Jordan inches closer to the European Research Area Jordan's National Centre for Research and Development (NCRD) has formed stronger ties with EU stakeholders to enhance research and development (R&D) in fields such as renewable energy. Energy © Thinkstock Jordan is a relative bastion of peace in a volatile Middle East, and has been slowly but surely enhancing its research potential over the last few years. The NCRD has shined in this respect, focusing on areas such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, energy and socioeconomic development. Against this backdrop, the EU-funded project J-ERACENTER (The National Centre for Research and Development (NCRD) as a centre of excellence for EU-Jordan S&T cooperation: Towards Jordan's integration into ERA) sought to bring the country closer to the European Research Area (ERA). By strengthening the capabilities and organisation of the NCRD, the project worked on enabling the Centre to increase its participation in European projects, particularly in the field of renewable energy. Specifically, the project enhanced the Centre's R&D capabilities on a global scale by training its staff and researchers to spread knowledge on the topic nationwide. It established connections between the NCRD and EU players in the sector in the form of R&D projects, supported by easier researcher mobility and partnership events. The project team also worked on furthering the Centre's competitiveness on a global level, empowering it to deal with the country's socioeconomic issues in a more efficient manner. This involved topics such as international visibility and collaboration, intellectual property and strategies for enhanced competitiveness. The team also launched an R&D Cooperation Unit to further the Centre's aims. Positioning the NCRD as a centre of excellence for EU-Jordan collaboration in R&D also took place through several seminars, networking events and info-days. Jordan's budding renewable energy sector will surely benefit from the results of the project, and so will the ERA. Keywords Renewable energy, Middle East, nanotechnology, biotechnology, socioeconomic development
