European Hub for Contemporary China

Project Information

EuroHub4Sino

Grant agreement ID: 101131737

DOI

10.3030/101131737

EC signature date 25 September 2023

Start date 1 October 2023

End date 30 September 2026

Funded under

• Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System

Total cost

€ 1 933 437,50

EU contribution

€ 1 933 437,50

Coordinated by

BEYOND THE HORIZON INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES GROUP
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EuroHub4Sino (European Hub for Contemporary China)

Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

China, a key global actor and leading economic and technological power, presents opportunities and challenges for the European Union. To navigate this shifting landscape, the EU needs independent and nuanced insights into contemporary China, generated from a European perspective. Europe’s strong academic base and policy expertise on China are fragmented, siloed, and unevenly distributed, limiting access to reliable and timely information for policymakers, researchers, businesses, and civil society actors. EuroHub4Sino connects key knowledge nodes across Europe, gathers and organizes existing work, and presents it on an open-access digital platform, enabling new synergies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a shared understanding of China across Europe.

Objectives:
1. Develop an enhanced digital platform
2. Establish an inclusive and engaging network
3. Conduct independent policy research and analysis
4. Implement a sustainable business model

To fulfil its mission, EuroHub4Sino concept is built upon four interdependent pillars:
1. An enhanced digital platform to support research, collaboration, and communication.
2. A diverse and inclusive network of researchers and stakeholders on China.
3. Collaborative research and communication activities, guided by a CoLab policy research approach.
4. A sustainable business model that ensures the platform and network remain active beyond the project's funding period.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

EuroHub4Sino achieved major milestones in its first 18 months, laying the groundwork for a long-lasting, independent, and inclusive European knowledge infrastructure on contemporary China.

1. EH4S Digital Platform Development: Public Service Area is operational, disseminating high-quality research outputs and partner initiatives. Restricted Solution Area features are currently under development (EET) and testing phase (JMP, ODL, Comm.Tools).

2. Community Building and Network Engagement: A community of researchers and stakeholders (EU/MS officials, businesspeople, journalists, CSO representatives) is being built. Key activities include:
- Established strategic partnerships with sister projects (DWARC, ReConnect China), policy networks (EU KNOC), and sectoral platforms (e.g. EU SME Centre)
- Growth of online community via LinkedIn (main SM platform with over 1k followers), X, Facebook, and newsletters

3. Knowledge Production and Policy Research: The CoLab structure is operational, with research clusters producing interdisciplinary and policy-relevant outputs. As of M18, the consortium has:
- Published 20 policy papers and 1st almanac
- Organised 3 workshops

4. Business Model and Sustainability:
- Designing a Go2Market Strategy in collaboration with the Horizon Booster service
- Refining the project’s sustainability plan, considering early testing of revenue generation (e.g. subscription, expert services), and preparing platform governance models for post-project operation.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

EuroHub4Sino project’s pathway to impact is from Objective to Expected Outcome to Expected Impact.

Objective 1: Develop an Enhanced Digital Platform
Expected Outcome: Build and manage a virtual European Info Platform on contemporary China
Expected Impact: Improved capacities within the EU R&I system to conduct open science

The EH4S platform offers a unified interface for publishing, accessing, and co-producing research outputs. AI-powered tools enhance semantic search, multilingual accessibility, and expert matchmaking, surpassing current research tools.
Potential Impact: If adopted widely, the platform could become the central hub for China-related research in Europe, serving researchers and stakeholders, fostering collaboration and communication.
Further Needs:
- Outreach to attract sustained use by target audience
- Financial support for post-project research and platform maintenance
- Continued open access compliance and UX upgrades based on user feedback

Objective 2: Establish an Inclusive and Engaging Network
Expected Outcome: Bring together knowledge nodes on contemporary China from across Europe
Expected Impact: A more open and inclusive research and innovation system

EuroHub4Sino is building a growing community of China experts. Hitherto, LinkedIn served as a tool to attract potential members until the platform registration becomes available. This fostered community growth, ensured visibility, and prepared the network for a seamless transition to a fully operational platform. The network supports policy-relevant knowledge exchange beyond academic silos.
Potential Impact: The network’s diverse composition could foster a more democratic and stakeholder-aware European research ecosystem across Europe in various disciplines on contemporary China.
Further Needs:
- Mechanisms to formalise the network’s structure and value post-project
- Incentives to retain active members and attract new ones
- Enhanced visibility in EU-level research dialogues and policy fora

Objective 3: Conduct Policy Research and Analysis
Expected Outcome: Provide independent, high-quality policy recommendations and insights
Expected Impact: Deepening the European Research Area

CoLab fosters collaborative research across disciplines and institutions. Structured around six thematic clusters and three cross-cutting themes, it encourages joint knowledge production on contemporary issues. The EH4S platform fully supports CoLab, streamlining the digital environment for researchers to initiate, manage, and disseminate collaborative work.
Potential Impact: The platform and its research model could inform EU-China policymaking with timely, grounded, and autonomous assessments.
Further Needs:
- Broader institutional uptake of policy outputs by EC/MS bodies
- Cross-project data integration with EU-China thematic platforms
- Integration with training or advisory mechanisms for EU institutions

An infographics gathering the objective, concept, target audience and partners of the project.