Report of the first Management board meeting Grant Agreement n° 311780 Page 1 of 8 THEME [INCO.2012-1.3] INCONET – Mediterranean Partner Countries Deliverable N.: 1.4 Title: Report of the Management Board meeting Funding scheme: Coordination and support action Project Acronym: MEDSPRING Project Coordinator: CIHEAM-IAMB, Claudio Bogliotti Grant Agreement n°: 311780 Author: MHESR (Z. El Sadr), CIHEAM (C. Morini) Dissemination level: PU Coding: MEDSPRING/WP7/D7.3/ Official delivery date: M11 Project start: 1 February 2013 Project duration: 48 months
Transcript
Report of the first Management board meeting Grant Agreement n° 311780
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THEME [INCO.2012-1.3]
INCONET – Mediterranean Partner Countries
Deliverable N.: 1.4
Title: Report of the Management Board meeting
Funding scheme: Coordination and support action Project Acronym: MEDSPRING Project Coordinator: CIHEAM-IAMB, Claudio Bogliotti Grant Agreement n°: 311780 Author: MHESR (Z. El Sadr), CIHEAM (C. Morini)
Dissemination level: PU Coding: MEDSPRING/WP7/D7.3/ Official delivery date: M11
Project start: 1 February 2013 Project duration: 48 months
Report of the first Management board meeting Grant Agreement n° 311780
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Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 32. Participants and main activities ...................................................................................................... 33. Appreciation and recommendation by the External Advisory Board ............................................. 44. Agenda ............................................................................................................................................ 55. Photo Gallery .................................................................................................................................. 66. Annexes .......................................................................................................................................... 8
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1. Executive Summary The first Joint Project management board (only WP Leaders) and the External Advisory Board (EAB) meeting have been carried out on 9 February, 2014 in Marriot Hotel, Cairo, Egypt. The aim of the meeting was to receive suggestions from EAB to improve the project implementation.
2. Participants and main activities All the WP Leaders (CIHEAM, FCT, CSIC, SCOM, MHESR, CNR, DLR, HCST) and five members of the EAB attended the meeting: Ahmad Dallal (LEB), Michael Scoullos (GREECE), Mohamed Refaat Chaabouni (TUN), Mohamed Refaat Chaabouni (TUN), Muhammed Shatanawi (JOR), Hany Hellal (EGY). All the EAB members received from the Coordinator, prior to the meeting, a stocktaking report of the main activities implemented during the first year of project implementation.
During the meeting, the Coordinator presented the project main achievements in each work packages, main outcomes and problems encountered during the first year of the project.
All the WP Leaders were given the floor for comments on the WP under their responsibility, problems encountered during the first year, future developments, proposals of new activities.
The Coordinator has outlined on the following issues:
1. Overarching achievements of the project: - Euro-Mediterranean AGORA: an inclusive and participatory approach to project key
actions (e.g.: EMEG), intensive exchange with society, building effective trust, offering opportunities for SMEs/Start-ups
- Timely and effective action vs. the H2020 agenda through the preparation of a Position Paper
- Supporting key policy initiative like PRIMA under Article 185 for the Mediterranean - Timely and tailored training (Joint Programming, H2020) - Linking with other INCO Projects, particularly ERAWIDE initiatives - Scaling prioritization down to concrete actions / opportunities
2. The vision and prospect for the coming 12 months: - To consolidate trust with the WEB community - To consolidate EMEG action to increase influence on EU research / innovation and
cooperation agenda, including engagement of stakeholders - To increase offers and opportunities for SMEs/Start-ups through brokerage, with
more engagement of private investors - To implement Action Plan designed with Med NCP and Focal Points - To organize an effective North-South brokerage on H2020 - To draft a substantial and coherent policy paper
3. Innovative actions (challenges) for an INCONET: - Large and continuous exchange with the civil society and research community - Bringing society in project activities - Organisation of open consultations and call for innovative ideas - Participatory position paper
4. Problems and room for improvements: - Interaction with other initiatives - Limited impact on private sector and investors - Limited involvement of some partners
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- Limited federative approach - Need to be more effective on policies and policy makers.
3. Appreciation and recommendation by the External Advisory Board
The EAB steered the project at technical level and suggested and advised the Coordinator, the Deputy Coordinator and WP leaders on the following items:
• Successful start of the project management: for the experts, there is a general good correspondence between the WPs description and their implementation. A successful rate of 75% for the tasks done is a very good results.
• The AGORA is a good model and example of social media use, for matching people as well as managing idea and thematic information with the civil society and researchers community.
