Bringing the EU-EECA cooperation and policy dialogue in ICT in the HORIZON 2020 era (EECA-2-HORIZON)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Destination: International Cooperation
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Greece,France,Ukraine,Armenia,Georgia,Russian Federation,Belarus,Azerbaijan,Moldova, Republic of,Kazakhstan
Call:  (FP7-ICT-2013-10, 2013)
Start date: 2014-02-01
End date: 2016-07-31
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 920185.0
EU funding (EUR): 799000.0
Participants: 10
Project status: CLOSED

EECA-2-HORIZON is a 30 month Support Action that aims to reinforce the development of strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships between the EU and the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) countries in the field of ICT. The overall aim is to strengthen the links and boost cooperation among the ICT research and industrial communities of both regions so as to jointly address common societal challenges. Overall, the EECA-2-HORIZON aims to address the ever growing need to further support the dialogue on the EU-EECA cooperation in the field of ICT and reinforce cooperation between the research and industrial communities of the two regions in areas of mutual interest and added value, which will eventually, bring tangible socio-economic benefits to both regions. EECA-2-HORIZON plans to reinforce strategic partnerships and the preparation of joint RTD&I initiatives among the EU and EECA ICT research and industrial communities and build upon the legacy created under similar EU-funded FP7-ICT Support Actions and further extend and upgrade their activities, by: a) Linking and bringing together in cooperation key actors from both regions to create sustainable “ICT Communities” in areas of high importance; b) Promoting and reinforcing the cooperation between European Technology Platforms and relevant EECA initiatives and stakeholders in areas of mutual interest to bridge the EU-EECA research and industrial leadership. c) Stimulating and encouraging the participation of EU researchers in EECA RTD&I programmes to support reciprocity in cooperation. To facilitate the interaction among EU and EECA ICT research and industrial actors, a knowledge sharing and collaboration space will be set up, i.e. an “EU-EECA Virtual Collaboration Breeding Environment in ICT”, which will include an “EECA-W@tch Platform” to promote EU researchers’ access to EECA RTD&I programmes, a “virtual collaboration space” to facilitate the collaboration within the ICT Communities and an “e-Library on EU-EECA ICT cooperation” with background information on the emerging cooperation opportunities under HORIZON 2020. In addition, 2 networking/twining events will be organised to enable face-to-face discussions among ICT actors from both regions towards the joint exploitation of emerging opportunities under EU (i.e. HORIZON 2020) and relevant EECA RTD&I programmes. Customised assistance will also be offered to the most prominent for collaboration cases among EU and EECA ICT actors. Finally, EECA-2-HORIZON will support the dialogue on EU-EECA cooperation potential in ICT already underway under different initiatives, by providing input to the EC and authorities of the EECA countries on EU and EECA priorities, ICT areas of common interest and future cooperation opportunities, information needs on EECA ICT actors, etc. To maximise the impact of its activities, EECA-2-HORIZON will seek cooperation with other EU INCO related initiatives.

Keywords: easter europe and central asia countries,fp7-ict,horizon 2020,reinforce research and industrial cooperation,information and communitation technologies,european technology platforms