“Insights on the Euro-Med S&T
cooperation”
ASBIMED
and
Projects
MED7
Rafael Rodríguez-Clemente
Juan Miguel González-Aranda
SPANISH COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (CSIC)
Delegation in Andalusia
Vienna, June 28-30, 2006
Activities: Implementing Cairo’s MoCo Conclusions
•
Building the NCP in the MPCs: Euro-Medanet 1&2
•
Assessment of the Bilateral S&T co-operation between the EU-AC
and the MPC: ASBIMED
•
Indicators & design of Mediterranean Research & Innovation
landscape: ESTIME
•
INCO-MED Thematic Workshops for the definition of the Science
and Technology Euro-Mediterranean Policy within FP7: MED 7
•
Foresight for the Mediterranean: INNFORMED
•
Support to the S&T Cooperation Agreements: FEAST-Tunisia
•
2.800.000 € invested in structural activities reinforcing the EuroMed S&T cooperation
ASBIMED Project:General Analysis and
questions to be addressed
The EU-MPC Bilateral Co-operation and the general interest
of the Euromediterranean MEDA agenda.
Convergence or divergence between the multilateral cooperation, expressed by the FP, including theresults of FP6,
and the bilateral co-operation?
Are there specific bilateral interests in the identifies
bilateral RTD co-operation, or they fit to non-specific
general interest of the MPC?
Do the identified priorities developed through FP and bilateral
co-operation fit the MoCo priorities?
ASBIMED GENERAL
RESULTS GLOBAL
ANALYSIS
(up to June 22nd 2006)
Main Areas covered by this Bilateral RTD Cooperation Analysis
Geographical
distribution and intensity of the RTD Cooperation
Distribution
of the Thematic Areas based on the classification criteria
provided by the Syllabus EU codes and OST definitions
Managing
Types
Institutions
of actions covered
Factors
of intensity: Budget (Funding) and its distribution, nº of topics
addressed, balance between scientific results, technical results and
educational results
Main
Objectives of the RTD Cooperation
Users
involved
Innovation
Fitting
and employment generation data obtained
with the MoCo priorities, FP6 and FP7 priorities
There are 124 BILATERAL Programmes between the MPC and the EU-AC
(up to June 22nd 2006)
…the rest of Areas covered by this Bilateral RTD Cooperation Analysis
are gathered by the ASBIMED KNOWLEDGEBASE:
Personalized data access (login and password) provided to all the relevant ASBIMED
Project stakeholders: (Commission Officer, Coordinator, Consortium's partners, MoCo members,
Invited Members). MoCo members are only allowed to go inside their corresponding
countries Knowledge Bases, as well MISCELLANEOUS Area. Access to the rest of
resources is allowed for the rest of stakeholders, although these rules can be always
changed/adjusted, if advisable.
A detailed set of use instructions are available as well the permanent support of the Webmaster
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS (I)
• The difficulties encountered by the Consortium, makes
it clear that a project aimed at characterizing the
global
bilateral
cooperation
EU-MPC
should
incorporate members from both sides.
• It is also clear that the information is scattered in
several institutions in each country. A centralized
coordination of the international cooperation in S&T
does not exist in any country of the EU or the MPC.
• The bilateral cooperation, being more traditional in
the international relations in S&T could be used as
seeds for the multilateral cooperation. The implement
of the EU-MPC bilateral political agreements on RTD,
should use the networks already established by the
bilateral cooperation programs and the MPC-MPC
programs, which reflect regional interests.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS (II)
• The ASBIMED Knowledge Base can be used by
the MoCo and the European Commission as instrument
to define the specific content of the multilateral
strategic initiatives, and to establish synergies in the
design of future policies covered by the EuroMediterranean partnership. On the other hand, it
can provide a foresight for the Euro Mediterranean
pulse on RTD activities.
• The ASBIMED Knowledge Base should be further
developed to integrate the content and results of all
the international cooperation programs of the MPC,
bilateral or multilateral, financed by all kind of
institutions, but all supporting the activity of their
national RTD systems and their networking.
Therefore, it should be continued under a shared
responsibility with the MoCo.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS (III)
• It will be most recommended to use the existing
networks between universities or research institutions
to create a gateway for the incorporation of MPC
partners within the FP projects.
• The system building projects, such as ASBIMED and
others should include members of the MPC
institutions in their consortium, perhaps in view of an
enlargement of the data base created through
ASBIMED and to develop other relevant instruments
to improve the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
• The MoCo should create a technical secretary to
support the execution of its recommendations to
improve the Euro-Mediterranean partnership in the
fields of Science and technology
MED 7: “INCO-Med Thematic Workshops for the definition
of the S&T Euro-Mediterranean Policy within FP7”
Six workshops dealt with topics identified by the MoCo ad hoc Committee
Meeting in Carmona-Spain June 4 2004 as cooperation priorities. One
assessment Workshop (Napoli Assessment) discussed the results of the
five previous ones. One additional (EXTENSION) Workshop was approved
in Tunisia MoCo meeting, June 28-29 2005 covering the remaining
priorities of FP7 (Transport, ICT, Socio-Economics and Humanities).
