Presented during the Ministerial Round Table on Science and Higher Education. From Bilateral to pan-European Cooperation held over 21-22 May 2010 in Tirana, Albania

1. Round Table
Strengthening scientific research and higher
Education
The importance of Research Cooperation with
WBCs.
Tirana, 21 May 2010 Tania Friederichs
DG Research
European Commission
tania.friederichs@ec.europa.eu

2. Importance of Research
General
• Need to increase research capacity: in support of
economic development; quality of life and well being of
citizens
• Research and Innovation at core of “Europe 2020”strategy
• Research necessary to address common challenges/find
common solutions
• Strategy also valid for wider Europe
• WBC - EU perspective: research facilitates integration into
EU

3. Importance of
Cross border cooperation
• Research no longer done in isolation: need to cooperate at all levels:
national; regional; EU; international
• Cross border cooperation: increase transfer of knowledge and
improve scientific basis
• Allows for best practices and comparison
• Necessary to join forces: share experience and scientists and
equipment
• Science has no borders: need to rely on best scientists wherever in
the world
• Regional dimension: relevant (same language/problems)

4. Research
at EU level
• Research and Innovation on political agenda:
2020 strategy
• How: policy measures and funding
• Policy mix: involve all stakeholders (public and
private/business)
• Cross-cutting policy: education, fiscal, digital
agenda; industry; IPR; Innovation; SMEs…

5. How
• European research Area (ERA)
• Instrument/funding: FP7
• Joint Programming: by MS on specific research
themes
• ERA open to world → strategy for cooperation

6. ERA
• Avoid fragmentation
• Create critical mass: compete with other major partners (US, China,
Brazil, Japan);
• Fifth Freedom: free flow of knowledge and researchers
• Ljubljana process: governance (administrative capacity)
• 5 building blocks:
• Single labour market for resarchers (Steering Group
on Human Resources and Mobility)
• World-class research infrastructures (European
Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure)
• Coordination and joint programming (GPC)
• Effective knowledge sharing (CREST w/g)
• Opening of the ERA to the world (SFIC)

7. FP7
• Framework for 2007-2013
• budget: 50 billion euro
• 4 Specific Programmes:
– Cooperation (collaborative research/ 10 themes)
– IDEAS (European Research Council)
– People (Marie Curie Actions)
– Capacities (Support for research capacity)
• Based on calls for proposals/evaluations/selection
• Always cross border element; always added value
for EU

8. FP7 participants
• Member States (27)
• Third countries associated to FP7 (13):
• EEA: Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein
• Enlargement countries: all WBCs and Turkey
• S&T agreements: Switzerland, Israel, Faroe
Islands
• Other third countries:
• Industrial countries: US; Japan, NZ, Gulf States
• ICPC partners: Mediterranean, Africa, South
America, Kosovo (UN 1244), etc.

9. Associated countries
• Same research opportunities as MS:
- eligible for all calls and instruments
- fulfil minimum requirement (3 participants MS/AC)
- no dedicated calls
- eligible for research potential (convergence regions)
• Participate as observer in Programme Committee:
- well informed about Work Programmes
- possibility to network with MS and other AC
• Invited to participate in ERA governance bodies:
- becoming familiar with EU research policy
- share best practices

10. WBC Strategy
• “Doors ERA wide open to WBC” (Potočnik, Vienna,
June 26, 2006)
• 3 pillars:
(1) Engage together in research cooperation: association
to FP7; observer CREST and ERA bodies;
(2) How improve research capacity:
a) human capital and infrastructure
b) design S&T strategy
(3) Create synergies with other instruments &
stakeholders: IPA, RCC,COST, EUREKA, UNESCO
10

11. (1) Research cooperation
• Since 1 January 2009: all WBCs
associated to FP7
• Kosovo UN 1244: ICPC partner (eligible
for funding)
• Increased research opportunities since
association
• Also consider other options
(bilateral/regional/multilateral)

12. (2) Research capacity
• Human capital and Infrastructure: important
• But post war situation: very weak; IMF
recommendations; financial crisis
• Support for capacity building at EU level: limited
→ ownership
• Put research on national research agenda:
design S&T strategy
• Prepare for EU accession

13. (3) Synergy
• With other stakeholders and programmes
• Bilateral: Norway; neighbours; Turkey
• COST; Eureka; NATO
• UNESCO, OECD, World Bank
• RCC
• Programmes: IPA, CIP
13

14. WBC Steering Platform
• Launched in June 2006 in Vienna
• Supported by FP7 WBC.Inco.Net project
• Bringing EU MS and WBCs together
• Open to AC: Turkey; Norway,
Switzerland
• Ad hoc members: Cost; Eureka, RCC
• Share information and join efforts
• Create synergies
14

15. Regional dimension
• Regional: same problems; background; need for
common solutions
• Small Region: need to cooperate
• Role of RCC: Sarajevo Ministerial declaration
April 2009
• Regional initiatives: Technology Fund; Centre
of excellence?
15

16. Some remarks
• Important to focus on research fields/areas
• Engage more in research collaboration
• Implement/follow-up National S&T strategies
• Use more IPA for research
16

17. Thank you for attention!!