Final Report Summary - ENLACE (Enhancing Scientific Cooperation between the European Union and Central America)
Executive Summary:
The project ENLACE has been funded under FP7-Capacities -International Cooperation and it is part of the INCONET strategy, set up by the European Commission in the 1st call of proposal of the FP7-INCO Programme. The project started on the 1st of November 2009 and closed on the 30th of April 2014.
The main goal of the project is to improve the development of the Euro-Central America research area and, in particular, to establish the EU/CA bi-regional dialogues.
Moreover, the initiative has been planned for achieving the following further objectives:
• Promote and structure the participation of third countries in the activities of FP7;
• Promote regional integration and will lead to the identification and the prioritisation of
common research areas of mutual interest and benefit;
• Facilitate the uptake and use of common identified research areas and the monitoring of performance and impacts of international S&T cooperation across the Specific Programmes of FP7.
In particular ENLACE aims at supporting the bi-regional dialogue between the EU and the Central America Countries (CA) on S&T issues, identifying common interests in research areas, setting up S&T priorities, supporting capacity building activities, and enhancing the dialogue within the region.
The planned activities were: policy dialogue meetings between EU and CA stakeholders to identify research priorities of mutual interest; training activities to set up the network of FP7 National Contact Point in Central America and an Enterprise Europe Network correspondent.
In addition, the project foresaw a set of activities to enhance the networking among EU and CA researchers and to raise awareness on FP7 in CA. Dissemination events from one side and travel grants for researchers from the other side will provide concrete tools to boost the participation of CA in FP7. The consortium included 14 multi-skilled partners, 6 from the EU and 8 from the Central America, that ensured the fulfilment of ENLACE’s objectives.
The consortium achieved the following results, in a nutshell:
6 Experts dialogues: > 600 participants
29 NCPs appointed
3 Trainings: > 100 participants
2 Staff exchange: 10 participants
2 Innovation seminars: > 100 participants
3 Travel grant scheme: 34 funded applicants
26Publications
> 50 Events attended: > 1000 reached
Project Context and Objectives:
The ENLACE project aims at the bi-regional dialogue on research areas between EU and Central America, setting up S&T priorities, supporting capacity building activities, and enhancing the dialogue within the region.
The main objectives of the project are:
- Enhancing the networking among EU and Central America researchers;
- Organizing S&T dialogues, to identify research priorities of mutual interest and raising awareness on FP7 in Central America.
- Setting up the network of FP7 National Contact Point in Central America.
-
ENLACE is part of the The EU-CELAC S&T Policy Dialogue. The Bi-Regional Policy Dialogue Process in Science and Technology completed its first decade in 2009. During that time, it has advanced on the goal of the strategic partnership through policy dialogue in regular summits of Head of States from the European Union and Latin America and the Carribean. From January 2013, the summit process is known as European Union- Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-CELAC).
Building on existing cooperation between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a EU-CELAC Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation (JIRI) was adopted by the VI Madrid Summit in 2010, aimed to deliver greater benefits from scientific cooperation between the two regions. The Senior Officials Meetings (SOM) with EU-CELAC representatives was established as a regular bi-regional dialogue on Research & Innovation (R&I) to consolidate EU-CELAC cooperation to implement the JIRI by updating common priorities, encouraging mutual policy learning and ensuring the proper implementation and effectiveness of cooperation instruments through biannual Action Plans. Four Working Groups in the following priority areas were established: Energy, Information and Communications Technology, Bioeconomy and Biodiversity & Climate Change.
Project Results:
See attached file
Potential Impact:
All the ENLACE activities: workshops, analysis exercises, meeting with researchers and stakeholders produced sound knowledge exchange and the identification of common areas of interest of European and Central American research themes. Understandings of similar problems yet different perception of various
concepts emerged throughout the whole exercise.
The main impact generated by ENLACE is the identification of common gaps, needs and future views on the S&T dialogue experienced through the ENLACE project:
Data analysis
- Facilitating access to information - Sharing information, data collection and data strategy access is lacking in CAC region. Significant amount of hard socio-economic and environmental analyses plus multidisciplinary approaches are needed to better argue benefits to the EU-LAC Knowledge Area from the traditional research models;
- Redefining objectives and empowering communities - Construction of S&T research lines is very locality specific and thus, taking account of local communities on the research processes is essential. Reviewing the economic structure by integrating aspects such as the socio economic impact and understanding the real complexity of the themes beyond the traditional factors has to be included;
Research indicators
- Pointing innovative products, evaluating infrastructure issues, creating focal points in the region that can take in the information, analyse and process them to finally make it available to policy and agencies, business and researchers for relevant use can be considered as a strategic approach.
