Supporting an EU-Mexico S&T collaboration
As part of the 1997 global agreement between Mexico and EU Member States, the two regions aimed to strengthen cooperation in the field of S&T. In 2004, a Scientific and Technological Cooperation agreement was drawn up and signed to encourage and facilitate collaborative activities. One of the first actions taken under this agreement was the Bureau for EU-Mexican S&T Cooperation, which aimed to take full advantage of existing EU S&T programmes. At the same time, it highlighted the challenges and difficulties in implementing such collaborations. The 'Bureau for EU-Mexican science and technology cooperation step II' (Uemexcyt II) project aimed to address these issues and extend support to the partnership between Europe and Mexico. To this end, the activities of the project concentrated on consolidating the dialogue between the major stakeholders in the two regions. The objectives of Uemexcyt II also included raising awareness about the last opportunity for collaboration within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). This was intended to improve the participation of Mexican researchers in FP7-funded projects, and consolidation of Mexican FP7 contacts. One of the most relevant actions to strengthen the cooperation was the KBBE Biodiversity 'Partnering Initiative' published in July 2012. Partners organised a fact-finding mission with the assistance and participation of experts from Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom. Further means of promoting collaboration between Europe and Mexico included a thematic mailing list for identifying the research interests among future collaborators. Implementation of a travel grant scheme was also designed to support researcher mobility and the development of competitive consortia that could apply for FP7 projects. The Uemexcyt II project is expected to benefit the research and technology field in Mexico through the development of international networks. These networks will ensure increased cooperation, knowledge and participation in FP7‐funded projects. It will also open up new avenues for receiving EU funding during the Horizon 2020 programme.
