Estonian-Ukrainan workshop in EU R&D parterships

The project „Beyond Horizon 2020 – supporting the Ukrainian RDI system“ that is financed by Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, held a workshop on EU R&D parterships in Kiev on 5th February 2019.

The EU partnerships need special attention in several reasons. The partnerships often bring together R&D stakeholders that would otherwise hardly participate in EU Framework Programmes. The partnerships also cover research topics that might be underrepresented in thematic work programmes. Partnerships also allow partering countries to develop the research and developmant agenda by themselves. Hence, the partnership might be focussed on toics that are prioritised by particular countries and not necessarily by European Commission.

On another hand, there are several and problably too many different kind of partnerships currently running under umbrella of Horizon 2020. Each type has some peculiarities in the essence and way of functioning. Also, as the rules for management of partnerships are rather flexible. Based on that fact the ways how partnerships are lead and what are the participation rules form quite sophisticated puzzle that is obvioulsy difficult to understand for newcomers.

15 participants from Ukrainian ministries, universities and Academy of Sciences were actively involved into discussions about advantages and disadvantages of different EU R&D partnerships and they were also forced to work out list of criteria for decision making process on participation in partenrships.

Estonia is an EU member as well as full member of EU R&D Fromework Programmes since 2004. Estonia has also radically reformed its research funding system since regaining independency in 1991. Many of the challenges of research organisation and fundig system that Estonia has successfully conquered during last decades are still to overcome in Ukraine. Estonia kindly shares acquired experiences with Ukrainian colleagues in order to improve further cooperation in research and innovation as well as participation in EU Framework Programmes.

Argo Soon
argo.soon@etag.ee

*This project is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from development and humanitarian aid funds