Quintuple Helix Approach to Targeted Open Innovation in Energy, Water, Agriculture in the South Mediterranean Neighborhood

Project Information

5TOI_4EWAS

Grant agreement ID: 692523

DOI

10.3030/692523

Project closed

EC signature date 25 May 2016

Start date 1 May 2016

End date 30 April 2019

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Europe In A Changing World - Inclusive, Innovative And Reflective Societies

Total cost

€ 1 949 914,00

EU contribution

€ 1 949 644,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - 5TOI_4EWAS (Quintuple Helix Approach to Targeted Open Innovation in Energy, Water, Agriculture in the South Mediterranean Neighborhood)

Reporting period: 2017-11-01 to 2019-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

5TOI_4EWAS brings a very innovative implementation path in addressing interactions between Food, Energy and Water through a NEXUS approach by involving widest possible range of stakeholders in MPCs through Quintuple Helix approach (QHA). The project will perform a series of activities aiming:
To enhance Water-Energy-Food Nexus approach through a balanced innovation friendly ecosystem in MPCs based on QHA and smart specialization strategies to support regional development through analysis of identified societal challenges.
To ensure coherence and complementarity at regional level with past/on-going initiatives and existing bilateral S&T Agreements, involving widest possible range of stakeholders for an enhanced and more reliable definition of priority setting mechanisms from an innovation point of view.
To increase research capacity, effective mobility of young innovators and researchers and shared knowledge, contributing to establishment of favorable and stable conditions for targeted open innovation through international cooperation.
To allow building of synergies among several on-going initiatives thanks to established NEXUS Think Tank (NTT), Network of Advisors Board (NAB) and existing NEXUS related observatories in MPC.
To focalize efforts and interest of innovators by definition of a Join Action Plan (JAP) to effectively use it as a science diplomacy tool and facilitate identification of remaining obstacles, conflicts for cooperation and support R&I bilateral policy dialogue between EU-MPCs.
To contribute to increase MPCs researchers’ access to scientific excellence through capacity building activities, making available Large Research Infrastructures and relevant facilities and by developing joint research and entrepreneurial activities across MPCs.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

• 70 relevant literature sources within website library (water/energy/food/NEXUS)
• Electronic survey to study cooperation between higher education institutions and public/private organizations in MPCs and report gathered information. +700 replies
• An updated Inventory on S&T cooperation between EU-MPC region (MO/DZ/TN/LB/EG/PS/JO/TK)
• Available IT tool through the project website to check MPC’s performance evolution since FP6-H2020
• 42 qualitative interviews with relevant representatives of quintuple helix of value chains of water/energy/food from +10 countries from partnership. Gathered info let to generate baseline position and relevant information to support science and innovation policy dialogue in MPC region
• +15 interviews with corresponding EC delegation representatives at target MPC’s to validate outputs derived from inventory on S&T cooperation and prepare recommendations through NTT activity
• An interactive map of existing observatories active on water/energy/food in MPC area to observe and monitor EU-MPC cooperation/trends in societal challenges
• A Joint Action plan as a key policy-oriented outcomes to drive management focus from inputs to outputs and boost achievement and results of pre-defined aims to address future water/energy/food NEXUS challenges in EU-MPC region
• Regular participation of 6 members of Network of Advisors Board (NAB) (including representatives from MEDSPRING/UfM), members of NTT on organized events
• +45 members (including relevant members of international initiatives such as WSSTP, PRIMA, UfM and Water JPI) engaged on activities of NTT. 4 meetings of NTT, during project meetings and Innovation weeks.
• 12 policy papers, addressing different NEXUS challenges as outputs derived from NTT
• Organization of 3 Innovation weeks in Casablanca, Beirut and Tunis (including brokerage events, trainings, participatory sessions and workshops) with an average of 85% of participants satisfaction rate. +350 attendants to different organized events. +150 participants in 3 brokerage events organized with an average satisfaction rate +80 %
• 90 trained individuals during training events organized during innovation weeks
• 10 H2020 champions granted develop their secondments at EU institutions
• 10 R&I vouchers and corresponding call for proposals. Selected 9 individuals (5/9 female) that accomplish their secondment with satisfaction rates +80 %
• +150 attendants to final conference, satisfaction rates +80 % and a relevant coverage of mass media with +5 TV interviews and +5 radio interviews, including appearance in newspapers
• Continuous meetings with DG R&I to monitor de progress of the project, define future actions and synergies with relevant initiatives in the region such as 4PRIMA, PRIMA, BlueMed, JRC, ENI CBC Med, and MEDSPRING, contributing to the different organized GSO meetings
• Contributions to PRIMA SRIA 2.0 based on 5TOI_4EWAS activities, released deliverables and corresponding NTT outputs
• Full operating web site since 11/16. Promotional kit that includes a series of tools for efficient dissemination/communication through social networks

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

More strategic priority setting for cooperation with EU across whole of H2020 through a wide-ranging dialogue and interaction to define and update a baseline for S&T Cooperation in EU-MPC basin, the establishment of a platform for the transfer of benefits of research cooperation to policy and private stakeholders and widely spread out project’s outcomes to improve awareness about this type of dialogue and thus fostering involvement of widest possible range of stakeholders in the priority setting exercise.
Stronger interaction between EU / MPC’s researchers through a solid participation of MPC partners in H2020 through i) transfer of knowledge for involved members of different value chains, thus forging stronger links sought by H2020, ii) capacity building activities for stronger interaction between involved members of different value chains by bringing the members’ together stimulating their interaction and improve participation of MPC in EU programmes.
Establishment of optimal framework conditions for international cooperation through a series of actions (enhancement of skills and capabilities) and tools (e.g. JAP) to increase mutual understanding of problems arising this area, establish mutual/co-designed solutions and create the framework conditions for long-lasting and sustainable cooperation. 5TOI_4EWAS contributes to identify how to overcome bottlenecks and how to take advantage of opportunities related to cooperation and knowledge transfer between members of different value chains, increasing interest in IPR issues as a form of knowledge transfer and application between EU-MPC.
Increased coordination and synergies between policies and programmes of EU/MPCs by heavy involvement of policy makers of participating countries through Stakeholder Feedback Consultation, thus contributing to foster a wider coordinated policy dialogue and improvement of coordination and synergies among S&T policies of relevant countries.
Ensuring close synergies with international dimension of calls launched across H2020 to enhance socio-economic impact of H2020 due to continuous partners’ networking and as a result of activities derived from WP04-05 (e.g. joint proposals submitted to Europe Aid, H2020, ENI and future PRIMA calls) addressing NEXUS challenges in the region, with a clear vision to include widest possible range of stakeholders’ participation through QHA and increase access to scientific excellence, opening up of new markets and rising impact of EU initiatives.

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