Search
On 7-8 September 2024, a two-day workshop titled “Partnering for the Future” was organised by the Green ERA Hub (GEH) project in collaboration with the BIOEAST Initiative in Budapest, Hungary. It aimed to strengthen cooperation and consultation among Central and Eastern European as well Western Balkans in the field of agri-food and biotechnology research.
The key objectives for the discussion were:
- Establishing and strengthening direct personal contacts among participants
- Sharing and evaluating experiences in research programming and funding
- Agreeing on future joint actions to increase participation in European research collaborations
- Improving networking for future project consortium building
The agenda included presentations on widening participation in Horizon Europe, discussions on research and innovation governance, and sessions on aligning research agendas and capacities. Speakers included representatives from the European Commission, research institutions, and various initiatives. Interactive group activities and discussions are planned to identify key barriers and needs for improved collaboration.
GEH is placing particular emphasis on strengthening participation of EU-11 members and widening involvement in the Western Balkan region. GEH has already launched joint calls for research proposals, with two initiated in 2023 and 2024, and a third in preparation for 2025. The joint programming and research calls under GEH build upon previous successful initiatives. For instance, the CORE Organic programme has launched eight transnational calls since 2004, selecting 62 research projects in organic food and farming for a total of 61.9 million euros. Recent calls have focused on topics such as sustainable and organic food systems, robust and resilient crop production systems, and eco-efficient production and use of animal feed at the local level. Looking ahead, GEH is planning to place more emphasis on addressing specific territorial challenges and obstacles in target countries to accelerate the widening process. This will involve showcasing practical examples of projects and investments, and exploring ways to include the target region more effectively. The initiative also aims to involve more policy decision-makers, academia, and NGOs from target countries.
To facilitate knowledge exchange, the initiative organises for example, Annual Socratic Dialogue Events. These events provide opportunities for joint identification of activities to preserve, exploit, and widen the GEH network. They bring together research funders, managers, researchers, and other relevant stakeholders in a collaborative spirit, aiming to establish common knowledge and foster mutual learning. The next Annual Socratic Dialogue Event is scheduled to be hosted by Wageningen Research in Spring 2025, continuing this important tradition of knowledge exchange and collaboration.
The drivers of building joint programming in the context of Horizon Europe for BIOEAST and Western Balkans are multifaceted and rooted in the challenges these regions face in participating effectively in European research initiatives. During the event, several key factors emerge as potential catalysts for enhancing joint programming efforts. For example, there are infrastructure deficits and funding gaps, which serve as motivators for joint programming. In available many of the current funding calls, huge disparities exist between submitted and funded projects resulting in low financial success rates. This demonstrates the interest and further need for collaborative approaches. By joint programming, countries can potentially overcome some of the limitations imposed by their individual research infrastructures and increase their competitiveness in securing EU funding.
Furthermore, there was a recognition of insufficient research management capacity across the concerned region. The lack of expertise in managing large-scale, international collaborations highlights the necessity for knowledge sharing and capacity building in smaller bespoke projects. Joint programming initiatives can serve as platforms for exchanging good practices and developing the skills required to navigate more complex EU programmes. Thus, bureaucratic and administrative burdens faced drive the need for joint programming. By collaborating on joint initiatives, participating economies can potentially streamline processes, share administrative resources, and collectively navigate the complex regulatory frameworks that often impede their participation in EU-funded projects. The challenge of aligning national research priorities with EU goals presents a compelling case for joint programming as it could facilitate a more coordinated approach to research and innovation, helping to bridge the gap between national priorities and broader European objectives. The possibility (and challenge) of combining different funding sources effectively also highlights the potential benefits of joint programming. Through collaborative efforts more sophisticated strategies for blending various funding streams can be developed.
Institutional and strategic barriers highlighted the possibilities of joint programming as a means of fostering institutional development and policy alignment across the region by sharing experiences, developing common strategies, and strengthening institutional capacities.
In this context, the POLICY ANSWERS project (which also powers the Western Balkans Info Hub) presented its role and possibilities to foster policy dialogue and collaboration between the European Union and Western Balkans in the realm of research and innovation. The project supports dialogue by serving as the Secretariat for the Steering Platforms (SP) and co-organising the ministerial and SP meetings. Notably, BIOEAST has been mentioned at several key events, including the Steering Platform meeting on 4 September 2024 and the Ministerial meeting in Skopje on 30 September 2024. The outcomes of these meetings, particularly the Ministerial Meeting, have produced conclusions and recommendations that align closely with and welcome the BIOEAST initiative. Furthermore, POLICY ANSWERS developed recommendations in its policy brief on the green agenda, such as leveraging opportunities from participation in European Partnerships and addressing the lack of financial instruments. In this context, POLICY ANSWERS places a significant focus on EU Partnerships and Missions. A report from 2022 confirmed the low integration of Western Balkans countries in EU Partnerships, while a subsequent event in Sarajevo in 2023 demonstrated a growing interest in these initiatives. Building on this momentum, a webinar series is going on with an upcoming one focusing on BIOEAST planned further engaging stakeholders and disseminating information and the October newsletter focusing on bioeconomy issues with a BIOEAST emphasis is prepared. The stakeholder platform on b2match is available to facilitate further networking among interested parties.
An analysis of the current landscape of EU Partnerships within Horizon Europe, presented by the European Commission, provided an opportunity to understand the complexity and possibilities. Colleagues from the Partnership PRIMA provided their insights and experiences. Taking into account also the conclusions from another workshop held in Rome and the BIOEAST Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, the participants recognised shared challenges and the potential for collaborative solutions.
Key presentations from this event are provided attached.