Collaborative research EU - MERCOSUR takes shape The political impetus for the creation of a programme with the sole aim of bringing together universities and industry from the EU and MERCOSUR countries has been set in motion. Great benefits are expected to be gained on both sides. Industrial Technologies © Shutterstock There is currently much interest in consolidating research programmes between MERCOSUR (the Southern American Common Market) countries and the EU. An analysis, part of the UNIND-LAM project funded by the European Commission organised meetings on identification of useful indicators in order to define possible future policies to bolster co-operation between EU and MERCOSUR. The main objective was to build University-Industry relationships. By putting in place the foundations for an initiative of this type it was hoped that this plan would be incorporated into future programmes. The research group involved in this study put forward its recommendations regarding the conditions for such an organisation to come to fruition. Network studies have shown that such a venture would benefit concrete sectors and sub-sectors and have a great impact not only in science, technology and innovation, but also on the economy and business. The venture must set as a priority the generation of results that can be utilised in production and which benefit civil society. Education and training, and mobility of researchers, must be at the core of the objectives of such a programme. Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of incorporating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the project at every level. Prospective studies were sketched out and it was discussed that they should be loosely based around market studies, feasibility studies, and demonstration and pilot projects. The themes it should target are: materials of scientific-technological interest, Information Society, Agro-industry, Renewable Energies, Environment, Biotechnology and Cultural Heritage. Great emphasis should be placed on best practices. Finally, it was stressed that this possible programme EU - MERCOSUR, must be extended to the rest of Latin America, but distinguish and allow for differences across countries depending on their stage of development in relation to science, technology, innovation and industrial capacities.
