Final Report Summary - BIO TRIANGLE (Streamlining bio-research in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States with Europe through multilateral cooperation activities)
BIO TRIANGLE is a three year support action and the overall strategy of the work plan is to reinforce international S&T cooperation between Europe and four industrialized Third Countries which together form an imaginary TRIANGLE around the globe. It aims at streamlining bio-research in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States through multilateral cooperation activities with Europe.
Bilateral and multilateral S&T cooperation of Europe with Third Countries stands high on the agenda of the European Commission. Indeed, one of the pillars for the creation of the Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) is formed by the numerous initiatives with Third Countries – that have signed bilateral S&T agreements with the EU – that have been launched over the past two decades.
The project performs its activities giving support to the EU with the implementation of two initiatives (EU-US task force and KBBE forum) in order to foster the scientific and technological cooperation in the Knowledge-Based Bio Economy (KBBE).
These two important initiatives, particularly relevant when it comes to the development of new and emerging (bio)technologies by industrialized countries, are the EU-US Task Force on biotechnology and the International KBBE Forum.
Project Context and Objectives:
BIO TRIANGLE supports the European Commission in the implementation and organization of the activities foreseen in the frame of the EU-US Task Force and the International KBBE Forum.
The specific objectives of the project are:
1) To ensure a prominent groundwork for foresight and priority setting in the area of KBBE (Knowledge based on Bio Economy)
2) To strengthen the multilateral dialogue and the exchange of information
3) To facilitate exchange programmes in order to foster communication and sharing expertise amongst researchers.
The activities vary from the organization of the plenary meetings attended by the Task Force officials, to all the organizational aspects related to the workshops, short courses and working visit of the working groups of the two initiatives.
The working groups are formed by scientists and address particular topics identified by the two initiatives.
By today the Task Force is working through the following Working groups:
• Animal health
• Marine Genomics
• Obesity
• Environmental biotechnology
• Plant Biotechnology
• Synthetic Biology
• Biobased products and Bioenergy
The four current Working Groups at the heart of the Forum's activities are:
• Working group on Industrial bioproducts
• Working group on Aquaculture and Fisheries
• Working group on Food and Health
• Working group on Sustainable Agriculture
Project Results:
In the first reporting period the project has supported the organisation of the following activities:
EU-US task force
• 1 task force meeting
• 3 webinars
• 4 workshops
• 2 short courses
International KBBE forum
• 2 webinars
• 1 Workshops supporting the participation of experts (just reimbursement)
o Workshop on “Plant Bio-industrial Oils” 6-7 March 2013, KBBE Forum Working Group meeting, 8th March 2013
• 2 Workshops supporting the overall management, implementation and organization of the activities
o Workshop of “Implementation of an Ecosystem-based Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM)” a Collaborative initiative between the EU, Australia, Canada and New Zealand/Vigo, Spain, 25-29th June, 2012.
o Workshop of “Diseases mitigation and prevention in mollusk aquaculture” a Collaborative initiative between the EU, Australia, Canada and New Zealand/Nantes, France, 11-15th June, 2012
In the second reporting period the project has supported the implementation of the following activities:
EU-US task force
• Preparation of methodology for impact assessment of WGs
• Draft Impact assessment on Biotechnology WG
• Preparation of Questionnaires addressed to EC WG leaders and selected project coordinators
• Carrying out the reimbursement for participants of the Joint EU-US Theoretical and Practical Training Course on Marine Bioinformatics in Newark, Delaware, USA
• Organisational support for a short course addressing young researchers in the field of Environmental Biotechnology in Milan, Italy
• Preparation of ad hoc questionnaires addressed to EU-US Task Force WG experts and to project coordinator
• Preparation of draft impact assessment on EU-US Task Force (Biotechnology WG)
• 1 workshop
• 1 short course
International KBBE forum
• Organisation of webinar for KBBE Working Group Bio-Based Industrial Products
• Preparation of Questionnaires addressed to researchers in order to prepare the Impact Assessment
• Preparation of Questionnaires addressed to project coordinators in order to prepare Impact Assessment
• Sending out and collecting the answers for the questionnaires on both (workshop and project) level in order to prepare Impact Assessment
• Preparation and implementation of 2 workshops
• Producing KBBE Events Plans
• Coordinating the reimbursement of researchers involved in the workshops
• 1 webinar
• 2 Workshops supporting the participation of experts (just reimbursement)
1. Workshop entitled “Value Chain for Natural Fibres”, 1-2 August 2013, Montreal Canada
2. Master class and International workshop on “Food structure, digestion and health” 21-24 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia
3. Workshop on “Diagnosis of Mollusc Diseases” 22-24 October 2013, Geelong, Australia
4. Workshop on “Ecosystem models for Fisheries Management” 25-28 November 2013, Hobart, Australia
5. MICE Model, 28 April – 1 May 2014, Wellington, NewZealand
6. AAIC 2014, 15-18 September 2014, Athens, Greece
7. SOCIOEC twinning workshop, 12-13 July 2014, Brisbane, Australia with Workshop of “Socio-economic assessment of fisheries management measures”
• 2 Workshops supporting the overall management, implementation and organization of the activities
1. Workshop of “Twinning Workshop Trawling Impact on Benthic Ecosystem” a Collaborative initiative between the EU, Australia, Canada and New Zealand/Tromsø, Norway, 20-21th June, 2014
2. Workshop of “Health for all: understanding the ageing process” a Collaborative initiative between the EU, Australia, Canada and New Zealand/Bologna, Italy, 1-3th October, 2014
Potential Impact:
The expected impacts of BIO TRIANGLE are mainly oriented on a strengthened cooperation amongst all the countries involved in the EU US Task Force and in the International KBBE Forum, both at the policy-making and the researcher level. The impacts are also oriented on a greater awareness amongst researchers of the possibilities, benefits and best practices of bilateral and multilateral S&T cooperation; and an increased exchange of knowledge and skills that support the further development of Bio Economy. According to the Technical Annex an Impact assessment was not foreseen. However the BIO TRIANGEL Project has delivered a draft Impact Assessment on EU-US Task Force outlining challenges faced by Working Groups paving the way towards a new strategic vision in line with Horizon 2020.
Key facts:
Overall the BIO TRIANGLE project supported:
- 146 experts selected by the Working Group Leaders and involved in the Knowledge-Based Bioeconomy Forum and in the EU-US Task Force activities
- 27 students attending two international short courses.
The activities carried out and results achieved by Biotriangle have contributed to strengthen the collaboration among Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States through workshops, short courses, webinars and yields productive discussions in the industrial, economical, political and scientific communities.
List of Websites:
http://biotriangle.apre.it/
APRE
Diassina Di Maggio
dimaggio@apre.it
+39 06 48939993
Chiara Pocaterra
pocaterra@apre.it
Gianluigi Di Bello
dibello@apre.it
Brussels office
+32 2 2902271
FFG
Birgit Steininger
Birgit.Steininger@ffg.at
+43 (0) 5 77 55-4101
Astrid Flandorfer
Astrid.Flandorfer@ffg.at
CRES
Efthimia Alexopoulou
ealex@cres.gr
+30 210 6603392
Mr. Ioannis Eleftheriadis
joel@cres.gr
into Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd
Patricia Groo-Nagy
patricia.groo@bayzoltan.hu
+36-1-4630561