The project was implemented in two phases: first the “planning phase” (M1-M18) and then the “implementation phase” (M19-M42). It started with preparatory work that included an analysis of the existing offer and demand, which was the basis for the development of a Network concept and a services action plan. In the following, both were put into practice: the network was set up with physical locations – centres in San Francisco, Boston and later Washington, DC, and landing hubs across the US – and a variety of services was developed. These implementation activities were strongly supported by transversal actions such as European-wide outreach to gather customers among R&I stakeholders, including intermediaries. They involved valuable expert partners that supported the local immersion in the US and the spreading of awareness within Europe.
From the beginning, the sustainability of the Network and its activities was at the heart of the project teams’ efforts: indeed, a “Blueprint for long-term sustainability” was prepared and then put into action, including the development of Centre-specific business plans. The activity of ENRICH in the USA will continue: a follow-up project will bring the services activity to an even higher level and a recently created association, called ENRICH Global, will ensure that the network has a representation at a longer stage. The objective of ENRICH GLOBAL is to contribute to the development of European scientific, technological and innovation excellence, reinforce innovation competitiveness and internationalisation and take European innovation global and as such it is an excellent mechanism to ensure sustainability. It can be expected that the Network and its activities will gain in visibility and impact.
Major activities and results can be summarised as follows:
Evidence‐based preparatory work
. Analysis of the existing offer and the demand in terms of needs of European R&I actors for internationalisation with the USA in an online survey and complementary interviews, synthesized into a gap analysis.
. Organisation of 4 Focus Groups in EU and US with STI stakeholders
Network set up and sustainability
. Official launch of the ENRICH in the USA Network
. Set up and launch of the San Francisco Centre (2018) and Boston Centre (2018); set up of the DC Centre (2020).
. Selection of 7 Landing Hubs across the USA
. Joint opening of the three ENRICH initiatives
. Development of a Network concept, Blueprint for Sustainability Strategy and Business Plans for the centres
. Ensuring sustainability
Services development and assessment
. Development and launch of pilot services, including an open call selection process in EU and the USA
. Evaluation of the implemented pilot actions and feedback loop
. Fine‐tuning of services offer, development of new ideas for additional or amended services
. Increased collaboration with external providers and partners
. Roll-out of the final services offer and continuous evaluation
. Provision of actual support to more than 730 individual European participants
. Development of 14 trainings, 14 webinars, 2 first-aid kits, 6 online modules, 11 thematic studies and one step-by-step navigation guide
Outreach and synergies
. Development of a Dissemination Plan and its implementation
. Development of communication material, tools and channels
. Dissemination of project work and open calls through news, 21 newsletters, emailings, social media
. ENRICH in the USA presence and dissemination activities at various events in the USA.
. Development of a service oriented brochure as well as a generic brochure
. Positioning of the Network as a “transatlantic Network initiative” with a service portfolio and exploitation of synergies with a variety of stakeholders, and the sister ENRICH projects
. Close exchange with EUDEL, European Member States Science Counsellors and SFIC, in addition to the EC
