Research and Innovation

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Fostering integration for an innovative, inclusive and resilient Western Mediterranean Region Science diplomacy for youth empowerment and sustainable development

The 5+5 Dialogue countries agreed on the importance of research, innovation and higher education at regional and national levels for the development of knowledge, the promotion of technological innovation systems for the purpose of attaining socio-economic development and bearing the different challenges such as unemployment, economic underdevelopment, environmental degradation, shortage of natural resources and serious scarcity of water and energy.

 

Enhancing Research driven Spin-offs and Start-Ups - Research Connected to  the Socio-Economic development

Lead Countries: Algeria, Spain and Tunisia

This activity aims to understand and improve the role that spin-offs and start-ups may have in connecting the research to socio-economic development at national and international levels. Spin-off and start-ups ate of key importance, as they offer young people (students, or academics) and entrepreneurial route to commercializing the knowledge they have developed. The key objectives are:

  1. Understand the regulations governing the creation and support of spin-offs and startups,
  2. Understand the financing instruments in force at state level in the 5+5 Dialogue countries,
  3. Identify practical experience in capacity building, training and implementation with the participation of institutions. 
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Internationalisation of the Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) for a smarter and more competitive 5+5 Dialogue countries

Lead Countries: Tunisia and Spain

In recent years, regional innovation policies in Europe have been guided by Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3), a challenge-based and evidence-based approach. S3 enables regions to leverage their specific strengths, resources, and opportunities to build competitive advantages and drive transformation. Its place-based methodology fosters collaboration among stakeholders (e.g., academia, public authorities, private sectors, and civil society) within and beyond regional boundaries to address global and regional challenges effectively.

The 5+5 Mediterranean region, which faces critical and common challenges such as climate change, water stress, soil salinization, etc provides fertile ground for deploying the S3 framework. With access to funding mechanisms like Horizon Europe, PRIMA, and Interreg NEXT MED, S3 can help bridge gaps by fostering research and innovation tailored to D5+5 regional needs and challenges.

The action focuses on identification of Western Mediterranean R&I priorities: our reference is the JRC-Smart Specialisation Design and Implementation Framework, in which thetEntrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) serves as the primary step to identify the priority(ies) for the region. The key objectives are: 

  1. Secure institutional commitment and sustain the S3 focal points network across D5+5 countries.
  2. Increase the awareness and building the capacity of the S3 focal points network and D5+5 national stakeholders, particularly among southern countries.
  3. Identify research and innovation priorities for the D5+5 region.
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Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of Research Structure

Lead country: Portugal, Morocco and Mauritania

This action intends to strengthen nd pursue the capacity of research structures from 5+5 Dialogue Countries, by creating a forum to stimulate the discussion of qualitative and innovative aspects on effective management and institutional capabilities. The key objectives are: 

  • To promote a dialogue on research careers and its governance to address all challenges related to research careers in academia and beyond for youth empowerment, with the objective of making them more attractive, sustainable and effective;
  • To promote a network between national structures responsible for monitoring progress in research and innovation jobs (national observatories on research statistics);
  • To promote a dialogue on mobility of researchers between 5+5 countries, identification of barriers, ways to overcome and share of good practices fostering integration.
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