Eastern Partnership countries secure clean energy research
The EU-funded NOGAP(opens in new window) (Knowledge transfer community to bridge the gap between research, innovation and business creation) project strengthened cooperation with Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries to realise a 'Common Knowledge and Innovation Space' for the challenge of secure, clean and efficient energy. It brought together 13 organisations from Germany, Romania and Slovakia, along with EaP members Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. Among the project's outcomes is a list of more than 370 stakeholders in the six EaP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). A survey among more than 120 stakeholders identified concrete opportunities and bottlenecks in the areas of interest, giving rise as well to a best practices methodology. In addition, an analysis of existing and planned energy policy strategies relevant to the particular challenge earmarked primary goals and strategies targeting secure, clean and efficient energy. Eleven training sessions took place in Tbilisi (Georgia), Minsk (Belarus) and Kiev (Ukraine). In total, three different training types were offered: workshops for SMEs, researchers and multiplicators. The team also made progress towards realising a networking support members list that includes, amongst others, active trainees. The integration of the NoGAP website as a special area into the IncrEAST website saved money and improved connectivity with other projects in the region. This also helped create awareness of the project and its activities. Flyers and several handbooks are available in English and in Russian, while several press releases and newsletters have been published. Thanks to intense twinning sessions, many technology offers, technology requests and expressions of interest were generated. These can be monitored for useful information significant to the EU EaP as well as for creating business-research cooperation potentials. NOGAP contributed to EU goals to maintain a global leading role and establish strategic partnerships with third countries in selected fields of science. It helped to provide better access to research and jointly addresses specific problems that neighbouring third countries face. In effect, the project developed a 'Common Knowledge and Innovation Space', leading to better alignment with international cooperation priorities involving industry, universities and research organisations. In parallel, NOGAP brought EaP countries closer to Joint Programming Initiatives, European Platforms and European Innovation Partnerships. Lastly, the project represented a powerful tool to bridge the gap between research and innovation, bringing countries involved closer to the European Research Area (ERA) than ever before.