TRANSBONUS - Transport EU-Western Balkan Network for Training, Support and Promotion of Cooperation in FP7 research activities
Overview
Background & policy context:
Aim of the project was to improve and promote cooperation of EU and Western Balkan countries in the field of surface transport research and technologies. This would contribute to establishing a network of researchers and universities to increase the scientific capacity of the region. To implement the project objectives, the partners would map the existing structures and summarise the specific needs of scientists in the field of transport, disseminate the good practices and organise training and support in FP7 knowledge, set up a Project Lab and promote creative contacts between academic institutions and SMEs, carry out expert study visits between the WBC and EU partners in order to expand networking between the regions, and develop a Roadmap for research capacities and funding opportunities.
Objectives:
Overall objective of the project was to improve and promote closer Scientific and Technological (S&T) cooperation opportunities between Europe and the Western Balkan Countries (WBCs) in the area of Surface Transport. The project seeked to establish an EU-Balkan Transport network of researchers and universities among these countries in order to improve and/or enlarge the research capacity of Western Balkan centres of competence in transport in terms of improving their research programs, and scientific and technical human resources.
The project aimed to fulfil the following specific goals:
- Identifying the existing capacities and specific needs of surface transport researchers in the Western Balkan countries in terms of FP7 funding opportunities;
- Training and support in FP7 knowledge and best practices. Enhance the readiness of the Balkan transport research community to participate in European RTD programmes (FP7). Setting up a matching tool - Project Lab - supporting the creation and preparation of efficient and innovative project proposals; Implementing expert study visits between the WBC and EU partners in order to expand scientific relationships and networking between the two regions;
- Stimulating various partnering schemes and national collaboration between researchers and industry in the surface transport sector in the Balkan region.
Expected activities and tangible results of this project included, among others: a Roadmap for research capacities and funding opportunities in WBCs transport research, 150 researchers informed and stimulated towards FP7, a database with 100 R&D results, 10 national idea generation events (2 per each WBC + Bulgaria), 50 new project proposal ideas and 5 events in the Balkan countries linking transport researchers and industry.
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