• MEDSPRING should have the role of creating an enabling environment for dialogue with civil society and research community which can be also done through the Agora.
• There is a need of enhancing the real political and social impact of the project.
• Composition of the partnership: there is a limited involvement of private sector in the already established consortium (as in general “private sector attracts private sector”). Proposal of “Affiliation form” for interested private companies.
• To concentrate the next capacity building activities on training for young researchers and national focal points, as well as seminars with experts key administrators, for showing how to tackle the bottlenecks for enhancing research networking and partnership.
• Need to link the Agora with the existing FORA on societal challenges, as several euro-mediterranean projects are dealing with similar issues in the last years.
• Need to establish a vision and clear identity of the project for its visibility. It means to have a clear idea of people to be targeted and involved (we are encouraging and benefit whom?) and how to reach the civil society, engaging the organized society represented by NGOs.
• Working more on policy dimension for a real project footprint on the societal challenges, especially the “White paper for Euro-Med cooperation in STI” will be a strategic document for influencing policy in concrete with a participatory approach.
• Suggestion for clustering the observatories: if they are working on the same issues (The observatories are pertinent to different thematic and services, so we can cluster them based on that). Clarify the concept and main characteristics of observatories and rationalize the value of this clustering.
• Suggestion: as Medspring is a social hub, it should be not only a tool for informing users on H2020 programme, but also for sharing with the EC H2020 the voice of civil society and researchers’ expectations.
• All the MEDSPRING next activities should have more contacts and engagement with investors and private sectors. In particular, the next brokerage events should focus more on this aspect, involving more potential investors, both at national and regional level. It could be also the occasion for selecting e.g. 20 ideas carriers for coaching them on how to successfully present their project idea to potential investors.
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4. Agenda
MED-SPRING (Mediterranean Science, Policy, Research and Innovation Gateway)
Cairo, Egypt – Venue: Sofitel Hotel Room: Champs Elysees
16h30 – 19h00 Joint Project Management Board (only WP Leaders) - External Advisory Board meeting Overview of project main developments and problems encountered (C. Bogliotti) Round table of WP Leaders (general comments on the WP under their responsibility,
problems encountered, future developments, proposals of new activities or improvement of upcoming tasks not foreseen by the DoW ) – 10 minutes each.
Tour de table of the members of the External Advisory Board Discussion Suggestions and recommendations by the members of the External Advisory Board
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5. Photo Gallery
Fig. 1 – The WP leaders (Cairo, February 2014)
Fig. 2 – The EAB experts (Cairo, February 2014)
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Fig. 3 – Presentation of main results (Cairo, February 2014)
Fig. 4 – Open discussion (Cairo, February 2014)
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6. Annexes Annex I – Presentation of the Coordinator
24/02/2014
1
Joint Project Management Board and External Advisory
Board Meeting
(Cairo, 9 February 2014)
Overview of project main developments,
achievements and prospect
C. Bogliotti , Z. El-Sadr
24/02/2014
2
WP 1: Main achievements (A)/problems (P)
• Establishment of Quality Control Group (T1.4)
A - Ten deliverables and two Internal Report assessed
• Coordination of external relations, media and projects platform
(T1.5-1.6-1.8)
A - RDI, AGRI, DEVCO, UfM / Agora (digital media), RAI
P - Limited external relations, projects platform delayed
• Co-ordination and management of event agenda (T1.11)
A – Several back-to-back meetings to create synergies
24/02/2014
3
WP 2: Main achievements (A)/problems (P):
• Creation and management of the EMEG (T2.1)
A – More than 45 experts
P – Weak private sector participation and gender balance
P – Link with other international initiatives
• Stocktaking of research results (T2.3)
A – Open Consultation (more than 120 participants)
A – 1st EMEG Meeting (Lisbon – 20-21 June 2013)
A – Position Paper with recommendations to H2020
24/02/2014
4
WP 3: Main achievements (A)/problems (P)
• Implementation of the project portal (T3.1)
A – Project portal
• Brochure, quarterly newsletters and pamphlets (T3.3 and 3.5)
A – Two newsletters, one digital thematic pamphlet, project