By means of the results of MED7, the EC and the MoCo will have elements
to identify and select in a concerted manner, the most relevant topics and
instruments to be tackled within the Euro-Mediterranean S&T cooperation perspectives of the next Framework Programme, as well as the
best defined approaches to address these issues.
MED 7 Strategic Objectives and Priorities
The MED 7 project, coordinated by the Spanish Council for Scientific
Research - CSIC, addresses 2 strategic objectives:
− to strengthen the co-ordination and the complementarity with activities
carried out by means of Community foreign policy instruments, specifically
MEDA;
− to support particular joint efforts by the Community and the Member States
to the opening up of the European Research Area to the rest of the world.
 Moreover, MED7 has the following main priority : Identification of
areas with potential for enhanced co-ordination between and with the
Member States, the Accession Countries, the Associated States and the
Mediterranean Partner Countries in order to promote, organise and
structure the participation of INCO target Countries in the activities of
the Framework Programme, specially in the thematic priorities.
Workshops held (I):
Innovative Production Systems and Processes
May 6-7 2005 – Casablanca, Morocco
Organised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Morocco
Water Risk Management and Renewable Energies
May 16-17 2005 – Athens, Greece
Coordinated by Mr. George Bonas, from the National Hellenic Research Foundation.
Public Health
May 25-26 2005 – Tel Aviv, Israel
Coordinated by Mr. Marcel Shaton, General Director of the Israel R&D Directorate for the
EU 6th FP, ISERD.
Agro-Food and Industrial Agriculture
June 9-10 2005 – Montpellier, France
Coordinated by Mr. Michel Trebel, from the “Centre de coopération internationale en
recherche agronomique pour le développement” CIRAD
Workshops held (II):
Cultural Heritage
June 16-17 2005 – St. George’s Bay, Malta
Organized by the Malta Council for Science and Technology, under the joint coordination of
Mr. Wilfred Kenely, Chief Executive and Dr. Jennifer Cassingena Harper, Director of Policy.
Napoli Assessment Workshop
June 25-26 2005 – Napoli, Italy
Coordinated by Mr.Ezio Martuscelli, of CNR-Department of International Activities Third
Division – Mediterranean and Middle East.
EXTENSION Workshop
September 2005 – Brussels, Belgium
Coordinated by Mr.Rafael Rodríguez-Clemente, of CSIC-Spanish Council for Scientific
Research.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The EU-MPC RTD cooperation could be instrumented through actions to:
1) Building a Support System for RTD
2) Identification and selection of the more appropriate priorities for MPCs
taking into consideration aspects such as: complementary, synergy and
contiguity with EU priorities (MEDA and Framework Programmes) and
with bilateral projects on national scale; regional specificity and
diversity.
3) Instruments and measures able to: increase funds available for MPCs
and reduce parcelling out of funding; increase the number of partners
from MPCs taking part to FP7 projects; valuate and exploit the results
and the research developed;
4) Implementation of measures allowing an easier access and the
participation of MPCs. to the nine thematic areas of Cooperation
Programme of the 7th FP; assuming that funds allocated will be additive
to those reserved for INCO-MED PRIORITIES.
• The setting of a strong RTD system in the MPC was identified as a
prerequisite to guarantee their fair participation in the FP. Actions are
being taken to reach this objective, but at the present moment, and for
a few years more, the EU-MPC cooperation in RTD needs to focus on the
topics of common interest, where the MPC are making efforts to
develop scientific groups, to create infrastructures and to push
innovation in the industrial tissues.
• The participation of the MPC in the 7FP should be structured according
to the provisions established for International Cooperation in the nine
Specific Programmes and the specific demands for RTD cooperation in
topics of common interest identified by the MoCo, which should be
included in the specific Work Programmes and developed through
specific calls for proposals where the consortium composition must
include a number of MPC partners.
• Moreover, in order to facilitate the opening of the 9 priorities of the
Cooperation Programme to MPC partners, specific tracks and procedures
should be envisaged to encourage the incorporation of MPC teams or
individuals in the consortia formed to develop the research projects.
• An intensive use of the facilities created by EUROMEDANET is
recommended.
The setting up of a Euro-Mediterranean
Innovation Space (EMIS) is crucial growth and
development of both EU and Mediterranean
Partner Countries;
-The
Euro-Mediterranean
Innovation
Space
(EMIS) will be part of the larger policy of the
EU in developing an Innovation Policy for Europe
and of the 7th Framework Programme;
- EMIS is related also to the efforts deployed by
the
European
Union
in
enhancing
its
Neighbourhood policy with Mediterranean
Partner
Countries,
following
the
recommendations of the Lisbon process.
The proposed methodology for an action plan to
foster
Innovation
and
Competitiveness
in
Mediterranean
Countries
consists
of
four
ensembles:
• 1Actions for the building of national innovation
systems, through research and technological
development in view of the establishment of a
Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Space
• 2Key
industrial
identification
• 3-
and
economic
sectors
Financial and cooperation instruments
• 4- Technological and innovation awareness and
dissemination of information
All the Reports containing the conclusions and recommendations, as
well other contents, are available in CD and in the MED7 Website: