Final Report Summary - EUCARINET (FOSTERING EUROPEAN UNION - CARIBBEAN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION NETWORKS)
Executive Summary:
The project EUCARINET 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 March 2010 and closed on the 31st of July 2014.
The main goal of the project is to improve the development of the Euro-Caribbean research area and, in particular, to foster and reinforce the EU/Caribbean bi-regional dialogue.
Moreover, the initiative has been planned for achieving the following further objectives:
• 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;
• Promote and structure the participation of third countries in the activities of FP7.
EUCARINET aims at supporting the bi-regional dialogue between the EU and the Caribbean 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: bi-regional policy dialogue meetings between EU and Caribbean stakeholders; thematic workshops to identify research priorities of mutual interest; training activities to set up the network of FP7 National Contact Point in the Caribbean region and make of it a H2020 hub in the region.
In addition, the project foresaw a set of activities to enhance the networking among EU and CA researchers and to raise awareness on FP7/H2020 in the region. Dissemination events from one side and travel grants for researchers from the other side will provide concrete tools to boost the participation of Caribbean in FP7. The consortium included 11 multi-skilled partners, 5 from the EU and 6 from the Caribbean, that ensured the fulfilment of EUCARINET ’s objectives.
More in depth the specific objectives set were the following:
1. Consolidate the setting up of the sustainable multi-stakeholder bilateral interregional EU-CARIBBEAN and multilateral intra-regional dialogue, involving policy makers, the science community, the private sector (with emphasis on SME’s) and the civil society.
2. Build up the sustainability of the coordination and cooperation activities between EU MS, AC and the Caribbean region.
3. Finalize the priority setting exercise and actions in the frame of the bi-regional/sub-regional dialogue bringing the debate a step forward towards a bi-regional S&T multi-stakeholders’ dialogue mechanism.
4. Promote the public-private partnership in strengthening the participation of the private sector in innovation and knowledge transfer activities.
5. Exploit the full potential of combining different S&T cooperation instruments and emphasising the dialogue between the Caribbean and EU as well as the neighbouring Latin America region.
6. Facilitate the participation of the Caribbean in the FP7/Horizon 2020 with reference to all its thematic areas including also a focus on the People programme.
All of these objectives have been entirely addressed and they will be permanently nurtured and consolidated during the final project cycle.
The consortium achieved the following results, in a nutshell:
Number of events Number of participants
Thematic workshops 5 > 600
NCPs appointed >20 NA
Trainings for NCPs 6 > 100
Staff exchanges 2 10
Information days 4 > 300
Travel grant scheme 2 >40
Publications 26
Events attended in EU and CAR 50 > 1000
Project Context and Objectives:
The main goal of EUCARINET is to promote and support a long lasting sustainable multi-stakeholder bi-regional policy dialogue on S&T between EU Member States (MS), Associated States (AS) and the Caribbean Region including the Caribbean ACP countries, overseas departments and collectivities, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) at policy, programme and institutional (research entities) level, thus contributing to a threefold objective:
• Create the conditions for the sustainable multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on S&T between the European Union, its member states, its associated states and the Caribbean Region, leading to a joint definition of S&T co-operation policies.
• Foster inter-regional (EU-CARIBBEAN) and intra-regional cooperation in leading to the identification and prioritisation of common research areas of mutual interest and benefit.
•Stimulate and support the participation of the Caribbean research stakeholders in FP7 programmes, with a first emphasis on the “People Programme”.
EUCARINET is a consortium made of 11 partners, 5 from European Countries and 6 from Caribbean Countries.
EUCARINET has completed its 52 month cycle with a satisfactory number of achievements which constitute an excellent result in terms of reinforced Bi-regional dialogue between Europe And the Caribbean region.
Thanks to a survey launched by EUCARINET aiming at mapping the RTD activities in the Caribbean (through a bottom up approach), and through a desk research analysis of the scientific production in the Caribbean EUCARINET has generated a “R&D online Database” to map and promote all the relevant Caribbean research institutions and outstanding individual researchers which are interested in research collaborations with Europe. The aim of this database is to collect reliable and up-to date information on Caribbean Research and Technological Development (RTD) institutions, to promote the Caribbean Science and Technology capacities towards European and other possible partners. The EUCARINET database is available at the following link: http://www.eucarinet.eu/eudb/eudb_pages_default.php
In parallel to the bottom up approach in identifying scientific priorities from Researchers, EUCARINET continued in the over 4 years activities to work on the identification of the research and innovation priorities of the Governments through the consultation of existing Caribbean S&I priorities policy plans and through governmental and research experts that have been interviewed and consulted. This consultation has created the basis of a “Caribbean Regional Report on priorities” which is available on the project website.
EUCARINET organized 5 Policy & Experts Dialogue workshops . A first multi-thematic (KBBE, Environment and Health) expert meeting has taken place in the Dominican Republic in March 2011.
A workshop on “Research and innovation in energy” in Guadeloupe, July 2011
A workshop on “KBBE/bioeconomy”, in Brussels, October 2012
A workshop on “Climate change and biodiversity”, in Panama, April 2013
A last workshop on “ICT”, in Guatemala, May 2013
The discussions among the thematic EU and Caribbean experts and the output of the workshops have converged into 5 thematic reports which are available on the project website (http://www.eucarinet.eu/eudocs/eudb_pages_default.php) and have been summarized together with the results from previous workshops, in a comprehensive “Caribbean Regional Position Paper on EU-Caribbean S&T cooperation priorities”. The workshops gave the opportunity to identify common priorities and define research lines so to pave the way to new cooperation opportunities, as well as enable access to cooperation opportunities to countries with low or no participation in European Programmes for Research and Innovation (now, Horizon 2020).
While continuing the priority setting exercise in line with the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation working groups, and building from the experiences shared during these 5 workshops, EUCARINET started support and enforcing of a solid Bi-regional EU-Caribbean dialogue mechanism through the preparation of a “Policy Dialogue Strategy Paper and Sustainability Plan” aimed at establishing the state of the art of the bilateral cooperation and recommendations for the way forward towards Horizon 2020. The Paper has been discussed and revised during and after the 1st Bi-regional Dialogue workshop held in April 2013 in Guyana at the CARICOM Secretariat and has been validated during the very successful 2nd Bi-regional Dialogue workshop held in June 2014 in Barbados.
