On 23 June 2016, research and innovation stakeholders from across the Danube region met in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, to continue the Danube-INCO.NET policy dialogue launched in July 2014. Its main aim is to make progress towards the goals of the European Research Area (ERA) and the Innovation Union (IU) of the Europe 2020 strategy particularly in non-EU Danube countries. The recommendations are now published, intended to inspire policy-makers and science managers in stepping up the effectiveness and efficiency of the research and innovation system by considering the introduction of performance-based funding mechanisms.
A discussion paper had been prepared prior to the workshop, describing the context and current state-of-play in the topic area, thus providing a common point of departure for the workshop.
The event was co-organised by the Center of International Projects of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and the Project Management Agency of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Background:
The workshop in Chisinau was the third and last in a series of three events in the context of the Danube-INCO.NET policy dialogue, focusing on specific commitments and priorities of the Innovation Union and the European Research Area. The workshops were held in different non - EU Member States, namely Serbia, Ukraine and Moldova.
Each workshop focused on a coherent set of topics that have been identified as priority subject for the partners involved in the task, and that are of particular relevance for the host country.
The first workshop in Belgrade focused on “Optimal transnational co-operation and competition: Jointly addressing grand challenges” (ERA Priority 2), including co-operation through the “Joint establishment, operation and transnational use of national and European research infrastructures” (IU Commitment 5). The topic involves efforts to implementing joint research agendas addressing grand challenges, sharing information about activities in common priority areas and ensuring that adequate national funding is committed and mutually interoperable.
The second workshop in Kiev aimed at fostering the participation of Danube region stakeholders in Horizon 2020 (IU commitment 6) with a special focus on the access of SMEs to R&I Programmes (IU commitment 7). The recommendations include actions to advance policy influence on the programming processes of Horizon 2020, structural considerations providing scope for setting-up effective national support systems for potential applicants (National Contact Points - NCPs) and governance aspects mobilizing R&I actors to participate in Horizon 2020 hence increasing national R&I performance, supporting a competitive economy and maximizing the positive impacts on the
society.
A report on the whole policy dialogue will be published by the end of 2016.
More Information: Danube-INCO.NET