brochure (1000 copies), posters for events
• Dissemination (T3.6)
A – Dissemination Plan
24/02/2014
5
WP 4: Main achievements (A)/problems (P)
A - Continuous participation and exchange with the WEB
community, building MedSpring-Community mutual trust
A - Building a participatory database of best practices,
recommendations, suggestions
A – Becoming a good tool for public consultations, calls
P - Low participation of private sector
24/02/2014
6
WP 5: Main achievements (A)/problems (P):
• Cluster Analysis (T5.2)
A – Survey to identify promising clusters in MPCs
P – Low response ratio (13 questionnaires fully completed)
• Brokerage on Innovation and Research (T5.4)
A – Brokerage event in Cairo (Feb. 12-13)
A – Launch of a call for innovative ideas (22 proposals)
A – Brokerage/networking H2020 (Cairo, Feb. 8)
P – Difficult involvement of private investors, SMEs
24/02/2014
7
WP 6: Main achievements (A)/problems (P):
• Analysis of programming mechanisms in MPCs (T6.1)
A – Mapping of S&T programmes in MPCs
P – Delay
• JPI Analysis (T6.2)
A – Survey to explore potential interest by JPIs to engage with MPCs
P - Limited interest
• Inter-institutional meetings for joint programming (T6.3)
A – Meeting in Beirut , 12 July 2013 (jointly with training event on Article 185)
P – Limited participation of takeholders
24/02/2014
8
WP 7: Main achievements (A)/problems (P)
• Training needs T7.1
A – Survey
• Implementation of first two years training (T7.4)
A – 1° training event on Article 185 initiatives (Beirut, July 11):
35 participants from 12 countries
A – 2° training event on H2020 for Mediterranean NCPs
coordinators (Amman, December 9-11): 28 participants from
7 countries
24/02/2014
9
WP 8: Main achievements (A)/problems (P):
• Identification of Euro-Mediterranean thematic observatories (T8.1)
A – List of 50 observatories
A – On-line survey for creating a catalogue of observatories
P – Delays in the implementation of activities
• Networking with Euro-Med Observatories (T8.2)
A – 1° networking meeting (Paris, December 19): 12 Observatories
involved
24/02/2014
10
WP9: Main achievements (A)/problems (P):
• Support EU-MPCs bilateral dialogue under S&Tcooperation
Agreements (T9.5)
A – Report on “Assessment Frame for monitoring EU-MPCs
bilateral cooperation”, with identification of four categories of
indicators.
P – Meeting with MPCs not yet organized for discussion and
final sharing
• Support to GSO (former MoCo)
A – Minutes and Design of ad-hoc interactive WEB
24/02/2014
11
GANTT of first year main activities
Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
WP 1 KoM QCG Meeting
EU
Annual
Meeting
WP 2 Open
Consultation
1st EMEG
Meeting
Position
paper
WP3 Project
WEB
1st
NLetter
Brochure Thematic
Pamphlet
2nd
Nletter
3rd
Nletter
WP 4 AGORA Open
Consultation
Public call for innovative
ideas
WP 5 Cluster analysis Call for innovative ideas Brokerage
WP6
Organ. and implem. 1st inter-
institutional meeting supporting
Art. 185, Beirut.
Start of JPI analysis
Analysis of national research programmes in MPCs and delivery of report
WP7 Organ. & impl. 1st training for
MPC on Joint Programming,
Beirut, July
Organ. & impl. 2nd
training for Med NCPs on
H2020, Amman,
December
WP8
First list
observato
ries
Org. & impl. 1st meeting
of observatories, Paris,
December
Survey of existing observatories and preparation of 1st
catalogue
WP9 Assessment frame of S&T bilateral
cooperation: analysis and report
(indicators)
Support
GSO
( MoCo)
24/02/2014
12
Delivered/Achieved In progress Re-scheduled/Delayed
Deliverables
Total N: 25
18 5 2
Milestones
Total N: 12
8 4
First year deliverables and milestones
24/02/2014
13
Overarching achievements
• Euro-Mediterranean AGORA: an inclusive and participatory approach
to project key actions (ie: EMEG), intensive exchange with society,
building trust
• Timely and effective action vs the H2020 agenda and Position Paper
• Constructive synergies with key policy initiative like Article 185
• Timely and tailored training (Joint Programming, H2020)
• Scaling research priorities down to concrete actions
• Offering opportunities for young enterpreneurs, SMEs, start-ups
24/02/2014
14
Vision for the coming 12 months
- Consolidate trust with the WEB community (AGORA week)
- Consolidate EMEG action to increase influence on EU research / innovation and
cooperation agenda, including engagement of stakeholders and other initiatives
- Increase offer and opportunity for SMEs/Start-ups through brokerage, with more
engagement of private investors
- Implement Action Plan designed with Med NCP and Focal Points (ie: training)
- Effective North-South brokerage on H2020 cooperation
- Substantial and coherent policy paper
24/02/2014
15
Innovation and peculiarity in MedSpring (as INCONET)
- Large and continuous exchange with the civil society and research
community
- Organisation of open consultations and call for innovative ideas