Over 30 Caribbean S&T organizations/stakeholders have been participating during the 1st and 2nd Bi-regional Dialogue workshops. An important effort has also been made for the involvement of the Private Sector in EU-Caribbean research and technology innovation and cooperation through the organization of a specific workshop in Brussels, during October 2011, and a follow up event in Curaçao in April 2012. The results of the workshops have been enclosed in the “Private sector position paper on EU-Caribbean S&T cooperation priorities” that is available on the EUCARINET website.
A substantial support has been given by the project to the setting up of networks of Research Officers (ROs)/National Contact Points (NCPs). These contact points are meant to act as multipliers at sub-regional level so to promote H2020 opportunities to the local research communities and to increase the level of participation of these actors. EUCARINET identified 8 Research Officers covering the English, Spanish, French and Dutch speaking Caribbean sub-regions. In some cases such Research Officers have been already appointed by their national governments as National Contact Points through an official communication forwarded and approved by the European Commission to be now renovated for Horizon 2020. An updated list of the Caribbean appointed National Contact Point/Research officers is available through the EUCARINET Webpage for ROs/NCPs (http://www.eucarinet.eu/maps/eudb_pages_default.php)as well as on the Participant Portal of European Commission.
An Handbook for Funding Advisors has been developed for helping the ROs/NCPs to horient themselves through all the available funding opportunities and giving them useful hints and tips on how to organize their daily job while assisting their research community. Both Research Officers and National Contact Points have been involved in several training activities, staff exchanges and information days ( The Hague, October 2011; Curaçao, April 2012; Panama in April 2013 during FP7; ) often organized in cooperation with the INCONTACT network of International Cooperation (INCO) National Contact Points, ENLACE and ALCUE-net. With the start of Horizon 2020 EUCARINET has performed a number of 4 extra training sessions on the new programme in Panama in cooperation with ENLACE (April 2013) and In Curacao and Aruba, in February 2014 and in Barbados in June 2014, Moreover, two extra Open info days on H2020 were organized respectively in Barbados, June 2014, and in Dominican Republic in December 2013.
For the dissemination activities a good communication platform was created. The public project website (www.eucarinet.eu) constantly updated, contains information on the project activities, partners, project results, documents and events. A periodic newsletter as well as project leaflets (in 4 languages- English, French-Spanish, Dutch) and the EUCARINET promotional material (EUCARINET project Identity, roll ups, USB sticks) have been produced and handle out at conferences and meetings. EUCARINET has also a Facebook page where the main activities and results are posted and LinkedIn group. The EUCARINET website has also been instrumental for promoting the EUCARINET Travel Grant Scheme: a valuable opportunity for researchers from the Caribbean to attend 7 thematic brokerage events and combine the participation with specific visits to European research institutions. A second call has been published in April 2012. A total of 18 researchers from the Caribbean have applied and 10 were successfully funded to come to Europe to attend major events and to join European consortia. During the last year of project over 15 researchers, policy makers and NCPs from the Caribbean have been supported to participate to workshops for priority setting purpose, during events organized by EUCARINET , ENLACE and ALCUE-net ( in Panama , WP 3 and WP 4) , in Colombia ( WP3 and WP 4) , in Guyana and Barbados ( WP 2 and WP 4) .
A strategic and effective synergy has been established, maintained and reinforced in some cases, during the 52 months with other dialogue platforms such as ENLACE, ALCUE-KBBE, ALCUE-NET and ERANET LAC projects through the agreement on a specific programme of joint events.
EUCARINET has also committed to support the "Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation" of the LAC Senior Official Meeting (LAC-SOM initiatives). Therefore all EUCARINET thematic workshops have been in line with the priorities identified by the JIRI and foresee their active involvement in the validation of the workshops’ outcomes. The results of the different workshops have been communicated to the relevant SOM working groups. The final outcome contained in the 3 reports “Priorities dialogue workshops: the bottom up approach in the Caribbean” , in the “Priorities Match Making Statement” and in the “Caribbean regional position paper on priorities” will be delivered to European Commission and JIRI LAC SOM working groups.
EUCARINET has indeed worked to be part and contribute to 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 Caribbean. 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, Bio-economy and Biodiversity & Climate Change. Lately Health has been added as new WG.
Project Results:
Enhanced a closer collaboration with the Secretariat of the four thematic JIRI Working Groups on in line with the Guidelines set by the EU/LAC Senior Official Meeting
Our 5 Thematic priority setting workshops:
EUCARINET priority setting workshops have worked to identify common priorities for STI (Science, technology and Innovation) in the Caribbean region tackling different fields:
• Multi - Thematic priority setting for EU, Caribbean & Central America in research and innovation in the Health, Environment and climate change and Knowledge bio-based economy sectors (7th – 8th of March 2011, Santo Domingo)
• Renewable energy for the Caribbean, Guadaloupe, July 2012
• “Europe, Caribbean & Central America: Partners In ICT Research and Innovation” Visions, Innovations and Priorities Workshop (28th -29th of May 2012, La Antigua Guatemala);
• “Towards a Caribbean and a Central American knowledge Based Bio-Economy: visions, pathways and priorities” (17th - 18th of October 2012, Brussels).
• “Europe, Central America & Caribbean: Climate Change and Biodiversity Dialogue Workshops” (on, 22nd – 23rd of April 2013, Panama City)
The workshops and the surveys performed gave priority to identification and definition of research lines and scientific priorities that pave the way to new cooperation opportunities as well as enable access to cooperation opportunities to countries with low or no participation in European Programmes.
In particular great effort have been devoted to the contribution and adoption of the guidelines emerging from the EU-LAC Senior Official Meetings. All the material both preparatory paper and outcomes of the experts’ dialogue have been shared with the representatives (chairs and co-chairs) of the concerned Working Group (Bio Economy, Bio-diversity and Renewable energies and ICT ).
Furthermore, after the priority setting workshops, the exercise to link research lines to the identified sub-themes highlighted by the EU-LAC Senior Official Meeting Working Group is presented on thematic cross-matrixes respectively. All these outcomes aim to further feed the S&T policy dialogue events and future S&T EU-Caribbean cooperation activities.
