Bridging EU-Central America S&T research
The project 'Enhancing scientific cooperation between the European Union and Central America' (ENLACE) was funded under the Specific Programme Capacities, 'Activities of International Cooperation' theme, of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-INCO). Comprised of eight CA and six EU partners, the consortium's primary goal was to improve on development of the Euro-CA research area and establish bi-regional dialogue. One objective was to promote and structure the participation of third countries in FP7 activities. Another was to promote regional integration. The third objective was to facilitate the uptake of common identified research areas as well as monitor performance and impacts of international S&T cooperation across FP7 Specific Programmes. Activities included policy dialogue meetings between stakeholders in both regions, and training activities for networking, support and raising awareness. These efforts helped to establish a network of FP7 National Contact Points (NCPs) in CA, with a total of 29 NCPs being appointed. Expert dialogues involved more than 600 participants and 10 individuals took part in 2 staff exchanges. Travel grants were awarded to 34 individuals: 27 from CA countries and 7 from Europe. Training events reached over 100 participants, as did 2 innovation seminars. Dissemination activities included an FP7 adventure roadshow. This included five events in CA countries and a final one in the EU, giving ENLACE widespread visibility to a broad audience at all levels of each region's scientific communities. The project resulted in 26 publications, available through the website. The project also highlighted needs and future views on its area of focus, generating a wealth of information on data analysis, research indicators, private sector issues and sustainability measures. Overall, ENLACE achieved its goal of enhancing networking among CA and EU researchers. It realised major impact on S&T dialogue by identifying common gaps, highlighting different perceptions of various concepts and producing sound knowledge exchange.
Keywords
Central America, bi-regional dialogue, science and technology, scientific cooperation, international cooperation
