Improve EU access to excellence

Action 16: Improve EU-wide access to excellence

The work strand for this action should be a structured dialogue between the EC and the member states on the subject explained below. This could take place in the format of webinars, workshops and discussion convened on demand.

The continuous disparity between countries and regions in the EU in terms of R&I performance calls for fully mobilising research, innovation and technological capacities in less developed countries and regions. Structural R&I policy reforms plus better national, regional and institutional cooperation in the production and diffusion of high-quality knowledge are vital, more and better links between R&I actors across Europe are needed in order to capitalise on excellence from across the continent. Also, the EU’s R&I system needs to promote a more inclusive approach in which all can participate and from which all can benefit.

Addressing these problems, a package of means under action Nr.16 aims at improving EU-wide access to excellence mainly through raising capabilities of targeted EU countries in research management, networking and institutional cooperation, in upgrading the R&I systems.

The package is tailor-made for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and all Associated Countries with equivalent characteristics in terms of R&I performance and the Outermost Regions (defined in Art. 349 TFEU) (so-called ‘widening

countries’).

The key objectives of the package are the following:

1. Encourage institutional reforms and transformation processes of the R&I system at national and regional level in line with ERA principles,
2. Mobilise national and regional investments in R&I capacity
3. Raise the bar for excellence of R&I actors in partnership with outstanding European and international institutions (‘win-win situation’)
4. Increase number of participations and success rates of widening actors in cooperative research and innovation projects
5. Promote creation of new innovation ecosystems and scale up existing ones, supporting synergies with smart specialisation strategies and comparable innovation policy instruments at the regional level.

The package consists of several instruments under the Horizon Europe programme, like Teaming, Twinning, Excellence hubs, European Excellence Initiative, Support for R&I policy making in the

TEMPLATE FOR EXPLANATORY DOCUMENTS ON ERA ACTIONS FROM THE ERA POLICY AGENDA

This document is a working document and should not be considered as representative of the European

Commission’s official position.

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Western Balkans, Hop-on facility. Some of them (Teaming, Twinning)

continue updated as in Horizon 2020, others are newly proposed in line with the new ERA priorities especially for Horizon Europe (calls are being launched). In the upcoming Work Programmes there might be additional instruments included, in response to the feedback from the ongoing activities. The intervention logic under the package is designed to work points at a multitude of scales ranging from individual researcher through focussed networks, institutional development to a systemic impact on national R&I systems. The work programmes 2021-2022 and the draft for 2023-2024 include a

dedicated destination 1 titles ‘Improved access to excellence’ that mirrors the related ERA policy priority.

The entire package under this action Nr.16 is designed to act in interplay and synergy with national R&I strategies as well as complementary investment from the structural funds or other (national, regional, private) sources, since investing smartly as well as undertaking the necessary reforms remain primarily the responsibility of Member States. And Smart specialisation strategies are a place- based response to closing the innovation divide through Cohesion Policy. The regional level will be supported in its efforts to ensure synergies between the EU funds and programmes in the context of implementing the Horizon missions

Within the widening package COST plays a key role as a pre-portal to the EU Framework programme not only for widening countries but also especially for young and female researchers in line with ERA policy priorities. In its strategic planning COST has committed to get engaged with ERA policy and through its networks it is an important player. COST also plays an important role for supporting R&I in the context of the EU neighbourhood policy because it helps to mobilise the research communities e.g. in the Western Balkans, Eastern Neighbourhood and the Mediterranean partner countries by providing them aces sot excellent researchers networks in Europe.

The contribution to access to excellence is proven by the fact that research proposals under H2020 emanating from COST networks were almost three times more successful than the average of all proposals. In addition to COST Horizon Europe partnerships could play an instrumental role in this context.

It is expected that the package of instruments under this action will improve EU-wide access to excellence, as its main impact, that in particular will materialize through:

 Increased science and innovation capacities for all actors in the R&I system in widening countries

 Structural changes leading to a modernised and more competitive R&I systems in eligible countries

 Mobilisation of national and European resources for strategic investments

 Higher participation success in Horizon Europe and more consortium leadership roles

 Greater involvement of regional actors in R&I process

 Improved access to excellent European research networks for researchers from less performing countries including the periphery of the Union via COST networks