Final Report Summary - ENCOMAR - TRANSPORT (Enhanced co-operation between EU member states and Associated Candidate States in Maritime Research on Transport)
The specific support action ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT project was funded by the sixth framework programme and launched to support the integration of the new EU member states, applicant countries, Russia and Ukraine in research on maritime transport, thereby helping to jointly use R&D potentials and resources and to promote a culture of innovation throughout the enlarged European Union and neighbour countries.
ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT had two general strategic objectives:
- to support the integration of the associated candidate States, Russia and Ukraine into the European maritime research area, thus supporting EU policies and the formation of ERA; and
- to support the goals defined in the maritime part of the sustainable surface priority of the Sixth Framework Programme, in particular to strengthen European competitiveness through scientific and technological excellence.
In detail, ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT had the following objectives:
- Increasing awareness of the maritime potentials of the 'new' EU Member States, applicant countries, Russia and Ukraine in research and industry
- Creating a network of maritime R&D contact points providing a basis for a sustainable infrastructure for maritime R&D cooperation.
- Inform about potentials and activities of European research in the new European member states, applicant countries, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey
- Inform the research community and industry in the EU member states about the potentials of new partners from countries not yet integrated in European research activities.
The approach to tackle the major project objectives was the identification of the main maritime actors and potential of each country executed by the each partner for their country. In order to increase awareness about the potentials of European maritime research, nine workshops were conducted on national level by the ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT partners to disseminate information about European maritime transport research in their individual countries. This was to enable a broad participation of research and industrial actors in those countries, in particular encouraging the participation of SMEs. Four Brokerage Events have been organised and managed by AMFI, Marintek, CMT and OUCCAES. These events were organised to give potential 'new' actors the opportunity to present their interests, potential, needs, skills and services towards the EU research community and maritime industry. Brokerage events took place in Budapest, Oslo, Hamburg and Rostock and were dedicated to four different thematic priorities. Three of the events were organised in conjunction with larger events, the SMM in Hamburg and conferences in Oslo and Rostock-Warnemünde. Three research fields with high potential for the integration of new EU member states, applicant countries, Russia and Ukraine were identified and expressions of interest were prepared, forwarded to Waterborne and described in more detail. Last but not least, project management was responsible for the efficient administration of the project and to promote and stimulate the establishment of contacts with other relevant external research projects and overall dissemination activities, and preparing the ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT website.
The project's action can be categorised into the following main areas:
- Creation of a Network of Maritime R&D National Contact Points in new member states, associated candidate countries, Russia and Ukraine
- Collection and dissemination of information on maritime actors, strategies and research priorities
- Inform about potentials and activities of European research on national/regional level by executing Awareness Workshops and other networking and dissemination activities
- Information of research community and industry in the 'old' EU member states about the potentials of partners from 'newcomers' via Brokerage Events
- Involving partners in proposal preparation of FP6 Call 3B
- Launching of EUROMAR-BRIDGES
- Expressions of interest in 3 priority areas
- Project management and execution.
The result of ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT gave much better overview of the industrial and scientific activities in the East-European Countries. This overview which also includes the overview of the maritime clusters in the participating Western European Countries has not been available before in such a detail. This could also be a basis for further development of stronger maritime clusters especially in the Eastern countries.
In summary, achievements and added value of the ENCOMAR project were:
- Developed new knowledge about EU R&D Policy on Maritime industry;
- Assuring the 'sustainable growth' of maritime knowledge;
- Exchange of experience and best practice in order to implement it and obviate mistakes;
- Exchange of R&D knowledge and best practices;
- Achieving the critical mass of the new representatives for further interactions within new European joint activities;
- Involving LLSRA into the first for them BP6 project EUROMIND.
Taking the above into consideration the participation in the ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT project was very valuable. Moreover, the possibility to work together with other New Member States, Candidate Countries as well as Russia and Ukraine shaped the partner's approach towards potential collaboration in future in the form of new project proposals to be submitted within FP7 in order to extend the knowledge and to achieve critical mass for solving common maritime problems.
ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT had two general strategic objectives:
- to support the integration of the associated candidate States, Russia and Ukraine into the European maritime research area, thus supporting EU policies and the formation of ERA; and
- to support the goals defined in the maritime part of the sustainable surface priority of the Sixth Framework Programme, in particular to strengthen European competitiveness through scientific and technological excellence.
In detail, ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT had the following objectives:
- Increasing awareness of the maritime potentials of the 'new' EU Member States, applicant countries, Russia and Ukraine in research and industry
- Creating a network of maritime R&D contact points providing a basis for a sustainable infrastructure for maritime R&D cooperation.
- Inform about potentials and activities of European research in the new European member states, applicant countries, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey
- Inform the research community and industry in the EU member states about the potentials of new partners from countries not yet integrated in European research activities.
The approach to tackle the major project objectives was the identification of the main maritime actors and potential of each country executed by the each partner for their country. In order to increase awareness about the potentials of European maritime research, nine workshops were conducted on national level by the ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT partners to disseminate information about European maritime transport research in their individual countries. This was to enable a broad participation of research and industrial actors in those countries, in particular encouraging the participation of SMEs. Four Brokerage Events have been organised and managed by AMFI, Marintek, CMT and OUCCAES. These events were organised to give potential 'new' actors the opportunity to present their interests, potential, needs, skills and services towards the EU research community and maritime industry. Brokerage events took place in Budapest, Oslo, Hamburg and Rostock and were dedicated to four different thematic priorities. Three of the events were organised in conjunction with larger events, the SMM in Hamburg and conferences in Oslo and Rostock-Warnemünde. Three research fields with high potential for the integration of new EU member states, applicant countries, Russia and Ukraine were identified and expressions of interest were prepared, forwarded to Waterborne and described in more detail. Last but not least, project management was responsible for the efficient administration of the project and to promote and stimulate the establishment of contacts with other relevant external research projects and overall dissemination activities, and preparing the ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT website.
The project's action can be categorised into the following main areas:
- Creation of a Network of Maritime R&D National Contact Points in new member states, associated candidate countries, Russia and Ukraine
- Collection and dissemination of information on maritime actors, strategies and research priorities
- Inform about potentials and activities of European research on national/regional level by executing Awareness Workshops and other networking and dissemination activities
- Information of research community and industry in the 'old' EU member states about the potentials of partners from 'newcomers' via Brokerage Events
- Involving partners in proposal preparation of FP6 Call 3B
- Launching of EUROMAR-BRIDGES
- Expressions of interest in 3 priority areas
- Project management and execution.
The result of ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT gave much better overview of the industrial and scientific activities in the East-European Countries. This overview which also includes the overview of the maritime clusters in the participating Western European Countries has not been available before in such a detail. This could also be a basis for further development of stronger maritime clusters especially in the Eastern countries.
In summary, achievements and added value of the ENCOMAR project were:
- Developed new knowledge about EU R&D Policy on Maritime industry;
- Assuring the 'sustainable growth' of maritime knowledge;
- Exchange of experience and best practice in order to implement it and obviate mistakes;
- Exchange of R&D knowledge and best practices;
- Achieving the critical mass of the new representatives for further interactions within new European joint activities;
- Involving LLSRA into the first for them BP6 project EUROMIND.
Taking the above into consideration the participation in the ENCOMAR-TRANSPORT project was very valuable. Moreover, the possibility to work together with other New Member States, Candidate Countries as well as Russia and Ukraine shaped the partner's approach towards potential collaboration in future in the form of new project proposals to be submitted within FP7 in order to extend the knowledge and to achieve critical mass for solving common maritime problems.
