endeavour to bring the European innovation ecosystem to the Silicon Valley a few months after the adoption by the European Commission of a New European Innovation Agenda.

During the mission, the Commissioner will host a number of high-level meetings with the delegation participants. A series of events will also provide the opportunity to EB Chair Ludovic Thilly to speak and present how Coimbra Group universities actively support research-based innovation, entrepreneurship and start-ups.

On Tuesday 21 March afternoon in San Francisco, he will participate in the event “Europe is calling innovators” where he will promote how well equipped Coimbra Group universities are to attract leading entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers from across the world, by sharing existing opportunities directly targeting them.

Of particular attention as well is the first EU Innovation Forum in the Silicon Valley that will be held as a hybrid event on Wednesday 22 March, 10pm CET. The event can be followed virtually on Youtube or by registering on the EU R&I Community Platform.

Furthermore, the EB Chair will take part in a series of exchanges with different US stakeholders, such as the Silicon Valley’s talent cluster, that will allow him to exchange views, collect best practices, and highlight specific initiatives set up by Coimbra Group universities in these areas.

It is the aim of the Coimbra Group to reaffirm, and provide evidence, throughout the different meetings, that the European higher education sector is a crucial element of the EU innovation landscape.