Strengthening the Strategic Cooperation

between the EU and Western Balkan Region

in the field of ICT Research

Summary of Day 1

Ulrike Kunze, International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Conference “Towards an Information Society for the Western Balkans”, Belgrade, 11-12 December 2008

2Conference, Belgrade, 11-12 December 2008

Summary of the main points (1):FP7 and ICT environment

● no specific measures foreseen for the WBC in FP 7 ICT (Work Programme 2009/2010)

● but there might be supporting actions in the WP 2011-2013

● suggestion to involve WBC researchers into ongoing EU projects as observers (capacity building, feasible within Networks of Excellence upon 2011)

● in the WBC there are differences in ICT capacities (ranking)

● issue of statistics

3Conference, Belgrade, 11-12 December 2008

Summary of the main points (2): Priorities

● discussion of priorites is an ongoing process

● there are different reasons to set priorities and different ways to implement them (national strategies, specific calls, SEE-ERA.NET PLUS, EC FP7 WP)

● horizontal cooperation between different Ministries in one country and between sectors is crucial for the development of Inf. Society

4Conference, Belgrade, 11-12 December 2008

Summary of the main points (3):important issues raised

● support for young researchers is important● networking and mobility can be improved

● lack of incentives for funding ICT research: demand driven ICT research has to be created

● not every research activity is market driven, but every research activity should be demand driven

● improvement of ICT education● lack of ICT students (students follow marketing and

ICT management), not appropriate ICT programmes● profitable research is needed in universities

5Conference, Belgrade, 11-12 December 2008

● some positive cases (USAID) could be used as model for regional cooperation

● Conference on calls 5 and 6 of FP7 ICT Work Programme on May 28 and 29, 2009 in Belgrade

● „you have to be good at home if you want to be good out of home“: capacity building (Ministries, NCP systems, researchers) as main factor for development of Inf. Society

● eSEE agenda PLUS: objective to build data base on researchers and companies

Summary of the main points (4):important issues raised

6Conference, Belgrade, 11-12 December 2008

Summary of the main points (5):important issues raised

● EU funding: increase awareness, adapt to what is needed, training programmes needed, support in writing proposals, demonstrate added value to SMEs (business decision on investment), knowledge on evaluation criteria

● National funding for proposals that are not funded but above threshold (REGPOT, building capacities and infrastructure)

● give incentives such as travel grants for brokerage events, preparatory meetings for proposal writing

7Conference, Belgrade, 11-12 December 2008

● regional cooperation between Ministries in SEE-ERA.NET repSEE Programme (4 pillars: young researchers, mobility, innovation, PLUS)

● Ministerial Conference planned in 2009 and possibly funded by IPA; development of regional research strategy (awareness raising for EU projects)

● there should discussion forums like this Conference should go on

Summary of the main points (6):ongoing and future activities