Project description
Bringing Western Balkan research and innovation into the future
While Western Balkan countries (WBCs) have demonstrated improved research and innovation (R&I) capacities, there is still progress to be made to meet the rest of the EU on equal terms. The EU-funded WBC-RRI.NET project aims to boost R&I in the WBCs by adopting a sustainable development framework based on responsible research and innovation principles at local level. This initiative will help enhance R&I planning, including smart specialisation strategies in the WBCs, and foster strong socioeconomic development while informing R&I policy and enabling the region to address its needs. At the end of the project, it will have sparked open dialogue, created a regional network and helped the WBCs to contribute to the goal of a single, borderless European Research Area.
Objective
Although Western Balkan countries (WBCs) have improved in terms of R&I performance, research and innovation efforts should be further enhanced for bridging the remaining ‘gap’ with the rest European regions. RRI principles can act as enablers for the sustainable development of the local R&I systems, enhancing the effectiveness of R&I strategies contributing to the advancement of Western Balkan socio-economic progress in a transparent, open, and inclusive way through active participation of all quadruple helix actors.
WBC-RRI.NET aims to foster the application of RRI principles at the territorial level in five (5) Western Balkan -4 region-level and 1 country-level- R&I ecosystems and promote a multi-level steering R&I governance framework in the WBCs. RRI principles will act as enablers to the shared learning and diffusion of R&I governance innovations at territorial level, enhancing R&I planning, including S3 Strategies in the WBCs.
The project’s approach evolving through an analytical, reflective and implementation thread, will operationally address the 5 WB territories (partners represent all parts of the quadruple helix) and subsequently influence the wider WB region, by activating the embedding of RRI into their R&I ecosystems. This will be realised by RRI activities throughout the entire project (horizontal aspect), raising an active dialogue in the wider WB region and fostering the comprehension of all RRI pillars under a holistic framework based on a ‘smart directionality’ approach, offering stakeholder engagement with a focus on citizen participation. Alongside, 5 RRI ‘anchor’ initiatives (vertical aspect), as interventions touching in-depth specific RRI keys, territorial features and scientific domains, will allow RRI principles to be rooted in the territorial ecosystems leading to concrete impact to R&I territorial policies and societal regional needs. Finally, impact evaluation and dissemination activities focus on the project’s long-term sustainability.
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.5.c. - Integrate society in science and innovation issues, policies and activities in order to integrate citizens' interests and values and to increase the quality, relevance, social acceptability and sustainability of research and innovation outcomes in various fields of activity from social innovation to areas such as biotechnology and nanotechnology Main Programme
- H2020-EU.5.f. - Develop the governance for the advancement of responsible research and innovation by all stakeholders, which is sensitive to society needs and demands and promote an ethics framework for research and innovation
Call for proposal
(opens in new window) H2020-SwafS-2018-2020
See other projects for this callSub call
H2020-SwafS-2020-1
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
21000 Novi Sad
Serbia