Periodic Reporting for period 2 - POLICY ANSWERS (R&I POLICY making, implementation ANd Support in the WEsteRn BalkanS)
Período documentado: 2023-09-01 hasta 2025-02-28
POLICY ANSWERS facilitates policy dialogue among the European Commission, EU Member States, and the Western Balkans (WB), primarily focusing on Research and Innovation (R&I), and additionally encompassing Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports.
Key priorities of the European Union (EU) include integrating the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) into the European Research Area (ERA) to promote stability, prosperity, and strengthen the region's European perspective.
The main objectives of POLICY ANSWERS are to monitor and support the policy coordination between the EU-WB cooperation and coordination, to support the WB in strengthening their potential for successful participation in regional and multilateral R&I activities, to promote regional cooperation and to support networking and access to information.
POLICY ANSWERS addresses these objectives through targeted project activities:
1) Organising policy dialogue events, i.e. Ministerial and Steering Platform meetings; ad-hoc policy coordination meetings (reflected in WP1).
2) Carrying out analytical activities such as mapping of relevant institutions, programmes, initiatives, needs and common priorities in the WB; monitoring ongoing activities related to the implementation of the WB Agenda and to progress made related to ERA integration; providing recommendations for policy making and agenda setting e.g. through foresight activities and policy briefs (WP2).
3) Providing and coordinating capacity building and pilot actions in the WB to contribute to the region’s EU integration process and to strengthen their innovation ecosystems (WP3).
4) Designing informed policy recommendations to decision makers in the region in the areas of R&I, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in addressing the EU’s key priorities such as digitalisation, green economy, health, and aligning them (WP4).
5) Implementing regional pilot activities, which reach out directly to academia, industry and civil society, creating new initiatives and initiating success stories at programme level: Western Balkans Mobility Scheme, Western Balkans Innovation Vouchers, Western Balkans R&I Youth Award, Western Balkans Research Infrastructure Ambassadors, Western Balkans Research and Innovation Academy (WP5).
6) Providing strategic communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement through coordinated media relations, multimedia production, infographics, inclusive policy promotion, and management of the Western Balkans Information Hub to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration among EU and Western Balkans stakeholders (WP6).
These objectives are achieved with professional project management, quality assurance and active stakeholder engagement (WP7).
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Key priorities of the European Union (EU) include integrating the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) into the European Research Area (ERA) to promote stability, prosperity, and strengthen the region's European perspective.
The main objectives of POLICY ANSWERS are to monitor and support the policy coordination between the EU-WB cooperation and coordination, to support the WB in strengthening their potential for successful participation in regional and multilateral R&I activities, to promote regional cooperation and to support networking and access to information.
POLICY ANSWERS addresses these objectives through targeted project activities:
1) Organising policy dialogue events, i.e. Ministerial and Steering Platform meetings; ad-hoc policy coordination meetings (reflected in WP1).
2) Carrying out analytical activities such as mapping of relevant institutions, programmes, initiatives, needs and common priorities in the WB; monitoring ongoing activities related to the implementation of the WB Agenda and to progress made related to ERA integration; providing recommendations for policy making and agenda setting e.g. through foresight activities and policy briefs (WP2).
3) Providing and coordinating capacity building and pilot actions in the WB to contribute to the region’s EU integration process and to strengthen their innovation ecosystems (WP3).
4) Designing informed policy recommendations to decision makers in the region in the areas of R&I, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in addressing the EU’s key priorities such as digitalisation, green economy, health, and aligning them (WP4).
5) Implementing regional pilot activities, which reach out directly to academia, industry and civil society, creating new initiatives and initiating success stories at programme level: Western Balkans Mobility Scheme, Western Balkans Innovation Vouchers, Western Balkans R&I Youth Award, Western Balkans Research Infrastructure Ambassadors, Western Balkans Research and Innovation Academy (WP5).
6) Providing strategic communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement through coordinated media relations, multimedia production, infographics, inclusive policy promotion, and management of the Western Balkans Information Hub to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration among EU and Western Balkans stakeholders (WP6).
These objectives are achieved with professional project management, quality assurance and active stakeholder engagement (WP7).
