Bringing New Zealand closer to the EU
With its strong European heritage, New Zealand has built solid ties with the United Kingdom and more recently with other EU nations through different treaties and agreements for enhanced collaboration. The EU-funded project 'Opportunities for access of European researchers to the New Zealand research system' (ACCESS4EU:NZ) sought to strengthen this relationship in the field of scientific research. Under the EU's ACCESS4.EU global initiative, the project worked on highlighting opportunities for European researchers in New Zealand's national research and innovation programmes. It also supported meetings of the Joint Science and Technology Committee between the EU and New Zealand, encouraging bilateral collaboration initiatives in science and technology. Moreover, the project helped facilitate access for researchers from the EU and Associated Member States to New Zealand's publicly funded research and innovation programmes. To achieve its aims, the project team mapped access to research and development opportunities in New Zealand, identifying funding schemes, highlighting areas of strength and documenting prospective partners from the country. It then disseminated the information to a wide stakeholder base in the EU, in addition to building EU–New Zealand researcher connections via workshops and networking events. Dissemination was supported by a research, technology, development and industry database on the ACCESS4.EU website, as well as through newsletters, print material and various online initiatives. A key part of the project involved monitoring and feedback activities, such as conducting surveys on numbers of research collaboration initiatives between EU countries and New Zealand. The implications of these partnerships on policy dialogue were then examined. The project team also elaborated training packages and workshops to help Europeans link with New Zealand businesses and projects, in addition to publishing calls for bilateral projects online. Several industries and sectors in New Zealand, such as energy, environment, manufacturing and health, could benefit from stronger collaboration with the EU while providing European partners with opportunities for growth. The economies on both sides of the globe are set to gain from this new platform for research exchange and collaboration.
