The EU and Jordan reaffirmed their commitment to research and innovation cooperation during the 7th Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee meeting held on 22 May 2025 in Amman.
The meeting was co-chaired by Prof. Mohammed Wedyan, President of Jordan’s National Center for Research and Development, and Ms. Nienke Buisman, from the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission.
A central topic of discussion was the underrepresentation of Jordanian research and innovation entities in the Horizon Europe programme, despite the country’s robust potential in this sector. The Jordanian delegation shared recent advancements in national science, technology, and innovation policies, institutional reforms, and strategic R&D initiatives. Both parties agreed on measures to enhance Jordan’s participation, including bolstering the capacity of Horizon Europe National Contact Points, promoting researcher mobility, and initiating targeted capacity-building activities.
The EU commended Jordan’s active role as co-chair of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Platform on Research and Innovation. The next UfM meeting is scheduled for October 2025 in Brussels. Ongoing initiatives to implement the priorities set out in the 2022 UfM Ministerial on R&I were also highlighted, such as the launch of Mediterranean Initiatives I and II under Horizon Europe and the upcoming UE Africa and MED innovation fair in Brussels on 23 October 2025, which aims to showcase research and innovation results with market potential.
The meeting acknowledged Jordan’s continued engagement in PRIMA projects and expressed satisfaction with the extension of Jordan’s participation into the 2025–2027 phase, following the successful conclusion of negotiations on the PRIMA international agreement.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen scientific collaboration through Horizon Europe and other joint initiatives.
More information:International cooperation with Jordan