Final Report Summary - SCOPE-EAST (Scenarios for a co-ordinated approach to sustainable S/T co-operation with the Eastern Neighbours of the EU)
The project SCOPE-EAST intended to take sustainable steps in view of an enhanced coordination of the R&D cooperation of interested EU-Member States and Associated Candidate States with Russia and Eastern Europe. SCOPE-EAST addressed the question of how to achieve optimum coherence between national cooperation strategies and the EU R&D cooperation strategy and of how cooperation in R&D can contribute to other policies of the EU such as the European Neighbourhood Policy. Target countries of SCOPE-EAST were in the first step Russia and Ukraine.
SCOPE-EAST aimed in particular at:
- identifying strategic research areas of common interest to EU Member States, Association States and the Eastern neighbours of the EU;
- creation of a sustainable communication and coordination platform of political stakeholders of EU Member States, Association States and the Eastern neighbours of the EU dealing with the exchange of information, the discussion and coordination of S/T cooperation policies and the preparation of joint actions;
- facilitating a dialogue on scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable cooperation with Russia, the Ukraine and the other Eastern European countries among stakeholders from the science community and policy;
- developing concrete recommendations for enhancing the S/T cooperation.
The project consisted of five individual work packages (WP), as follows:
WP 1: Identifying strategic research areas.
A multi-dimensional and future-oriented analysis was carried out in the frame of the SCOPEEAST project, which consists of the following components:
- personal interviews with representatives of ministries and key organisations in charge of S/T cooperation in selected EU-Member States (MS), states associated to the RTD Framework Programme of the EU (Associated States - AS) and in Russia and Ukraine;
- bibliometric analysis of research potential in Russia and Ukraine;
- quantitative and qualitative analysis of Russian and Ukrainian participation in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) including cooperation links to EU-27 within FP6, INTAS, ISTC, STCU.
The analyses assess trends, perspectives and needs for action regarding the framework conditions of S/T cooperation with Russia and Ukraine.
WP 2: Creation of a sustainable communication and coordination platform.
A communication and coordination platform consisting of representatives of key organisations of the EU-27, Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries was created to facilitate:
- the continuous dialogue on key issues of R&D cooperation policy;
- the development of scenarios an concrete ideas for future joint activities between Member States, Associated Candidate States on the one hand and Russia, the Ukraine and other Eastern European countries including participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
From the very beginning of the project it was evident that establishing the communication and coordination platform has to be interlinked closely to the policy dialogue platforms to be developed in the INCO-NET EECA (Eastern Europe and Central Asia) project.
WP 3: Options for an enhanced cooperation in the EU framework programmes.
In order to enhance the participation of Russian and Ukrainian research teams in FP7, the SCOPE-EAST project consortium prepared information dossiers on the research potential of Russia and Ukraine. These would allow to identify research areas within the specific programme 'Cooperation' to which Russia and the Ukraine may provide significant scientific contributions.
WP 4: Conference on 'Scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable cooperation with the Eastern neighbours of the EU'.
Principal objective of this work package was the organisation of a conference 'Scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable S/T cooperation with the Eastern neighbours of the EU'. Which took place 3-4 December in Moscow.
In the framework of the conference four thematic workshops were organised in the following strategic research areas of mutual interest:
- biotechnology: systems biology of plants
- health: infectious diseases
- nanotechnology: nano-photonics, impact of nano-materials on health and environment
- energy: biofuels, foresight research in energy.
WP 5: Strategy paper on 'Scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable cooperation with the Eastern neighbours of the EU'.
Based on the results of WP 1 and on the outcome of WP 4, a brochure was prepared containing a synthesis of the analyses prepared in WP 1 and recommendations regarding the following topics:
- thematic and strategic input for future approaches to assure transparency and coordination of bilateral activities of the Member States, Associated Candidate States, Russia, the Ukraine and other Eastern European countries;
- contributions to foster the coherence between national cooperation strategies and the EU R&D cooperation policy;
- possible scenarios and instruments to establish cooperation in R&D as a major pillar for the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
WP 6: Dissemination.
