SEE Ministerial Round Table and Expert meeting – Sarajevo, 22-23 November 2012

1. Towards a staircase to excellence
in South-East Europe
 coordinating national reforms with regional and
European research and innovation policies
Peter B. Mayr, science policy expert

2. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
Objective: underpin the current discussions on European, national and
regional level – towards a more integrated South-East Europe
Background paper for the Expert Meeting on 22 November
draft recommendations for the Ministerial Meeting on 23 November
Discussion paper: Work in progress!
Plans:
- To integrate the key messages of the conference into the paper
- Possible geographical expansion towards other countries and regions
in the South-East of Europe: e.g. Hungary, Kosovo, Slovenia etc.
- Possible thematic integration of other policies, instruments or
activities e.g. OECD, World Bank, innovative European regional policies

3. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
- The political level
European Innovation Union - one of the seven flagship initiatives of
Europe 2020:
 boosting growth and jobs over the coming decade
This is possible if European innovation systems are streamlined and
organised, their national and regional fragmentation reduced:
The delivery of the European Research Area by 2014 - central focus
of this flagship initiative
 to be engineered by measures including the coordination of
national and regional Research policies and the joint
programming of Research actions.
(European Commission 2011, Horizon 2020: 10)

4. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
- The political level
The formal dialogue between the European Union and all the
West Balkan countries on research and innovation (Research)
policy aspects:
The Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkan
countries (EU Presidency 2006)
 underpinned by the WBC-INCO.NET – an EU funded project to establish and
maintain a bi-regional dialogue on S&T policies and programmes of the EU, its
member states and non-EU countries in South-East Europe
 the WBC activities: e.g. identification of Research potentials and priorities for
European and national funding programmes, to the enhancement of participation
of researchers from the Region in European projects: website www.wbc-inco.net
Note: WBC-INCO.NET Mapping of the research infrastructure & equipment
(Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport)

5. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
- The political level in SEE
Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
Many policy fields
The RCC is a regionally owned and led political framework and
focuses on regional cooperation see http:/www.RCC.int
e.g. WBC regional Research policy
 development of a Regional Strategy for Research and Development for Innovation
for the Western Balkans (World Bank, DG Enlargement: IPA)
 The Strategy will propose specific funding priorities with political objectives to
help the targeted countries to mainstream their Research policies in their
development phase

6. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
- political developments in SEE
The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR)
(Council Conclusions 2011)
in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Bulgaria
and Romania but also Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Montenegro, Ukraine and Moldova, plus other interested countries
Combat challenges: Environmental threats including water pollution, floods, climate
change, untapped transport potential via shipping, road and rail, insufficient energy
infrastructure, uneven socio-economic development, uncoordinated
education, research and innovation systems on a regional, national and European
level
Short-comings in safety and security

7. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
- political developments in SEE:
The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR)
governed by different Priority Area Coordinators (PAC)
The Council of the European Union stressed:
‘The EU Strategy for the Danube Region has a strategic framework guided
by the Europe 2020 Strategy and the European Sustainable Development
Strategy, thus its potential to contribute to long-term objectives, such as to
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and competitiveness of the
European Union is ensured.’
(Council Conclusions 2011: 3)
 Window of opportunity 1: The EU Strategy for the Danube Region
(EUSDR) INCO-NET
 Window of opportunity 2: The Danube Region Research and Innovation
Fund (DRRIF)

8. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
- The technocratic level
Upcoming period 2014-2020 will be a decisive phase for promoting EU
R&I activities
 Window of opportunity 3:
• Close coordination and cooperation of HORIZON 2020, the
Cohesion, pre-accession and national funds oriented towards the
objectives of the Europe 2020 and Innovation Union will strengthen
R&I in the EU
• HORIZON 2020, Cohesion Policy and Pre-accession funds working
together will present an important European competitive advantage –
the Commission as ‘facilitator’ and the associated states and regions
as the main actors

9. Why staircase to excellence?
Increased synergies between existing EU and other policies
and programmes
---
Why towards the staircase to excellence?
To start talking about a more integrated
South-East policy making and programming framework

10. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
Recommendations
Continue – increase national and European budgets
Increase the public awareness of Research
Further invest into evaluation mechanisms for programmes
and policies
- comparable data is needed to assess progress
- participation of international experts that help further
develop policies (EU, national)
- participation of other actors (e.g. civil society):
If we invest in transparency you invest into your own future!

11. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
Recommendations
Continue – facilitating private public partnerships
Build on your own experience and strenghts including priority setting
exercises for existing networks: focus, filter and reduce
 smart specialisation (national IPA; regional Cohesion)
Ask your friends: All policy making, programme and project funding
activities could foresee the strategic inclusion of Diaspora
Don’t always ask for external support and let the Internationals do
your work, but based on a bottom-up approach:
Be open and use transparent methodologies that help you to find
best.

12. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
Recommendations
Agree with your ministers on ways to measure success and impact
By the way – the successful participation in FP7 and soon Horizon
2020 is important but can not be the main indicator for success.
Capacity building needs to focus on leadership training of future
decision makers - learning outcomes  EU project management but
also increased familiarities with EU public policy making

13. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
Recommendations
Well established, real research and science funding
mechanisms for South-East Europe as a macro-region:
 close coordination and cooperation of HORIZON 2020
with national and regional funds: building the Stairway to
Excellence
 national strategies, regional and national funds need to focus on
macro-regional development
 at the end: South-East Europe needs to speak with one
voice on a European level

14. Towards a staircase to excellence in South-East Europe
Recommendations
Peter B Mayr
science policy expert
office@as4b.at