Enhancing the networking among EU and Caribbean researchers
2 editions of the EUCARINET Travel Grant Scheme have been issued to promote exchange between Caribbean and European researchers as well as to encourage contacts between research institutions for joint participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and Horizon 2020.
Within the 2 calls, EUCARINET project funded over 40 among researchers, policymakers and National Contact points to attend either our 5 thematic priority setting workshops; our trainings for NCPs, or Scientific conferences in EU.
The impact assessment showed that the EUCARINET travel grant scheme was a good opportunity to promote the exchange between Caribbean and European researchers as well as to enhance contacts between research institutions from both regions. For the grantees, their journeys to Europe and Caribbean brought benefits for their personal and institutional work . Due to the visits at the partner institutions the grantees got an insight view on the work of their counterparts. Opportunities for joint future cooperation, mainly in the area of research but also for education and teaching were also facilitated. The project proposals are consolidated through personal meetings between the partner institutions as doubts can be reduced. Moreover, the direct contact to research partners also creates space for new and innovative ideas.
Long term benefits of the 1st and 2nd Call of the EUCARINET Travel Grant Scheme
The Travel Grant Scheme, as part of the EUCARINET project, provided financing for Caribbean researchers to travel to Europe. The aim was to enable a journey for the participation in a scientific event as well as to build up new contacts and facilitate institutional and scientific cooperation.
A total of 18 researchers from the Caribbean applied and 10 were successfully funded to come to Europe to attend major FP 7 and Scientific conferences/events so to facilitate the joining of European consortia. During the last period of the project, in addition to the First phase of the Travel grant scheme for researchers, over 15 among researchers, policy makers and NCPs from the Caribbean have been supported to participate to workshops for priority setting purpose, during events organized by EUCARINET , ENLACE and ALCUE-net ( in Panama , WP 3 and WP 4) , in Colombia ( WP3 and WP 4) , in Guyana and Barbados ( WP 2 and WP 4) .
The dissemination highlight in the third period was represented by the "H2020 Awareness raising Infodays" together with the "catalogue of Caribbean Researchers". The series of 4 events in Dominican Republic, Aruba, Curacao and Barbados aimed at giving the widest visibility of EUCARINET to the broadest audience at all levels such as the scientific community in Europe and Caribbean , the EC officers and EU institutions as well as the EU 27 member states. The EUCARINET Catalogue of Researchers will facilitate the possibility of starting research contacts and collaboration in the framework of H2020 and beyond.
Potential Impact:
All the EUCARINET activities: ST&I surveys with governmental, private sector and researchers, thematic workshops, bi-regional policy dialogues, raising awareness initiatives with researchers and stakeholders produced sound knowledge exchange and the identification of common areas of interest of European and Caribbean research themes. Understandings of similar problems yet different perception of various
concepts emerged throughout the whole exercise.
The tangible impact generated by EUCARINET is , on one side, given by the identification of common gaps, needs and future views on the ST&I dialogue experienced through the project and also given by the analysis and the reinforcing of an intra-regional and a bi-regional dialogue between EU and the Caribbean but also among the Caribbean researchers community and their policy makers:
Data analysis
Through a desk research analysis of the scientific production in the Caribbean, EUCARINET has generated a “R&D online Database” to map and promote all the relevant Caribbean research institutions and outstanding individual researchers which are interested in research collaborations with Europe.
In parallel to the bottom up approach in identifying scientific priorities from Researchers, EUCARINET continued in the over 4 years activities to work on the identification of the research and innovation priorities of the Governments through the consultation of existing Caribbean S&I priorities policy plans and through governmental and research experts that have been interviewed and consulted. This consultation has created the basis of a “Caribbean Regional Report on priorities” which is available on the project website.
Facilitating access to information - Sharing information, data collection and data strategy access is lacking in the Caribbean 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;
Research indicators
Evaluating infrastructure issues ( mainly lacking and fragmented in the region) , creating of Regional Contact Points as hubs in the region that can take a role in the “vehiculating of the right and timely information”, in analysing and processing it to finally make it available to policy makers and agencies, business and researchers for relevant use can be considered as a strategic approach.
Private Sector
An important effort has also been made for the involvement of the Private Sector in EU-Caribbean research and technology innovation and cooperation through the organization of a specific workshop in Brussels, during October 2011, and a follow up event in Curaçao in April 2012. The results of the workshops have been enclosed in the “Private sector position paper on EU-Caribbean S&T cooperation priorities” that is available on the EUCARINET website.
- 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 Caribbean research. In order to be sustainable, economic growth combined with the exploration of the research potential CAR countries can provide is necessary. Discovering different types of innovative products in the CAR region, evaluating infrastructure issues, creating focal points in the region that can take in the information, analyse 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 CAR-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 CAR 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
Creating an International Centre of excellence on Biodiversity; Foster Caribbean regional research collaboration as a way to increase critical mass in research and to mainstream existing excellence
Unique Biodiversity Centre of Excellence in the Caribbean
Biodiversity is a huge green treasure that Caribbean region should preserve, map, study, and sustainably use for global benefit. Public and private sectors from the whole Caribbean region and other actors investing in the region should join forces in such an infrastructure for research and innovation open also to EU countries.
The Caribbean is a global ‘diversity hotspot’
Greater understanding of the relationships within complex chemical, biological and social systems reveals the fundamental principles of sustainability. It also provides the knowledge to progress from remediation of ecological disasters to predictive and preventive capabilities. The high degree of diversity in the Caribbean region provides an ideal setting to determine how the inherent complexity of nature responds to human pressures and global change. Since direct human pressures in the Caribbean are generally not as great as in more populated and industrialized European nations, the region provides opportunities to reveal the basic processes shaping ecosystems. These in turn could help guide new technological advances in areas of food production (e.g. no tillage principle and integrated aquaculture. They can also improve our general understanding of the role that ecological processes play in shaping patterns of diversity at different scales of time and space, as well as of the ecological processes in natural and human-dominated ecosystems in order to prescribe restoration and management strategies. Moreover, they will enable us to respond appropriately to the interaction of ecological and social pressures.
Reinforce Research infrastructures in the region open to all Caribbean Regions and beyond
Increase both Level and existence of research labs /infrastructures to make the region more competitive and have a better level of research exchange with EU member States.
