Draft Report of the Expert Group on International STI Cooperation to ...

allow strategic partnerships with a more reciprocal funding and mutual benefits, but
bearing in mind that stakeholders (e.g. industrial firms) <strong>the</strong>mselves do not consider
such reciprocity as important to <strong>the</strong>ir actions. Such agreements may also be used to
allow partners from 3 rd countries to participate in smaller schemes and project
consortia and hence support co-funding internationally.
• A strategy for international cooperation should include an element <strong>of</strong> bottom up
selection. With this <strong>the</strong> EG means that bilateral programmes and initiatives that
Members States or <strong>the</strong> Commission have with 3 rd countries, and that are assessed to
be successful or “good practice” should take <strong>the</strong> role as “lead initiatives” around
which o<strong>the</strong>r MS actions may be associated through mechanisms <strong>of</strong> mutual opening <strong>of</strong>
programmes, to establish clusters <strong>of</strong> cooperation based on variable geometry etc. This
means that concerted actions with significant synergies may develop without a top
down, a priori strategy (e.g. by <strong>the</strong> Commission). But <strong>the</strong> strategy should <strong>the</strong>n include
platforms and agreed principles through which such clustering may effectively take
place.
• Horizontal actions coordinated by <strong>the</strong> Commission must be undertaken multilaterally
to establish common institutional settings to create a level playing field with global
partners. The Commission should take <strong>the</strong> lead and, with <strong>the</strong> MS/AC, create global
platforms for STI cooperation in areas that need a global, concerted effort to ensure
critical mass and impact.
• The Commission should cooperate with <strong>the</strong> MS to reignite <strong>the</strong> Strategic Forum for
International STI Cooperation (SFIC) as a truly high-level and more effective
strategic body for collaboration among MS/AC and <strong>the</strong> European Commission, with
<strong>the</strong> aim to achieve an integrated, collaborative approach going beyond cooperation
and exchange <strong>of</strong> information and experiences.
Ensure policy is evidence based
Information and data analysis are indispensable to support <strong>the</strong> definition and implementation
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> strategy and <strong>the</strong> design <strong>of</strong> schemes and concrete action. Systematic data collection and
analysis must specifically support priority setting – as any strategic effort must make choices
– and <strong>the</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> partner countries and regions for each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> priority areas. It thus
underpins negotiations within <strong>the</strong> European research area (ERA) including <strong>the</strong> Framework
Programme, and with potential external partners and by doing so helps to create effective
partnerships. It will also develop a new focus on supporting international innovative
activities.
Four basic functions are relevant for jointly collecting data and producing indicators.
• Understanding <strong>the</strong> status quo in terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> EU’s STI pr<strong>of</strong>ile and STI internationalisation
activities: this helps to define <strong>the</strong> needs as starting points for <strong>the</strong> strategy (competencies,
gaps, needs as seen by various actors within <strong>the</strong> EU)
• Formulating targets, benchmarks to reach: this helps to define goals, to communicate <strong>the</strong>
purpose <strong>of</strong> international activities and to measure achievements later on (link to <strong>the</strong>matic
priorities <strong>of</strong> H2020)
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