Better EU-China collaboration
China dominates world manufacturing, while also spending more than any other country on research. The EU has a strong incentive to collaborate with Chinese partners, and has been developing collaboration since 1998. The EU-funded DRAGON-STAR (Dragon - Sustaining technology and research (EU-China collaboration)) project supported Euro-Chinese collaborations. The consortium enhanced the quality of Chinese participation in European Framework Programmes, while supporting bilateral cooperation and reciprocity in research and innovation. Such work built on two previous Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) projects (BILAT-SLIK and ACCESSCHINA4EU). Project representatives established stable collaborations among all major stakeholders in China and Europe. The team maintained relations with other EU-funded projects, and organised joint events with various permanent EU agencies in China. The list includes the EU Delegation in China, the Directorate-General for Research, the Directorate-General for Agriculture and EURAXESS LINKS China. Similar cooperation was established among the European Commission, EU Member States and various Chinese organisations. Major achievements include the organisation of several activities promoting Horizon 2020 and the establishment of a helpdesk. DRAGON-STAR also implemented a network of Regional Contact Points in China, intended to publicise the project. Project participants established a database detailing Chinese funding opportunities for European researchers. Other work included an exercise to map the main joint laboratories in China, conducted in cooperation with the EU Delegation in China and EURAXESS. The project team studied the feasibility of creating joint research structures in China, and analysed the Chinese innovation ecosystem and its likely future. The report examined incentives and obstacles affecting exploitation of research results. Researchers examined China's scientific state of the art, focusing on the fields of water security and urban agriculture. DRAGON-STAR implemented a travel grants scheme, providing support for European organisations intending to explore opportunities in China. Finally, the project created a handbook detailing Chinese industrial support services for European small and medium-sized enterprises. The project's work means increased levels and quality of collaboration between Chinese and European organisations.
Keywords
China, collaboration, research, DRAGON-STAR, technology, innovation, agriculture