There is a long tradition of mutually beneficial collaborations between institutions in the EU and the Caribbean. However, there is a human development and an infrastructural deficit in the region that hinders further expansion of sustainable relationships with EU partners. Targeted calls to include EU and Caribbean partners for the improvement of existing capacity and infrastructure.
Islands as natural laboratories
Islands are particularly suitable for conducting research as a result of their discrete boundaries and their inherent diversity in terms of natural, cultural and socio-political systems. European researchers do not generally take great advantage of this asset. Societal and environmental changes in response to changing conditions (e.g. global change or technological improvements) are often rapidly visible in small Caribbean nations and thus facilitates testing or pioneering new concepts that would be harder to quantify in more complex and larger systems found in European countries. Pioneering new concepts in the Caribbean would improve the rate at which new concepts become better understood.
Invest in Education Programmes to support the research and innovation “careers”; support the creation of Intra-regional PHD programmes,
Actions to encourage and promote a career focused on Research and Innovation issues are necessary.
Sensibilization actions towards relevant stakeholders to create PHD programmes for the Caribbean Region and increase mobility of research from EU to the Caribbean and viceversa.
Mapping technologies needs on relevant sectors for Green and Blue Growth/Market opportunities for European technologies
The relatively small size of the market and areas of production in the Caribbean require the development of eco-intensification techniques and innovative processing technologies competitive at small and medium scale. Some European engineering firms have developed appropriate technologies that could be transferred to the Caribbean region to solve these problems that hinder market access of Caribbean products. An important example is the aseptic packaging technologies to produce safe food without need to count, for distribution, on a well structured cold chain fond of energy.
There is a need to Establish technology transfer offices and networks of incubators for screening, preparing and maturing Caribbean research proposals and business models as well as ensure there is adequate linkage between knowledge generators, business, industry and service sectors in the region to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.
REVISED ACTIONS TO STRENGTHEN CARIBBEAN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION AND ITS EU ENGAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATION 1. CONVERGENCE, ENGAGEMENT & DIALOGUE. The Caribbean must firmly engage in the dialogue with Europe and the EU must take into account the particular features of the Caribbean region.
1.1 Create a strong STI Focal Point within CARICOM to provide administrative support, set common directions for bi-lateral initiatives with a clear statement of overall objectives and desired policy directions on the identified priority settings for cooperation and finally monitor and track progress. This will use CCST for technical communication and engagement.
1.2 Participate in JIRI working groups to identify, collect and distribute the best practices and success stories of cooperation, to establish greater links between the bi-regional dialogue engagements and enhance coherence and convergence of bi-regional dialogue to foster efficient collaboration.
1.3 Develop some H2020 calls targeting the Caribbean, both within and beyond the ACP scheme, in line with the research priorities emerging from the region and involving private institutions and the industrial private sector.
RECOMMENDATION 2. USE, FOSTER & SUPPORT. Raise the profile of Research and Innovation in Caribbean policy agendas by using international cooperation as a lever
2.1 Increase investment in STI for greater productivity, economic prosperity and development Provide advocacy for resources for STI in the region; including development of projects under Horizon 2020.
2.2 Channel STI funds effectively through periodic regional meetings
2.3 Establish a strong, active communication arm to exchange best collaboration practices, to inform on and update policy dialogue and to establish a high visibility Results Framework for STI in the Caribbean as part of advocacy for resources , led by the STI focal point.
RECOMMENDATION 3. CONSOLIDATE, ENHANCE & LINK. Foster Caribbean regional collaboration as a way to increase critical mass in research and to mainstream existing excellence
3.1 Stage STI conferences (at least biennially) to facilitate Bi-regional Dialogue and cooperation, strengthen networks, continue knowledge sharing, & engage the Private Sector
3.2 Act to reduce the brain drain and take advantage of the Caribbean researchers’ diaspora as natural links to increase international cooperation.
3.3 Widen, strengthen and deepen the networks to serve as the backbone of STI development in the region, adding a virtual network of “Caribbean researchers and innovators abroad” to tap into this resource.
RECOMMENDATION 4. AWARENESS, BRIDGE & TRANSFER. Strengthen local support for Horizon2020 participation and other international collaboration in Research and Innovation
4.1 Build strategic alliances in the critical Caribbean research areas such as Green Growth, Energy & Food Security, in line with the goals that governments have set.
4.2 Develop and enhance a network of NCPs within the Caribbean for promoting H2020 participation and cooperation with the EU.
4.3 Establish technology transfer offices and networks of incubators for screening, preparing and maturing Caribbean research proposals and business models as well as ensure there is adequate linkage between knowledge generators, business, industry and service sectors in the region to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.
List of Websites:
Public website address and contact details
http://www.eucarinet.eu
Coordinator: Diassina Di Maggio (dimaggio@apre.it)
Caterina Buonocore ( buonocore@apre.it)
APRE
Via Cavour 71 - 00184 Rome (Italy)
Tel +39 06 48939993
List of all beneficiaries
Number Partner Contact Person(s) E-mail
1 APRE Diassina Di Maggio
Caterina Buonocore dimaggio@apre.it
buonocore@apre.it
2 MENON Fabio Nascimbeni
Beatrice Niyibigira
Jimena Arango fabio.nascimbeni@menon.org
beatrice.niyibigira@menon.org
jimena.arango@menon.org
3 CIRAD Cindy Van Hifte
Oceane Wacrenier olivier.pierre@cirad.fr
oceane.wacrenier@cirad.fr
4 EL&I Koos de Korte
Ben Kubbinga koos.dekorte@agentschapnl.nl
ben.kubbinga@agentschapnl.nl
5 UAB Gustavo Perez
Jose Luis Brianso gustavo.perez@uab.es
joseluis.brianso@uab.cat
6 CARICOM Myrna Bernard
Rawl Prescott mbernard@caricom.org
rawl.prescott@caricom.org
7 UWI Wayne Hunte
Sean Carrington pvcresearch@cavehill.uwi.edu
sean.carrington@cavehill.uwi.edu
8 UAG Marie Ange Arséne
Edward Greene maarsene@univ-ag.fr
egreene@caricom.org
9 UNIBE Darwin Munoz
Tahiri Calderon d.munoz@unibe.edu.do
t.calderon@unibe.edu.do
10 CITMA Daysarih Tapanes Robau
Alejandro Riverp daysarih@citma.cu
alejandro@ceniai.inf.cu
11 UNA Zarja Rojers z.rojer@una.cw
The project EUCARINET 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 March 2010 and closed on the 31st of July 2014.
