The activities performed during the first half of the project are in line with the specific goals of NCP4Industry
1) To foster the circulation of knowledge about European policy framework, European R&I Strategic Orientations and Horizon Europe Industry related calls for proposals, one of the relevants activities in the first half of the project was to create a central document, the NCP guide for Cluster 4, and to create factsheets on important topics e.g. AI in the industrial sector and advanced materials in HE. Furthermore, trainings for NCP were organized on topics related to Cluster 4. Also the organized webinars for stakholders focused on the policy con-text of Cluster 4 Industry calls and the role of HE partnerships. Relavant activities to foster circulation of knowledge were also organized with relevant actors such as the EU partnerships Process4Planer and CleanSteel, but also in close collaboration with other Horizion Europe NCP network. In this context initiatives have been organized and promoted with EIT and EIC, to share knowledge and opportunities with the R&I communities on programmes closely related to Cluster 4 Industry.
2) To refine the NCP support services, via capacity building, mentoring, training activities, and online tools dedicated to National Contact Points, including newcomer NCPs, NCP4Industry organized trainings, materials, information to improve NCP skills, including training fro newcomers and twinning and staff exchenge schemes. In this last context a useful tool was found in the "speed-dating", a way to exchange experiences among NCPs, especially newcomers.
3) To leave no one behind, by ensuring equal access to NCPs services across the EU and outside of it, and lowering entry barriers to new applicants, with particular attention to widening countries and new potential actors, NCP4Industry aimed at providing services also for smaller countries or from countries outside of the EU. . In this context, the NCP-guide was especially written for newly appointed NCPs. Moreover the project offered in its first half twinnings and most of the training online so that NCP regardless of their location could participate. The project actions are designed to provide opportunities to the stakeholders to initiate and improve their participation in Cluster 4 Industry calls: direct support to applications (initiating and completing consortia via brokerage events, refining the project scope via project idea check and improving the quality of project using the full proposal check) and indirect support implemented through informative actions.
4) To foster cooperation under Cluster 4 ensuring synergy opportunities among the Horizon Europe NCP Networks, NCP4Industry ensured in the first half of the project the synergies with the other two Cluster 4 NCP Networks, namely Ideal-ist and Cosmos4HE, and with other relevant NCP Networks Coordinators. The brokering actions are coordinated for instance: the dates are set to avoid overlapping, the mutual promotion of actions of all Cluster three NCP networks is maintained, the sharing of experience is carried out (e.g. for Full Proposal Check). Also trainings and common events have been planned. But the synergyies are not limited to Cluster 4: the project developed mutual collaboration with other NCP networks
