EU Research and Innovation cooperation with EaP countries

1. EU Research and Innovation cooperation with EaP countries IGLO Open Brussels, 3 February2015 Thierry Devars European Commission DG Research and Innovation thierry.devars@ec.europa.eu

2. Differences in terms of size, population, resources, stage of economic and institutional development + relations vis à vis EU and Russia • S&T landscape: • same tradition of S&T excellence; same difficulties (scarcity of funding, brain drain/ human capital issues, centralised systems,…) • different levels of modernisation efforts, policy reforms + framework conditions for innovation, private sector involvement and development

3. Policy Framework - Common Knowledge and Innovation Space (CKIS)= key priority of the European Neighbourhood Policy (Warsaw EaP Summit, 09/2011) • New EU international cooperation strategy in research and innovation (COM O9/2012): facilitate the integration of ENP countries into the ERA • Lithuanian Presidency Conference EEAP 2013, (Vilnius 09/2013) • Outcome of the 3rd EaP Summit (Vilnius, 11/2013): differentiation/more-for-more principle • Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine; 06/2014)

4. Building-up on previous initiatives • Results from several platforms to promote regional cooperation: INCONET EECA (White paper); INCONET CA/SC; BS-ERA-NET, … • Outcome of policy stakeholders conferences; mapping activities; scientific workshops • Experience from technical assistance programmes, TAIEX missions, Twinning activities + Bilateral EU MSs programmes • FP7 results

5. FP7 2007-2013 Eastern Partnership countries (EaP) Total of 535participations in 427FP7 projects Participation Projects -

6. 2007-2013 FP7 financial aspects

7. FP7 2007-2013 Cooperation + Capacities + Euratom : Stakeholders from 85 countries in projects including EaP partners Total of 3171 participations

8. 2007-2013 FP7 SP cooperation 217 participations in 126 projects

9. 2007-2013 FP7 SP cooperation

10. Issues • - Need to further increase application/ success rate • Low industry (and SMEs in particular) participation • Lack of coherence between identified potential and actual thematic participation : need for more strategic and focused approach and promotion activities Cooperation based on mutual interests: mapping strategies and strengths in Horizon 2020

11. Participation+success rate : ERA-WIDE projects (2012-2015) • Twinnings between leading EaP research organisations and several peers in Europe • Definition of a joint cooperation strategy • Training, staff exchanges, joint experiments • Promotion activities, workshops • Examples : IPERA (Institute for Physical Research, NAS Armenia); SENS-ERA (Georgian Technical University); NANOTWINNING (Institute of Physics, Ukraine)

12. Industry involvement : R2I projects (2014-2016) • Based on the ERA-WIDE twinning model, regional scope • Network different actors of the knowledge value chain : research-industry partnerships • Focus on a single challenge • Identify concrete opportunities /bottlenecks related to knowledge transfer and exploitation • Capacity-building, staff mobility schemes, innovation vouchers • Provision of actual innovation support services

13. EaP R2I cluster: 6 regional projects Agri-food & Forest and wood Security Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources InnoverEast

14. Strategic approach: BILAT/INCONET (2013-2015) - Bilateral level: BILAT UKR*AINA + promotion of bilateral cooperation with Ukraine (S&T Agreement) + supports Joint S&T Cooperation Committee + 4 joint priorities : new materials, biotechnology, health, transport (aeronautics) - Regional level: INCONET EaP + reference coordination platform for mobilizing stakeholders on the ground (e.g. H2020 opportunities) + specific focus on energy, climate change, health + synergies (Black Sea, Danube, Central Asia..) + direct support to the Panel implementation - New BILAT + New INCONET expected out of 2015 Call (2016-2018)

15. Strategic approach: new EaP R&I Panel - Research and Innovation Panel implemented through the EaP Platform 4 + launch of a bi-regional policy dialogue gathering officials and experts from EU Member States and the 6 EaP countries + co-ownership, mutual interests + definition of a regional cooperation roadmap + 2 Panel meetings 13/11/2013; 21/05/2014 : elaboration of a joint strategy to boost the cooperation Next meeting: 26 March 2015, Brussels

16. EaP R&I Panel: joint roadmap - 3 priority challenges for collaborative R&I activities: health; energy; climate/environment + particular focus on ICT and nanotechnologies • 4 cross-cutting priorities to improve framework conditions for cooperation: • Sharing best practices on R&I management +regional evaluation platform • Technical assistance/training to improve national R&I systems • Mobility of researchers + research infrastructures (regional network of Centres of Excellence) • Promoting EaP participation in EU clusters and technology platforms, PPPs

17. E@P.Connect: regionalinterconnectionwith GEANT • launch: 4th EaPSummit in Riga, May 2015 • 1st phase: 13M€, 3 years http://www.geant.net

18. Bilateral/Regional level: differentiation Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs): Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine Protocols covering participation to EU programmes: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine Association to Horizon 2020(Art 7 of the programme regulation) • Moldova: Associated to FP7 (2012-2013); Association to H2020 effective since January 2014 • Ukraine: bilateral S&T Agreement; negotiation on association to H2020 concluded, Association to be signed on 20 March 2015, Ukrainian entities can already participate in 2015 calls with an associated country status • Armenia: 1st negotiation meeting planned on 10 February 2015 • Georgia: request for Association to H2020 positively assessed, negotiations also expected in February 2015

19. Get involved! Find out more: www.ec.europa/research/horizon2020