The main goal of the project is to improve the development of the Euro-Caribbean research area and, in particular, to foster and reinforce the EU/Caribbean bi-regional dialogue.
Moreover, the initiative has been planned for achieving the following further objectives:
• 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;
• Promote and structure the participation of third countries in the activities of FP7.
EUCARINET aims at supporting the bi-regional dialogue between the EU and the Caribbean 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: bi-regional policy dialogue meetings between EU and Caribbean stakeholders; thematic workshops to identify research priorities of mutual interest; training activities to set up the network of FP7 National Contact Point in the Caribbean region and make of it a H2020 hub in the region.
In addition, the project foresaw a set of activities to enhance the networking among EU and CA researchers and to raise awareness on FP7/H2020 in the region. Dissemination events from one side and travel grants for researchers from the other side will provide concrete tools to boost the participation of Caribbean in FP7. The consortium included 11 multi-skilled partners, 5 from the EU and 6 from the Caribbean, that ensured the fulfilment of EUCARINET ’s objectives.
More in depth the specific objectives set were the following:
1. Consolidate the setting up of the sustainable multi-stakeholder bilateral interregional EU-CARIBBEAN and multilateral intra-regional dialogue, involving policy makers, the science community, the private sector (with emphasis on SME’s) and the civil society.
2. Build up the sustainability of the coordination and cooperation activities between EU MS, AC and the Caribbean region.
3. Finalize the priority setting exercise and actions in the frame of the bi-regional/sub-regional dialogue bringing the debate a step forward towards a bi-regional S&T multi-stakeholders’ dialogue mechanism.
4. Promote the public-private partnership in strengthening the participation of the private sector in innovation and knowledge transfer activities.
5. Exploit the full potential of combining different S&T cooperation instruments and emphasising the dialogue between the Caribbean and EU as well as the neighbouring Latin America region.
6. Facilitate the participation of the Caribbean in the FP7/Horizon 2020 with reference to all its thematic areas including also a focus on the People programme.
All of these objectives have been entirely addressed and they will be permanently nurtured and consolidated during the final project cycle.
The consortium achieved the following results, in a nutshell:
Number of events Number of participants
Thematic workshops 5 > 600
NCPs appointed >20 NA
Trainings for NCPs 6 > 100
Staff exchanges 2 10
Information days 4 > 300
Travel grant scheme 2 >40
Publications 26
Events attended in EU and CAR 50 > 1000
Project Context and Objectives:
The main goal of EUCARINET is to promote and support a long lasting sustainable multi-stakeholder bi-regional policy dialogue on S&T between EU Member States (MS), Associated States (AS) and the Caribbean Region including the Caribbean ACP countries, overseas departments and collectivities, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) at policy, programme and institutional (research entities) level, thus contributing to a threefold objective:
• Create the conditions for the sustainable multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on S&T between the European Union, its member states, its associated states and the Caribbean Region, leading to a joint definition of S&T co-operation policies.
• Foster inter-regional (EU-CARIBBEAN) and intra-regional cooperation in leading to the identification and prioritisation of common research areas of mutual interest and benefit.
•Stimulate and support the participation of the Caribbean research stakeholders in FP7 programmes, with a first emphasis on the “People Programme”.
EUCARINET is a consortium made of 11 partners, 5 from European Countries and 6 from Caribbean Countries.
EUCARINET has completed its 52 month cycle with a satisfactory number of achievements which constitute an excellent result in terms of reinforced Bi-regional dialogue between Europe And the Caribbean region.
Thanks to a survey launched by EUCARINET aiming at mapping the RTD activities in the Caribbean (through a bottom up approach), and through a desk research analysis of the scientific production in the Caribbean EUCARINET has generated a “R&D online Database” to map and promote all the relevant Caribbean research institutions and outstanding individual researchers which are interested in research collaborations with Europe. The aim of this database is to collect reliable and up-to date information on Caribbean Research and Technological Development (RTD) institutions, to promote the Caribbean Science and Technology capacities towards European and other possible partners. The EUCARINET database is available at the following link: http://www.eucarinet.eu/eudb/eudb_pages_default.php
In parallel to the bottom up approach in identifying scientific priorities from Researchers, EUCARINET continued in the over 4 years activities to work on the identification of the research and innovation priorities of the Governments through the consultation of existing Caribbean S&I priorities policy plans and through governmental and research experts that have been interviewed and consulted. This consultation has created the basis of a “Caribbean Regional Report on priorities” which is available on the project website.
EUCARINET organized 5 Policy & Experts Dialogue workshops . A first multi-thematic (KBBE, Environment and Health) expert meeting has taken place in the Dominican Republic in March 2011.
A workshop on “Research and innovation in energy” in Guadeloupe, July 2011
A workshop on “KBBE/bioeconomy”, in Brussels, October 2012
A workshop on “Climate change and biodiversity”, in Panama, April 2013
A last workshop on “ICT”, in Guatemala, May 2013
The discussions among the thematic EU and Caribbean experts and the output of the workshops have converged into 5 thematic reports which are available on the project website (http://www.eucarinet.eu/eudocs/eudb_pages_default.php) and have been summarized together with the results from previous workshops, in a comprehensive “Caribbean Regional Position Paper on EU-Caribbean S&T cooperation priorities”. The workshops gave the opportunity to identify common priorities and define research lines so to pave the way to new cooperation opportunities, as well as enable access to cooperation opportunities to countries with low or no participation in European Programmes for Research and Innovation (now, Horizon 2020).
While continuing the priority setting exercise in line with the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation working groups, and building from the experiences shared during these 5 workshops, EUCARINET started support and enforcing of a solid Bi-regional EU-Caribbean dialogue mechanism through the preparation of a “Policy Dialogue Strategy Paper and Sustainability Plan” aimed at establishing the state of the art of the bilateral cooperation and recommendations for the way forward towards Horizon 2020. The Paper has been discussed and revised during and after the 1st Bi-regional Dialogue workshop held in April 2013 in Guyana at the CARICOM Secretariat and has been validated during the very successful 2nd Bi-regional Dialogue workshop held in June 2014 in Barbados.
