7th EU–Jordan Joint Science & Technology Cooperation Committee Meeting
The 7th EU–Jordan Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) Meeting was held in person in Amman on 22 May 2025.
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.
The JSTCC followed the EU–Jordan Sub-Committee on Research & Innovation, held earlier that day and led by the European External Action Service. This sequence allowed for a comprehensive exchange of policy updates and an in-depth review of Jordan’s participation in EU Research and Innovation (R&I) frameworks.
A key topic of discussion was the relatively low participation of Jordanian R&I entities in the Horizon Europe programme, despite the clear potential of Jordan’s R&I ecosystem. The Jordanian delegation presented recent updates to national science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies, ongoing institutional reforms, and new strategic R&D initiatives. They welcomed proposals to enhance participation, including strengthening the role and capacity of Horizon Europe National Contact Points, promoting researcher mobility, and supporting capacity-building and institutional cooperation. Plans were also made to explore additional joint initiatives, such as targeted info days with EU Member States and tailored capacity-building activities.
On the regional chapter, the EU praised Jordan’s active and constructive role as co-chair the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Platform on R&I alongside the EU. The next UfM meeting is scheduled for October 2025 in Brussels.
Several initiatives are underway to implement the priorities set out in the 2022 UfM Ministerial on R&I. These include the launch of a Mediterranean Initiative I and II under Horizon Europe, as well as innovation-focused activities, such as the upcoming UE Africa and MED innovation fair. This event will showcase R&I results with market potential, bringing together over 500 R&I stakeholders in Brussels on 23 October 2025.
Both parties welcomed Jordan’s strong 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 also highlighted the strategic role of SESAME—the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East— as a key regional science diplomacy initiative hosted in Jordan, fostering peace and international scientific collaboration.
In the closing session, the co-chairs summarized the main outcomes of the meeting and reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening cooperation through Horizon Europe and other mechanisms, emphasizing that STI collaboration remains a cornerstone of the EU–Jordan strategic partnership.
The EU reiterated its view of Jordan as a stable and important partner in the region, noting that scientific cooperation often endures even when political dialogue is strained.
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International co-operation with Jordan
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