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POLICY ANSWERS strengthened research and innovation policy capacity in Albania, focusing on inclusion, innovation and stronger participation in European programmes. Over four years, the project delivered broad capacity building across participating institutions, targeting key areas including gender equality, Horizon Europe participation, business support and the blue economy.
Ten gender equality plans were developed at universities through dedicated training programmes that helped drive meaningful institutional change. Thirty capacity building events on Horizon Europe engaged nearly 500 participants, expanding knowledge of European funding opportunities. In parallel, technical assistance was provided to 22 companies, improving access to EU funding and reinforcing project implementation skills. Two training workshops on innovation in the blue economy were delivered, and a roadmap was developed to help Albania strengthen its performance in the European Innovation Scoreboard.
Robert Dumi, Director General of the National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation (NASRI), reflected on the change he witnessed:
«People started to feel more confident. They started asking better questions. They started seeing themselves as part of the European research space, and that change is just as important as any statistic.»
«Today all the public universities have their own gender equality plans in place. But for us, this was not just a technical result. It was a mindset shift. It showed that with the right support, institutions are willing and able to move forward.»
«This project helped us move from understanding the system to actually starting to shape it.»
Watch the video presenting the achievements of the capacity building activities in Albania.