Over 30 Caribbean S&T organizations/stakeholders have been participating during the 1st and 2nd Bi-regional Dialogue workshops. An important effort has also been made for the involvement of the Private Sector in EU-Caribbean research and technology innovation and cooperation through the organization of a specific workshop in Brussels, during October 2011, and a follow up event in Curaçao in April 2012. The results of the workshops have been enclosed in the “Private sector position paper on EU-Caribbean S&T cooperation priorities” that is available on the EUCARINET website.
A substantial support has been given by the project to the setting up of networks of Research Officers (ROs)/National Contact Points (NCPs). These contact points are meant to act as multipliers at sub-regional level so to promote H2020 opportunities to the local research communities and to increase the level of participation of these actors. EUCARINET identified 8 Research Officers covering the English, Spanish, French and Dutch speaking Caribbean sub-regions. In some cases such Research Officers have been already appointed by their national governments as National Contact Points through an official communication forwarded and approved by the European Commission to be now renovated for Horizon 2020. An updated list of the Caribbean appointed National Contact Point/Research officers is available through the EUCARINET Webpage for ROs/NCPs (http://www.eucarinet.eu/maps/eudb_pages_default.php)as well as on the Participant Portal of European Commission.
An Handbook for Funding Advisors has been developed for helping the ROs/NCPs to horient themselves through all the available funding opportunities and giving them useful hints and tips on how to organize their daily job while assisting their research community. Both Research Officers and National Contact Points have been involved in several training activities, staff exchanges and information days ( The Hague, October 2011; Curaçao, April 2012; Panama in April 2013 during FP7; ) often organized in cooperation with the INCONTACT network of International Cooperation (INCO) National Contact Points, ENLACE and ALCUE-net. With the start of Horizon 2020 EUCARINET has performed a number of 4 extra training sessions on the new programme in Panama in cooperation with ENLACE (April 2013) and In Curacao and Aruba, in February 2014 and in Barbados in June 2014, Moreover, two extra Open info days on H2020 were organized respectively in Barbados, June 2014, and in Dominican Republic in December 2013.
For the dissemination activities a good communication platform was created. The public project website (www.eucarinet.eu) constantly updated, contains information on the project activities, partners, project results, documents and events. A periodic newsletter as well as project leaflets (in 4 languages- English, French-Spanish, Dutch) and the EUCARINET promotional material (EUCARINET project Identity, roll ups, USB sticks) have been produced and handle out at conferences and meetings. EUCARINET has also a Facebook page where the main activities and results are posted and LinkedIn group. The EUCARINET website has also been instrumental for promoting the EUCARINET Travel Grant Scheme: a valuable opportunity for researchers from the Caribbean to attend 7 thematic brokerage events and combine the participation with specific visits to European research institutions. A second call has been published in April 2012. A total of 18 researchers from the Caribbean have applied and 10 were successfully funded to come to Europe to attend major events and to join European consortia. During the last year of project over 15 researchers, policy makers and NCPs from the Caribbean have been supported to participate to workshops for priority setting purpose, during events organized by EUCARINET , ENLACE and ALCUE-net ( in Panama , WP 3 and WP 4) , in Colombia ( WP3 and WP 4) , in Guyana and Barbados ( WP 2 and WP 4) .
A strategic and effective synergy has been established, maintained and reinforced in some cases, during the 52 months with other dialogue platforms such as ENLACE, ALCUE-KBBE, ALCUE-NET and ERANET LAC projects through the agreement on a specific programme of joint events.
EUCARINET has also committed to support the "Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation" of the LAC Senior Official Meeting (LAC-SOM initiatives). Therefore all EUCARINET thematic workshops have been in line with the priorities identified by the JIRI and foresee their active involvement in the validation of the workshops’ outcomes. The results of the different workshops have been communicated to the relevant SOM working groups. The final outcome contained in the 3 reports “Priorities dialogue workshops: the bottom up approach in the Caribbean” , in the “Priorities Match Making Statement” and in the “Caribbean regional position paper on priorities” will be delivered to European Commission and JIRI LAC SOM working groups.
EUCARINET has indeed worked to be part and contribute to 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 Caribbean. 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, Bio-economy and Biodiversity & Climate Change. Lately Health has been added as new WG.
Project Results:
Enhanced a closer collaboration with the Secretariat of the four thematic JIRI Working Groups on in line with the Guidelines set by the EU/LAC Senior Official Meeting
Our 5 Thematic priority setting workshops:
EUCARINET priority setting workshops have worked to identify common priorities for STI (Science, technology and Innovation) in the Caribbean region tackling different fields:
• Multi - Thematic priority setting for EU, Caribbean & Central America in research and innovation in the Health, Environment and climate change and Knowledge bio-based economy sectors (7th – 8th of March 2011, Santo Domingo)
• Renewable energy for the Caribbean, Guadaloupe, July 2012
• “Europe, Caribbean & Central America: Partners In ICT Research and Innovation” Visions, Innovations and Priorities Workshop (28th -29th of May 2012, La Antigua Guatemala);
• “Towards a Caribbean and a Central American knowledge Based Bio-Economy: visions, pathways and priorities” (17th - 18th of October 2012, Brussels).
• “Europe, Central America & Caribbean: Climate Change and Biodiversity Dialogue Workshops” (on, 22nd – 23rd of April 2013, Panama City)
The workshops and the surveys performed gave priority to identification and definition of research lines and scientific priorities that pave the way to new cooperation opportunities as well as enable access to cooperation opportunities to countries with low or no participation in European Programmes.
In particular great effort have been devoted to the contribution and adoption of the guidelines emerging from the EU-LAC Senior Official Meetings. All the material both preparatory paper and outcomes of the experts’ dialogue have been shared with the representatives (chairs and co-chairs) of the concerned Working Group (Bio Economy, Bio-diversity and Renewable energies and ICT ).
Furthermore, after the priority setting workshops, the exercise to link research lines to the identified sub-themes highlighted by the EU-LAC Senior Official Meeting Working Group is presented on thematic cross-matrixes respectively. All these outcomes aim to further feed the S&T policy dialogue events and future S&T EU-Caribbean cooperation activities.
Enhancing the networking among EU and Caribbean researchers
2 editions of the EUCARINET Travel Grant Scheme have been issued to promote exchange between Caribbean and European researchers as well as to encourage contacts between research institutions for joint participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and Horizon 2020.
