SHINE 2Europe is proud to be part of the international consortium BRITE-EU, a new European project funded by the Horizon Europe programme with a total budget of €3 million over four years.
BRITE-EU brings together 11 partner organisations from six European countries, united by a common goal: to strengthen research and innovation (R&I) capacity in Widening countries -Portugal, Czechia and Romania – by enhancing employability and fostering interoperability of R&I talent. With a strong focus on the Digital Health sector, BRITE-EU aims to build collaborative ecosystems that connect researchers, businesses, policymakers and society, accelerating creativity, innovation and the effective transfer of knowledge across sectors.
The project is coordinated by the University of Porto and was officially launched in Porto on 27-28 January 2026. SHINE 2Europe was represented in the Kick-off-Meeting by its CEO, Carina Dantas, and Project Manager Ângela Freitas.
Within the consortium, SHINE 2Europe plays a central role as leader of Work Package 6, dedicated to Communication and Dissemination. In addition, SHINE 2Europe actively promotes stakeholder engagement and strengthens the project’s connections with other European projects and initiatives, ensuring wider impact and long-term sustainability.
Over the course of four years, the project will:
- Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to identify gaps and opportunities within R&I ecosystems.
- Deliver capacity-building initiatives, including targeted training programmes and mobility schemes that connect academia and industry.
- Support institutional reforms and follow-up measures to improve talent retention and facilitate return pathways for seconded staff.
- Promote cross-sectoral collaboration through a quadruple-helix approach involving researchers, businesses, policymakers, and society at large.
By equipping research professionals with advanced skills, fostering sustainable collaborative networks and supporting systemic reforms, BRITE-EU will contribute to reversing brain drain, improving gender balance and equal opportunities, and strengthening the European Research Area.
This project fully aligns with SHINE 2Europe’s mission of promoting inclusive solutions and connecting research, education and technology to deliver meaningful and lasting impact across Europe.
Website available soon at: http://brite-project.eu/