search

To leave and return… When Charles Betz, who grew up in Luxembourg City, left the country to continue his studies in molecular biology abroad, his idea was to pursue an international academic career. His first destination was Switzerland. “In general, Luxembourgers who study abroad go where there are other compatriots and stay within this group. I did not want that, and this is why I chose Basel which is very similar to Luxembourg and has a very pleasant quality of life.”

At the University of Basel, Charles obtained his Master’s degree and then a scholarship for a position as researcher in Boston. “This was a great experience. I could have continued working in the same field in London, but the best experts in the world were in Basel so I went back to finish my PhD.”

He then chose to work in one of the university’s laboratories where he studied blood system development by working on zebrafish. Meanwhile, after becoming a father he was looking for more stability as research was covered by fixed term contracts. Reconnected with Luxembourg through one of his acquaintances working at the University of Luxembourg, Charles was finally persuaded to try his luck within Luxinnovation’s European finance team.

“I hardly knew the agency at the time, but the more I checked it out the more I liked what it was doing. In my daily work, my background in research is very valuable for better defining companies’ needs. At the same time, I learnt a lot about project management, and I realise that this would have been very useful in my career as a researcher!”

Having joined the agency in 2017, he also participates in preparatory meetings for Horizon 2020 projects in Brussels where he can influence certain discussions in line with the expectations of the Luxembourg organisations that he represents. “This gives you a 360-degree vision and enables you to pass on information in both directions.”

This article was originally published in Luxinnovation’s Annual Report 2018.

Read more

Innovation and research: The impact of EU-funded projects

20-02-2024

A report highlights the significant contribution of the EU’s 2014-2020 funding programme Horizon 2020 to implementing EU policies and addressing societal needs.
Read more

Call for proposals: Deployment actions in the field of cybersecurity

26-01-2024

If you are working on cybersecurity and are looking for your next European-funded project, you can benefit from grants under the Digital Europe programme. The current call for proposals on deployment actions in the area of cybersecurity (DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-06) covers several topics. Applications close in March 2024.
Read more

The Pathways2Resilience first call for applicants is now open

09-01-2024

Pathways2Resilience is a flagship project under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change as it aims to support at least 100 European regions and communities to co-design locally led resilience pathways.
Read more

Europe’s Rail call for proposals 2023 open

19-12-2023

Projects worth €21,2 million are expected to be funded under the Europe’s Rail call for proposals 2023 covering Flagship Area 1, dedicated to network management planning and control, mobility management in a multimodal environment and digital enablers, as well as Destination 8, answering to exploratory research and other activities. The application period is open until 7 February 2024 at 17:00 CET.
Read more

EIC Work Programme 2024 officially adopted

14-12-2023

The European Commission has just adopted the 2024 Work Programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC), Europe’s flagship programme to identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations.
Read more

Resources all news

Fermer