Private Sector
- Disconnection between research centres and enterprises as private sector is largely national in most research themes. Gaps in the connection should be filled in order to pave common strategies both covering demands and offers;
- LAC region represents many opportune conditions for research development. Engaging the private sector & public agencies to join to formulate thematic research strategies and connecting “niche sectors” in the region is a must Human Resources and Regional Capacities;
- The CAC area endeavours privileged position with regards to terrestrial and marine biodiversity, as well as the availability for bio-based strategies and specific geothermal and biomass energy resource research. Spotting the regional research competitive advantages towards EU can be a starting point for future win-win collaboration;
- A dedicated effort to understand the link between CAC and EU but also the need to decouple the relation between urban constructions and preservation. E.g. sustainable energy related to the green economy and industry as an established link within the three regions;
- Capacity building and mobility of scientists must be taken into consideration (training and advising PhD and Masters). One of the major remarks from CAC researchers has been their low participating rate, as universities typically focus on education for professionalization rather than pure research. Hence, there is a very low international visibility of researchers not only internationally but at the regional level. The need to construct data bases on these two regions has confirmed the key importance of both ENLACE and EUCARINET online data bases for an efficient cooperation among researchers and networks of researchers;
- Tackling scientific Diaspora and brain drain in both regions should be a substantial part of this capacity building strategy.
Sustainability measures
- Exploring the added value of the CAC research. In order to be sustainable, economic growth combined with the exploration of the research potential CAC countries can provide is necessary. Discovering different types of innovative products in the CAC region, evaluating infrastructure issues, creating focal points in the region that can take in the information, analyze it and process it to finally make it available to policy and agencies, business and researchers for relevant use is necessary;
- Creating research networks in the region able to share updated information. This can push forward specific research lines, thus building a significant pole of top research in the field available to the wider LAC region. The question whether it is time to construct open access through ICT becomes more relevant than ever;
- Thematic research plans are to be developed based on a sustainable use, holistic, multidisciplinary and integrated approaches Strategies for ways forward;
- Enhance CAC-EU cooperation research with a long term vision in order to collect substantial data for analysis. Including a wider audience to the research activities should be highly considered;
- A Thematic Observatory in the LAC region may be a first step in informing and diffusing of appropriate information in different levels to research communities, policy makers and private stakeholders;
- The Observatory can also help create synergies with past and current cooperation projects in order to continue building, evaluating and monitoring what has been done. Avoiding overlapping and double efforts is necessary to be cost-effective;
- Provision of training programmes in countries of the CAC region as well as the need to have local students and scientists trained at the same level should also needs to be taken into the equation.
List of Websites:
http://www.enlace-project.eu
Coordinator: Diassina Di Maggio (dimaggio@apre.it)
APRE
Via Cavour 71 - 00184 Rome (Italy)
Tel +39 06 48939993
The project ENLACE has been funded under FP7-Capacities -International Cooperation and it is part of the INCONET strategy, set up by the European Commission in the 1st call of proposal of the FP7-INCO Programme. The project started on the 1st of November 2009 and closed on the 30th of April 2014.
The main goal of the project is to improve the development of the Euro-Central America research area and, in particular, to establish the EU/CA bi-regional dialogues.
Moreover, the initiative has been planned for achieving the following further objectives:
• Promote and structure the participation of third countries in the activities of FP7;
• Promote regional integration and will lead to the identification and the prioritisation of
common research areas of mutual interest and benefit;
• Facilitate the uptake and use of common identified research areas and the monitoring of performance and impacts of international S&T cooperation across the Specific Programmes of FP7.
In particular ENLACE aims at supporting the bi-regional dialogue between the EU and the Central America Countries (CA) on S&T issues, identifying common interests in research areas, setting up S&T priorities, supporting capacity building activities, and enhancing the dialogue within the region.
The planned activities were: policy dialogue meetings between EU and CA stakeholders to identify research priorities of mutual interest; training activities to set up the network of FP7 National Contact Point in Central America and an Enterprise Europe Network correspondent.
In addition, the project foresaw a set of activities to enhance the networking among EU and CA researchers and to raise awareness on FP7 in CA. Dissemination events from one side and travel grants for researchers from the other side will provide concrete tools to boost the participation of CA in FP7. The consortium included 14 multi-skilled partners, 6 from the EU and 8 from the Central America, that ensured the fulfilment of ENLACE’s objectives.
The consortium achieved the following results, in a nutshell:
6 Experts dialogues: > 600 participants
29 NCPs appointed
3 Trainings: > 100 participants
2 Staff exchange: 10 participants
2 Innovation seminars: > 100 participants
3 Travel grant scheme: 34 funded applicants
26Publications
> 50 Events attended: > 1000 reached
Project Context and Objectives:
The ENLACE project aims at the bi-regional dialogue on research areas between EU and Central America, setting up S&T priorities, supporting capacity building activities, and enhancing the dialogue within the region.
The main objectives of the project are:
- Enhancing the networking among EU and Central America researchers;
- Organizing S&T dialogues, to identify research priorities of mutual interest and raising awareness on FP7 in Central America.
- Setting up the network of FP7 National Contact Point in Central America.