The dissemination of information and insights is a constitutive element of all project activities. All relevant results produced in the WPs 1-5 are continuously disseminated to stakeholders in science, science policy and science management. A project web site was launched: http://www.scope-east.net.
SCOPE-EAST aimed in particular at:
- identifying strategic research areas of common interest to EU Member States, Association States and the Eastern neighbours of the EU;
- creation of a sustainable communication and coordination platform of political stakeholders of EU Member States, Association States and the Eastern neighbours of the EU dealing with the exchange of information, the discussion and coordination of S/T cooperation policies and the preparation of joint actions;
- facilitating a dialogue on scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable cooperation with Russia, the Ukraine and the other Eastern European countries among stakeholders from the science community and policy;
- developing concrete recommendations for enhancing the S/T cooperation.
The project consisted of five individual work packages (WP), as follows:
WP 1: Identifying strategic research areas.
A multi-dimensional and future-oriented analysis was carried out in the frame of the SCOPEEAST project, which consists of the following components:
- personal interviews with representatives of ministries and key organisations in charge of S/T cooperation in selected EU-Member States (MS), states associated to the RTD Framework Programme of the EU (Associated States - AS) and in Russia and Ukraine;
- bibliometric analysis of research potential in Russia and Ukraine;
- quantitative and qualitative analysis of Russian and Ukrainian participation in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) including cooperation links to EU-27 within FP6, INTAS, ISTC, STCU.
The analyses assess trends, perspectives and needs for action regarding the framework conditions of S/T cooperation with Russia and Ukraine.
WP 2: Creation of a sustainable communication and coordination platform.
A communication and coordination platform consisting of representatives of key organisations of the EU-27, Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries was created to facilitate:
- the continuous dialogue on key issues of R&D cooperation policy;
- the development of scenarios an concrete ideas for future joint activities between Member States, Associated Candidate States on the one hand and Russia, the Ukraine and other Eastern European countries including participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
From the very beginning of the project it was evident that establishing the communication and coordination platform has to be interlinked closely to the policy dialogue platforms to be developed in the INCO-NET EECA (Eastern Europe and Central Asia) project.
WP 3: Options for an enhanced cooperation in the EU framework programmes.
In order to enhance the participation of Russian and Ukrainian research teams in FP7, the SCOPE-EAST project consortium prepared information dossiers on the research potential of Russia and Ukraine. These would allow to identify research areas within the specific programme 'Cooperation' to which Russia and the Ukraine may provide significant scientific contributions.
WP 4: Conference on 'Scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable cooperation with the Eastern neighbours of the EU'.
Principal objective of this work package was the organisation of a conference 'Scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable S/T cooperation with the Eastern neighbours of the EU'. Which took place 3-4 December in Moscow.
In the framework of the conference four thematic workshops were organised in the following strategic research areas of mutual interest:
- biotechnology: systems biology of plants
- health: infectious diseases
- nanotechnology: nano-photonics, impact of nano-materials on health and environment
- energy: biofuels, foresight research in energy.
WP 5: Strategy paper on 'Scenarios for a coordinated approach to sustainable cooperation with the Eastern neighbours of the EU'.
Based on the results of WP 1 and on the outcome of WP 4, a brochure was prepared containing a synthesis of the analyses prepared in WP 1 and recommendations regarding the following topics:
- thematic and strategic input for future approaches to assure transparency and coordination of bilateral activities of the Member States, Associated Candidate States, Russia, the Ukraine and other Eastern European countries;
- contributions to foster the coherence between national cooperation strategies and the EU R&D cooperation policy;
- possible scenarios and instruments to establish cooperation in R&D as a major pillar for the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
WP 6: Dissemination.
The dissemination of information and insights is a constitutive element of all project activities. All relevant results produced in the WPs 1-5 are continuously disseminated to stakeholders in science, science policy and science management. A project web site was launched: http://www.scope-east.net.
