The Agreement for the Association of Ukraine to Horizon 2020 was signed on March 20, 2015 in Kyiv by Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, and Serhiy Kvit, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Ukraine will now be able to host European Research Council (ERC) grants, apply for financial support to innovative SMEs, benefit from support for scientific excellence and other research policies and participate in the governance structures of the programme.

The agreement will need to be ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament to enter into force, but Ukrainian legal entities can already participate in all Horizon 2020 actions funded under the 2015 budget, as this association covers the years 2015-2020.

Horizon 2020 is the first EU programme in which Ukraine has chosen to participate following the beginning of provisional application of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. This association to Horizon 2020 highlights that both the EU and Ukraine consider research and innovation crucial for economic growth and the creation of jobs.

ZSI coordinates the Danube-INCO.NET project and will also present at the workshop. The task is coordinated by the German partner DLR, the local organisation by IMPEER-NASU.

The specific objectives of the workshop are:

• Analyse the experience of the non-EU countries in regard of their status as countries (about to be) associated to Horizon 2020 and transfer the experience of EU member states (about the governance processes; efficient programme promotion; the mechanisms of communication between policy-makers and the R&I landscape);
• Discuss the ways of SMEs` participation in the Horizon 2020 and best practices of this in non-EU countries;
• Identify the mechanisms of strengthening of SMEs` participation in the Horizon2020 and measures to be recommended for enhancing of this process.

The workshop is upon invitation. Contact: Oleg Rubel, rubeloleg@gmail.com