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
In the second reporting period, POLICY ANSWERS organised multiple strategic meetings in Skopje throughout 2023 and 2024. Although the planned 2023 ministerial meeting was cancelled by decision of the European Commission, the subsequent ministerial meeting held in autumn 2024 proved successful. Additionally, policy dialogue activities (WP1) included four virtual and one physical Steering Platform meetings.
POLICY ANSWERS advanced analytical activities (WP2), including stakeholder mapping, assessment of the Western Balkans' integration into the European Research Area (ERA), and evaluation of the WB Agenda's implementation across key sectors. A foresight workshop was also organised alongside the ministerial meeting in Skopje.
Capacity-building activities (WP3) were extensively implemented, based on a harmonised methodology co-designed with stakeholders to address the needs identified within the WB Agenda. Tailored programmes were updated by each economy, encompassing over 35 events related to technical assistance for policy development, EU programme participation, targeted support for universities and technology transfer, specific support for the business sector and general training sessions addressing circular economy, blue growth, and healthy societies.
The consortium prioritised alignment of regional priorities with EU strategies on digital transformation, green transition, and health (WP4). A flagship conference held on 13 September 2023 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside several bilateral meetings with EU Partnerships and stakeholders from the quadruple helix, resulted in targeted policy recommendations and briefs. Additionally, nine webinars explored alignment tools including EU Missions, Partnerships, and Smart Specialisation strategies.
Following detailed planning, POLICY ANSWERS successfully launched key regional pilot initiatives (WP5), such as the Western Balkans Mobility Scheme, the Western Balkans Innovation Vouchers, R&I Youth Awards, and the Regional Innovation Academy. A workshop focusing on research infrastructures was conducted in Sarajevo as well as another event discussing researcher mobility in the region. Additionally, educational materials for the Regional Innovation Academy were gathered and evaluated during this period.
Strategic dissemination and stakeholder engagement were strengthened through comprehensive communication activities (WP6), including the relaunch and maintenance of the Western Balkans Info Hub, regular newsletters, multimedia production, and coordinated media outreach efforts in collaboration with project partners through a dedicated Communication Committee.
The project maintained high standards of quality assurance and stakeholder involvement, organising 18 regular monthly online team meetings and an advisory board session (WP7).
POLICY ANSWERS advanced analytical activities (WP2), including stakeholder mapping, assessment of the Western Balkans' integration into the European Research Area (ERA), and evaluation of the WB Agenda's implementation across key sectors. A foresight workshop was also organised alongside the ministerial meeting in Skopje.
Capacity-building activities (WP3) were extensively implemented, based on a harmonised methodology co-designed with stakeholders to address the needs identified within the WB Agenda. Tailored programmes were updated by each economy, encompassing over 35 events related to technical assistance for policy development, EU programme participation, targeted support for universities and technology transfer, specific support for the business sector and general training sessions addressing circular economy, blue growth, and healthy societies.
The consortium prioritised alignment of regional priorities with EU strategies on digital transformation, green transition, and health (WP4). A flagship conference held on 13 September 2023 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside several bilateral meetings with EU Partnerships and stakeholders from the quadruple helix, resulted in targeted policy recommendations and briefs. Additionally, nine webinars explored alignment tools including EU Missions, Partnerships, and Smart Specialisation strategies.
Following detailed planning, POLICY ANSWERS successfully launched key regional pilot initiatives (WP5), such as the Western Balkans Mobility Scheme, the Western Balkans Innovation Vouchers, R&I Youth Awards, and the Regional Innovation Academy. A workshop focusing on research infrastructures was conducted in Sarajevo as well as another event discussing researcher mobility in the region. Additionally, educational materials for the Regional Innovation Academy were gathered and evaluated during this period.
Strategic dissemination and stakeholder engagement were strengthened through comprehensive communication activities (WP6), including the relaunch and maintenance of the Western Balkans Info Hub, regular newsletters, multimedia production, and coordinated media outreach efforts in collaboration with project partners through a dedicated Communication Committee.
The project maintained high standards of quality assurance and stakeholder involvement, organising 18 regular monthly online team meetings and an advisory board session (WP7).
POLICY ANSWERS is ambitious, and impacts are created on the level of the individual economies (e.g. through capacity building measures), the region (e.g. through policy dialogue and pilot activities) and between the region and the EU initiatives (e.g. missions, partnerships, etc.).