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

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C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s and key policy recommendati<strong>on</strong>s<br />

Pulling all elements <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> present analysis <strong>to</strong>ge<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, it is clear that Europe finds itself at a<br />

crossroads: Fundamental changes in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> global research and innovati<strong>on</strong> landscape are taking<br />

place. The increasingly pressing global challenges urgently require a strategic and forward<br />

looking resp<strong>on</strong>se at EU level. Hence, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> overall recommendati<strong>on</strong> is <strong>to</strong> develop<br />

1) A strategy with a focus <strong>on</strong> streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ning European attractiveness as internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />

research and innovati<strong>on</strong> hub and partner in order <strong>to</strong> streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n European<br />

competitiveness and prosperity<br />

Europe needs <strong>to</strong> get at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> forefr<strong>on</strong>t <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> internati<strong>on</strong>al collaborati<strong>on</strong> in <strong>STI</strong> by making it <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

place <strong>to</strong> be for internati<strong>on</strong>al researchers and n<strong>on</strong>-EU MNEs. Sec<strong>on</strong>dly, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> EU must provide<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir stakeholders an infrastructure <strong>to</strong> expand <strong>to</strong> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r regi<strong>on</strong>s in<strong>to</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world and help<br />

universities, SMEs in particular <strong>to</strong> reach out <strong>to</strong> those markets in selected <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mes addressing<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> grand challenges <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next decades.<br />

Only few countries have so far developed an integrated policy strategy. In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> US and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

UK <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> overarching, strategic orientati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> policy is <strong>to</strong> support world-class excellence in<br />

science with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> aim <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> generating attractiveness for R&D activities by MNEs. The<br />

emergence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> China <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> global S&T scene is backed by elements <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an integrated policy<br />

strategy, albeit with str<strong>on</strong>g elements <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a planned ec<strong>on</strong>omy c<strong>on</strong>text.<br />

Currently <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a dominance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> geographical prioritizati<strong>on</strong> through picking countries. This<br />

has been especially evident in SFIC. This should change:<br />

2) Theme- and problem-oriented prioritizati<strong>on</strong> is needed ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than geographic; Grand<br />

Challenges as a clear prioritizati<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong>ol <strong>to</strong> be mainstreamed also in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />

dimensi<strong>on</strong>. Prioritizati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> internati<strong>on</strong>al collaborati<strong>on</strong> should follow closely <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

priorities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> EU’s core research and innovati<strong>on</strong> programmes, while <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

geographical approach should be <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> core <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an implementati<strong>on</strong> strategy.<br />

This also implies that<br />

3) The internati<strong>on</strong>al perspective needs <strong>to</strong> be more fully integrated in<strong>to</strong> ’regular’<br />

programmes at EU level<br />

All EU programmes (old and new instruments) should be required <strong>to</strong> have an internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />

dimensi<strong>on</strong>, e.g. through benchmarking and m<strong>on</strong>i<strong>to</strong>ring, identificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> relevant partners –<br />

and competi<strong>to</strong>rs– outside Europe and activities for streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ning cooperati<strong>on</strong> with n<strong>on</strong>-EU<br />

partners and/or activities aimed at increasing proximity <strong>to</strong> relevant markets and users outside<br />

Europe. This requires <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> evalua<strong>to</strong>rs and evaluati<strong>on</strong> criteria <strong>to</strong> valuate and evaluate<br />

internati<strong>on</strong>al partners and collaborati<strong>on</strong>s; criteria should be based <strong>on</strong> complementarities and<br />

critical assets for R&D projects.<br />

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