30.04.2010 [News]

S&T International Cooperation Network for Central Asian and South Caucasus Countries: IncoNet CA/SC successfully launched

IncoNet CA/SC, an EU project with Central Asian and South Caucasus Countries was officially launched during a kick-off meeting in Istanbul/ Turkey on 29th-30th April 2010. The project is coordinated by the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS, Greece) and funded under the 7th Research Framework Programme of the European Community. 28 partner organisations from 14 countries take part in the project.

The new project is being implemented in close coordination with the ongoing IncoNet EECA project (International Cooperation Network for Eastern European and Central Asian countries), whose Management Board Meeting took place on 30th April in Istanbul, too.

The IncoNet CA/SC project focuses on strengthening and deepening the S&T cooperation with the Central Asian and South Caucasus countries, as well as with Moldova. The main aims of the project are:

• enhancing the policy dialogue with the target countries for the identification of research priorities of mutual interest;
• development of synergies with other Community policies and instrument for a stronger support to S&T related activities;
• organization of Info Days and of other activities aiming at an increased participation of researchers from CA and SC in FP7;
• capacity building and support to the FP7 contact points in the target regions;
• mapping of key research institutes and analyses/studies on cooperation patterns, S&T Indicators, innovation policies, etc.

To implement this strategy the IncoNet CA/SC project is organized in 8 Work packages (WP) as follows:

• WP1 and WP2 are addressing policy dialogue and the coordination and synergies with other EU policies; 
• WP3 and WP4 are addressing the strengthening of participation in the activities of FP7 and the strengthening of the NCPs/NIPs structures in CA, SC &MO.
• WP5 and WP6 are focusing on analyses, monitoring, and quality assurance;
• WP7 concentrates on dissemination activities; and
• WP8 is dedicated to the overall management of the project.

In parallel, the Central Information Office will be set up in the context of the IncoNet EECA project and located at the International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research at the Project Management Agency c/o German Aerospace Center (DLR), constituting a unique source of knowledge for the entire EECA region that will extend and deepen the coverage of the Central Asian counties with particular emphasis on Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan that were not formally included in IncoNet EECA.

Project Number: FP7-244417
Project Acronym: IncoNet CA/SC
“Capacities” Programme
Instrument: Coordination and Support Action (CSA)

The contents of this article solely reflect the views of the authors and the European Union is not liable for any use made thereof.

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