Within the 2 calls, EUCARINET project funded over 40 among researchers, policymakers and National Contact points to attend either our 5 thematic priority setting workshops; our trainings for NCPs, or Scientific conferences in EU.
The impact assessment showed that the EUCARINET travel grant scheme was a good opportunity to promote the exchange between Caribbean and European researchers as well as to enhance contacts between research institutions from both regions. For the grantees, their journeys to Europe and Caribbean brought benefits for their personal and institutional work . Due to the visits at the partner institutions the grantees got an insight view on the work of their counterparts. Opportunities for joint future cooperation, mainly in the area of research but also for education and teaching were also facilitated. The project proposals are consolidated through personal meetings between the partner institutions as doubts can be reduced. Moreover, the direct contact to research partners also creates space for new and innovative ideas.
Long term benefits of the 1st and 2nd Call of the EUCARINET Travel Grant Scheme
The Travel Grant Scheme, as part of the EUCARINET project, provided financing for Caribbean researchers to travel to Europe. The aim was to enable a journey for the participation in a scientific event as well as to build up new contacts and facilitate institutional and scientific cooperation.
A total of 18 researchers from the Caribbean applied and 10 were successfully funded to come to Europe to attend major FP 7 and Scientific conferences/events so to facilitate the joining of European consortia. During the last period of the project, in addition to the First phase of the Travel grant scheme for researchers, over 15 among researchers, policy makers and NCPs from the Caribbean have been supported to participate to workshops for priority setting purpose, during events organized by EUCARINET , ENLACE and ALCUE-net ( in Panama , WP 3 and WP 4) , in Colombia ( WP3 and WP 4) , in Guyana and Barbados ( WP 2 and WP 4) .
The dissemination highlight in the third period was represented by the "H2020 Awareness raising Infodays" together with the "catalogue of Caribbean Researchers". The series of 4 events in Dominican Republic, Aruba, Curacao and Barbados aimed at giving the widest visibility of EUCARINET to the broadest audience at all levels such as the scientific community in Europe and Caribbean , the EC officers and EU institutions as well as the EU 27 member states. The EUCARINET Catalogue of Researchers will facilitate the possibility of starting research contacts and collaboration in the framework of H2020 and beyond.
Potential Impact:
All the EUCARINET activities: ST&I surveys with governmental, private sector and researchers, thematic workshops, bi-regional policy dialogues, raising awareness initiatives with researchers and stakeholders produced sound knowledge exchange and the identification of common areas of interest of European and Caribbean research themes. Understandings of similar problems yet different perception of various
concepts emerged throughout the whole exercise.
The tangible impact generated by EUCARINET is , on one side, given by the identification of common gaps, needs and future views on the ST&I dialogue experienced through the project and also given by the analysis and the reinforcing of an intra-regional and a bi-regional dialogue between EU and the Caribbean but also among the Caribbean researchers community and their policy makers:
Data analysis
Through a desk research analysis of the scientific production in the Caribbean, EUCARINET has generated a “R&D online Database” to map and promote all the relevant Caribbean research institutions and outstanding individual researchers which are interested in research collaborations with Europe.
In parallel to the bottom up approach in identifying scientific priorities from Researchers, EUCARINET continued in the over 4 years activities to work on the identification of the research and innovation priorities of the Governments through the consultation of existing Caribbean S&I priorities policy plans and through governmental and research experts that have been interviewed and consulted. This consultation has created the basis of a “Caribbean Regional Report on priorities” which is available on the project website.
Facilitating access to information - Sharing information, data collection and data strategy access is lacking in the Caribbean 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;
Research indicators
Evaluating infrastructure issues ( mainly lacking and fragmented in the region) , creating of Regional Contact Points as hubs in the region that can take a role in the “vehiculating of the right and timely information”, in analysing and processing it to finally make it available to policy makers and agencies, business and researchers for relevant use can be considered as a strategic approach.
Private Sector
An important effort has also been made for the involvement of the Private Sector in EU-Caribbean research and technology innovation and cooperation through the organization of a specific workshop in Brussels, during October 2011, and a follow up event in Curaçao in April 2012. The results of the workshops have been enclosed in the “Private sector position paper on EU-Caribbean S&T cooperation priorities” that is available on the EUCARINET website.
- 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 Caribbean research. In order to be sustainable, economic growth combined with the exploration of the research potential CAR countries can provide is necessary. Discovering different types of innovative products in the CAR region, evaluating infrastructure issues, creating focal points in the region that can take in the information, analyse 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 CAR-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 CAR 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
Creating an International Centre of excellence on Biodiversity; Foster Caribbean regional research collaboration as a way to increase critical mass in research and to mainstream existing excellence
Unique Biodiversity Centre of Excellence in the Caribbean
Biodiversity is a huge green treasure that Caribbean region should preserve, map, study, and sustainably use for global benefit. Public and private sectors from the whole Caribbean region and other actors investing in the region should join forces in such an infrastructure for research and innovation open also to EU countries.
The Caribbean is a global ‘diversity hotspot’
Greater understanding of the relationships within complex chemical, biological and social systems reveals the fundamental principles of sustainability. It also provides the knowledge to progress from remediation of ecological disasters to predictive and preventive capabilities. The high degree of diversity in the Caribbean region provides an ideal setting to determine how the inherent complexity of nature responds to human pressures and global change. Since direct human pressures in the Caribbean are generally not as great as in more populated and industrialized European nations, the region provides opportunities to reveal the basic processes shaping ecosystems. These in turn could help guide new technological advances in areas of food production (e.g. no tillage principle and integrated aquaculture. They can also improve our general understanding of the role that ecological processes play in shaping patterns of diversity at different scales of time and space, as well as of the ecological processes in natural and human-dominated ecosystems in order to prescribe restoration and management strategies. Moreover, they will enable us to respond appropriately to the interaction of ecological and social pressures.
Reinforce Research infrastructures in the region open to all Caribbean Regions and beyond
Increase both Level and existence of research labs /infrastructures to make the region more competitive and have a better level of research exchange with EU member States.
There is a long tradition of mutually beneficial collaborations between institutions in the EU and the Caribbean. However, there is a human development and an infrastructural deficit in the region that hinders further expansion of sustainable relationships with EU partners. Targeted calls to include EU and Caribbean partners for the improvement of existing capacity and infrastructure.
