Some 350 top-level scientists and policy-makers from more than 30 countries around the European Union and Mediterranean region met in Barcelona over two days last week to launch a new partnership in research and innovation, with the EU saying it would launch activities for a total budget of €40 million to support the partnership and prepare the way for even more substantial future cooperation.

 

The aim of the conference, the first of its kind, was to map out a pathway to establishing a Common Research and Innovation Agenda, aimed at addressing the grand societal challenges impacting the region, notably in the field of energy, water, food, transport and health.

 

Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, who opened the conference, said: "Research and innovation are key elements of the European Union's cooperation with Mediterranean countries since we are all facing challenges such as climate change, water management and energy security. It makes perfect sense to tackle these issues jointly, and to bring our scientists together so they can find the answers we need."

 

The new partnership was proposed by the European Commission as part of the European Union's response to the political changes taking place in the Southern Mediterranean and in view of Horizon 2020, the EU's proposed policy for funding research and innovation after 2014. Horizon 2020 stresses the importance of maintaining international cooperation in research and innovation as a key aspect of the EU’s global commitments.

 

Conference participants said a renewed partnership in Research and Innovation (R&I) should be based on the principles of co-ownership, mutual interest and shared benefit. They urged the agenda to cover the whole chain from research to innovation, mobilising universities, research centres, industry and extending to organisations that provide support services, such as financial institutions and investors. They stressed the need to reform, modernise and strengthen R&I systems and that investment in R&I should be recognised as a priority in national economic policy. The training and mobility of young and experienced researchers should also be encouraged further between European and Mediterranean countries.

 

To ensure a smooth follow-up to the recommendations of the conference, the European Commission announced that it would launch activities for a total budget of €40 million to support this new partnership and prepare the way for even more substantial cooperation in the future involving all EU Member States and Mediterranean countries. This will help to complement the numerous bilateral approaches by a 'region-to-region' approach, and as such take a more strategic perspective, which will allow greater scale and scope of cooperation.

 

The conference results will be presented in a consolidated paper before the next joint monitoring committee meeting on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in research and innovation, due to take place this summer. The paper will also be brought to the attention of the EU Research Ministers and European stakeholders.

 

Presentations from the following feedback session of the conference have been made available for download:

 

On the occasion of the conference, the ENPI Info Centre prepared a press pack outlining ongoing cooperation in the field between the European Union and its Mediterranean partner countries. The press pack looks at research and innovation as a key axis of cooperation, with particular attention on the EU's 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), as well as the opportunities available for Mediterranean partners at a regional, bilateral, and individual research level. (ENPI Info Centre)

 

 

Conference outcomes and presentations

 

 

ENPI Info Centre – Press pack: Euro-Mediterranean cooperation on Research and Innovation

 

 

ENPI Info Centre – From solar cars to high-tech archaeology: new publication highlights Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in innovation and research

 

ENPI Info Centre – FP7 – a directory of all the projects involving Mediterranean partners