-
ENLACE is part of the The EU-CELAC S&T Policy Dialogue. The Bi-Regional Policy Dialogue Process in Science and Technology completed its first decade in 2009. During that time, it has advanced on the goal of the strategic partnership through policy dialogue in regular summits of Head of States from the European Union and Latin America and the Carribean. From January 2013, the summit process is known as European Union- Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-CELAC).
Building on existing cooperation between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a EU-CELAC Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation (JIRI) was adopted by the VI Madrid Summit in 2010, aimed to deliver greater benefits from scientific cooperation between the two regions. The Senior Officials Meetings (SOM) with EU-CELAC representatives was established as a regular bi-regional dialogue on Research & Innovation (R&I) to consolidate EU-CELAC cooperation to implement the JIRI by updating common priorities, encouraging mutual policy learning and ensuring the proper implementation and effectiveness of cooperation instruments through biannual Action Plans. Four Working Groups in the following priority areas were established: Energy, Information and Communications Technology, Bioeconomy and Biodiversity & Climate Change.
Project Results:
See attached file
Potential Impact:
All the ENLACE activities: workshops, analysis exercises, meeting with researchers and stakeholders produced sound knowledge exchange and the identification of common areas of interest of European and Central American research themes. Understandings of similar problems yet different perception of various
concepts emerged throughout the whole exercise.
The main impact generated by ENLACE is the identification of common gaps, needs and future views on the S&T dialogue experienced through the ENLACE project:
Data analysis
- Facilitating access to information - Sharing information, data collection and data strategy access is lacking in CAC region. Significant amount of hard socio-economic and environmental analyses plus multidisciplinary approaches are needed to better argue benefits to the EU-LAC Knowledge Area from the traditional research models;
- Redefining objectives and empowering communities - Construction of S&T research lines is very locality specific and thus, taking account of local communities on the research processes is essential. Reviewing the economic structure by integrating aspects such as the socio economic impact and understanding the real complexity of the themes beyond the traditional factors has to be included;
Research indicators
- Pointing innovative products, evaluating infrastructure issues, creating focal points in the region that can take in the information, analyse and process them to finally make it available to policy and agencies, business and researchers for relevant use can be considered as a strategic approach.
Private Sector
- Disconnection between research centres and enterprises as private sector is largely national in most research themes. Gaps in the connection should be filled in order to pave common strategies both covering demands and offers;
- LAC region represents many opportune conditions for research development. Engaging the private sector & public agencies to join to formulate thematic research strategies and connecting “niche sectors” in the region is a must Human Resources and Regional Capacities;
- The CAC area endeavours privileged position with regards to terrestrial and marine biodiversity, as well as the availability for bio-based strategies and specific geothermal and biomass energy resource research. Spotting the regional research competitive advantages towards EU can be a starting point for future win-win collaboration;
- A dedicated effort to understand the link between CAC and EU but also the need to decouple the relation between urban constructions and preservation. E.g. sustainable energy related to the green economy and industry as an established link within the three regions;
- Capacity building and mobility of scientists must be taken into consideration (training and advising PhD and Masters). One of the major remarks from CAC researchers has been their low participating rate, as universities typically focus on education for professionalization rather than pure research. Hence, there is a very low international visibility of researchers not only internationally but at the regional level. The need to construct data bases on these two regions has confirmed the key importance of both ENLACE and EUCARINET online data bases for an efficient cooperation among researchers and networks of researchers;
- Tackling scientific Diaspora and brain drain in both regions should be a substantial part of this capacity building strategy.
Sustainability measures
- Exploring the added value of the CAC research. In order to be sustainable, economic growth combined with the exploration of the research potential CAC countries can provide is necessary. Discovering different types of innovative products in the CAC region, evaluating infrastructure issues, creating focal points in the region that can take in the information, analyze it and process it to finally make it available to policy and agencies, business and researchers for relevant use is necessary;
- Creating research networks in the region able to share updated information. This can push forward specific research lines, thus building a significant pole of top research in the field available to the wider LAC region. The question whether it is time to construct open access through ICT becomes more relevant than ever;
- Thematic research plans are to be developed based on a sustainable use, holistic, multidisciplinary and integrated approaches Strategies for ways forward;
- Enhance CAC-EU cooperation research with a long term vision in order to collect substantial data for analysis. Including a wider audience to the research activities should be highly considered;
- A Thematic Observatory in the LAC region may be a first step in informing and diffusing of appropriate information in different levels to research communities, policy makers and private stakeholders;
- The Observatory can also help create synergies with past and current cooperation projects in order to continue building, evaluating and monitoring what has been done. Avoiding overlapping and double efforts is necessary to be cost-effective;
- Provision of training programmes in countries of the CAC region as well as the need to have local students and scientists trained at the same level should also needs to be taken into the equation.
List of Websites:
http://www.enlace-project.eu
Coordinator: Diassina Di Maggio (dimaggio@apre.it)
APRE
Via Cavour 71 - 00184 Rome (Italy)
Tel +39 06 48939993