Islands as natural laboratories
Islands are particularly suitable for conducting research as a result of their discrete boundaries and their inherent diversity in terms of natural, cultural and socio-political systems. European researchers do not generally take great advantage of this asset. Societal and environmental changes in response to changing conditions (e.g. global change or technological improvements) are often rapidly visible in small Caribbean nations and thus facilitates testing or pioneering new concepts that would be harder to quantify in more complex and larger systems found in European countries. Pioneering new concepts in the Caribbean would improve the rate at which new concepts become better understood.
Invest in Education Programmes to support the research and innovation “careers”; support the creation of Intra-regional PHD programmes,
Actions to encourage and promote a career focused on Research and Innovation issues are necessary.
Sensibilization actions towards relevant stakeholders to create PHD programmes for the Caribbean Region and increase mobility of research from EU to the Caribbean and viceversa.
Mapping technologies needs on relevant sectors for Green and Blue Growth/Market opportunities for European technologies
The relatively small size of the market and areas of production in the Caribbean require the development of eco-intensification techniques and innovative processing technologies competitive at small and medium scale. Some European engineering firms have developed appropriate technologies that could be transferred to the Caribbean region to solve these problems that hinder market access of Caribbean products. An important example is the aseptic packaging technologies to produce safe food without need to count, for distribution, on a well structured cold chain fond of energy.
There is a need to Establish technology transfer offices and networks of incubators for screening, preparing and maturing Caribbean research proposals and business models as well as ensure there is adequate linkage between knowledge generators, business, industry and service sectors in the region to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.
REVISED ACTIONS TO STRENGTHEN CARIBBEAN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION AND ITS EU ENGAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATION 1. CONVERGENCE, ENGAGEMENT & DIALOGUE. The Caribbean must firmly engage in the dialogue with Europe and the EU must take into account the particular features of the Caribbean region.
1.1 Create a strong STI Focal Point within CARICOM to provide administrative support, set common directions for bi-lateral initiatives with a clear statement of overall objectives and desired policy directions on the identified priority settings for cooperation and finally monitor and track progress. This will use CCST for technical communication and engagement.
1.2 Participate in JIRI working groups to identify, collect and distribute the best practices and success stories of cooperation, to establish greater links between the bi-regional dialogue engagements and enhance coherence and convergence of bi-regional dialogue to foster efficient collaboration.
1.3 Develop some H2020 calls targeting the Caribbean, both within and beyond the ACP scheme, in line with the research priorities emerging from the region and involving private institutions and the industrial private sector.
RECOMMENDATION 2. USE, FOSTER & SUPPORT. Raise the profile of Research and Innovation in Caribbean policy agendas by using international cooperation as a lever
2.1 Increase investment in STI for greater productivity, economic prosperity and development Provide advocacy for resources for STI in the region; including development of projects under Horizon 2020.
2.2 Channel STI funds effectively through periodic regional meetings
2.3 Establish a strong, active communication arm to exchange best collaboration practices, to inform on and update policy dialogue and to establish a high visibility Results Framework for STI in the Caribbean as part of advocacy for resources , led by the STI focal point.
RECOMMENDATION 3. CONSOLIDATE, ENHANCE & LINK. Foster Caribbean regional collaboration as a way to increase critical mass in research and to mainstream existing excellence
3.1 Stage STI conferences (at least biennially) to facilitate Bi-regional Dialogue and cooperation, strengthen networks, continue knowledge sharing, & engage the Private Sector
3.2 Act to reduce the brain drain and take advantage of the Caribbean researchers’ diaspora as natural links to increase international cooperation.
3.3 Widen, strengthen and deepen the networks to serve as the backbone of STI development in the region, adding a virtual network of “Caribbean researchers and innovators abroad” to tap into this resource.
RECOMMENDATION 4. AWARENESS, BRIDGE & TRANSFER. Strengthen local support for Horizon2020 participation and other international collaboration in Research and Innovation
4.1 Build strategic alliances in the critical Caribbean research areas such as Green Growth, Energy & Food Security, in line with the goals that governments have set.
4.2 Develop and enhance a network of NCPs within the Caribbean for promoting H2020 participation and cooperation with the EU.
4.3 Establish technology transfer offices and networks of incubators for screening, preparing and maturing Caribbean research proposals and business models as well as ensure there is adequate linkage between knowledge generators, business, industry and service sectors in the region to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.
List of Websites:
Public website address and contact details
http://www.eucarinet.eu
Coordinator: Diassina Di Maggio (dimaggio@apre.it)
Caterina Buonocore ( buonocore@apre.it)
APRE
Via Cavour 71 - 00184 Rome (Italy)
Tel +39 06 48939993
List of all beneficiaries
Number Partner Contact Person(s) E-mail
1 APRE Diassina Di Maggio
Caterina Buonocore dimaggio@apre.it
buonocore@apre.it
2 MENON Fabio Nascimbeni
Beatrice Niyibigira
Jimena Arango fabio.nascimbeni@menon.org
beatrice.niyibigira@menon.org
jimena.arango@menon.org
3 CIRAD Cindy Van Hifte
Oceane Wacrenier olivier.pierre@cirad.fr
oceane.wacrenier@cirad.fr
4 EL&I Koos de Korte
Ben Kubbinga koos.dekorte@agentschapnl.nl
ben.kubbinga@agentschapnl.nl
5 UAB Gustavo Perez
Jose Luis Brianso gustavo.perez@uab.es
joseluis.brianso@uab.cat
6 CARICOM Myrna Bernard
Rawl Prescott mbernard@caricom.org
rawl.prescott@caricom.org
7 UWI Wayne Hunte
Sean Carrington pvcresearch@cavehill.uwi.edu
sean.carrington@cavehill.uwi.edu
8 UAG Marie Ange Arséne
Edward Greene maarsene@univ-ag.fr
egreene@caricom.org
9 UNIBE Darwin Munoz
Tahiri Calderon d.munoz@unibe.edu.do
t.calderon@unibe.edu.do
10 CITMA Daysarih Tapanes Robau
Alejandro Riverp daysarih@citma.cu
alejandro@ceniai.inf.cu
11 UNA Zarja Rojers z.rojer@una.cw