Coordination of EU MS´/AC´ S&T programmes towards and with Russia

A broad consortium consisting of 18 partners implemented since February 2009 the EU-funded ERA Net project for Russia (ERA.Net RUS). Austrian participants in the project were the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) and the Federal Ministry of Science and Research (BMWF). The project had the following main goals:

A knowledge based DIALOGUE BETWEEN PROGRAMME OWNERS IN EU MEMBER STATES, ASSOCIATED COUNTRIES (TO THE EU FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME), AND RUSSIA was set-up in order to learn about each others objectives, priorities and instruments, and to identify good cooperation practice in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. This covered both bilateral S&T programmes of MS/AC, Russia, and unilateral activities of governmental and non-governmental programme owners in EU MS/AC and Russia.

Options for JOINT FUNDING ACTIVITIES OF PARTICULAR BENEFIT FOR PROGRAMME OWNERS IN EU MS/AC AND RUSSIA were identified and respective implementation scenarios developed. The emphasis was on enhancing and linking bilateral funding schemes of MS/AC and Russia. If appropriate, activities of additional programme owners were included as well. EU Programme owners from outside the project consortium were also addressed.

A PILOT JOINT CALL of interested programme owners in EU MS/AC and Russia from inside and outside the project consortium was implemented and an assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the joint funding scheme carried out.

Building on the experiences from the Pilot Joint Call and on a foresight exercise, a SUSTAINABLE S&T (AND/OR INNOVATION) PROGRAMME was  developed and agreed upon by interested programme owners from EU MS/AC and Russia from inside and outside the project consortium.

ZSI was especially involved in the analytical parts of the project. It was leader of work-package 1, which provided an analytical basis for coordinating EU Member States´/Associated Countries´ S&T and innovation programmes towards Russia or with Russian programme owners. ZSI had also a leading role in the work-package on developing, disseminating, and promoting a sustainable S&T or innovation programme with Russia, which will included a large foresight exercise.

Team:

• Patricia Grygar
• Mag. Dr. Klaus Schuch
• Mag. Manfred Spiesberger
• M.A. Gorazd A. Weiss

Section: Research Policy & Development

Funding institutions and customers:

• European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

• International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Coordinator)
• Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
• Deutsches Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
• European Commission - Joint Research Centre - Institute for Prospective Technology Studies
• French National Centre for Scientific Research
• General Secretariat for Research and Technology
• Higher School of Economics
• Hungarian National Office for Research and Technology
• International Centre for Innovations in S&T and Education
• Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of France
• Ministry of Higher Education and Research of France
• National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute"
• Russian Academy of Science, A.N. Bakh Institute of Biochemistry
• TUBITAK Scientific and Technologcial Research Council of Turkey
• Archimedes Foundation
• Estonian Research Council
• Institute of Developmental Biology
• National Innovation Office
• Research Council of Norway
• Russian Foundation for Basic Research
• Suomen Akatemia

Tags: ERA-NETs, European Research Area, foresight, internationalisation, research cooperation, Russia