EU research with a Latin twist
In the past two decades, exchanges in research and technology between Latin America and the EU have blossomed. Of special interest in Latin America is Brazil, which is the largest country in Latin America, and Cuba, which boasts significant research capabilities despite its challenging political structure. The EU-funded project 'Promoting and reinforcing international RTD cooperation between Europe and Brazil and Cuba' (Prominence) strengthened scientific cooperation among these three entities in ways that would benefit all players. The project analysed previous projects and experiences conducted in Brazil and Cuba to identify key areas of cooperation and barriers involved. It encouraged best practices and circulated success stories related to collaboration in order to bring aboard new partners in an EU context. In addition, Prominence highlighted the many cooperation opportunities and possible partnerships between European researchers and the two Latin nations. It established an infrastructure in both Brazil and Cuba to support these researchers and scientists in joining EU-funded research projects over the long term. One of the project's most important achievements was a study on the obstacles and benefits that Latin partners usually gain from participation in European projects. Another is a series of seminars in both Brazil and Cuba that raised awareness on EU project opportunities and matchmaking, arming potential partners with the right skills for joint initiatives. Lastly, local facilitators were trained in Europe to become EU liaison officers in their institutions, a step which is bound to lead to long-lasting cooperation initiatives for decades to come.
