The overall objective of this project is to improve the OR excellence in research and innovation, but also to strengthen their participation in EU research and innovation funded projects, and link research activities with territorial development.

FORWARD is organized in three phases:

1. Regional diagnosis, comparative analysis and definition of local and joint strategies
2. Capacity building through thematic working groups, training, networking, consortium building
3. Strengthening of the connection between research and policy making and ensuring sustainability (and impacts) of project results on a long term

Forward is composed of eight work packages lead by each OR

1. Management and coordination (WP1) – Canary Islands,
2. Diagnosis of the R & D ecosystems of the ORs (WP2) – Reunion,
3. Co-creation and implementation of thematic action plans (WP3) – Canary Islands and Guadeloupe,
4. Capacity building and training activities (WP4) – Azores
5. Networking activities (WP5) – Canary Islands,
6. Connecting research and policy making: next generation policy tools (WP6) – Madeira
7. Monitoring, evaluation and performance (WP7) – Mayotte
8. Dissemination and communication (WP8) – French Guiana

An advisory board composed of experts contributing to project objectives

The Advisory Board (AB) is composed of a wide variety of members to cover the main dimensions of research excellence in the ORs :

  • Scientific/Technological contribution (for instance high level experts in a common research area identified by the project: Biodiversity, Energy, Blue Economy, Tourism, Health, Space Science, Agriculture, Natural risks and climate change, Social Innovation)
  • Lobbying at national or EU level (for Horizon Europe, for specific EU or national policies)
  • Connection with industry (Representatives from companies or Technological Platforms)

Other type of contribution (for instance: advance project visibility and raise awareness, liaise with end users,

Advisers for FORWARD have a relevant knowledge of the various geographical scales of the research ecosystems (from Regional to International). The categories are:

  • Regional/Macro-regional (for instance: Caribbean area)
  • National
  • EU (including European Commission, European Parliament, Committee of Regions)
  • International (policy makers or high-level experts from strategic Third Countries)

What is the role of the AB ?

The AB has to :
· Give critical reviews on the outcomes and impacts of the project
· Provide advises and recommendations on the activities carried out
· Disseminate information to the scientific community

The Steering Committee met online to assess the members of the Advisory Board proposed by the partners on two main criteria in order to ensure that the Advisory Board is relevant and homogenous. The main criteria for the final decision are:

  • RELEVANCE (check of relevance of the proposed members)
  • INTERNAL BALANCE OF THE ADVISORY BOARD
    • Have at least 5 scientific experts
    • Have at least 3 national experts (either at scientific or political level: for instance, a representative of National Contact Point or of National Ministry for Research and Innovation)
    • Have at least 2 EU representatives or experts able to lobby at EU level
    • Gender balance (50% of experts men and 50% of experts women)

 

We are particularly glad to present you the first Newsletter of the FORWARD consortium.
The FORWARD project – Fostering research excellence in EU Outermost Regions” is the result of the call “Mobilizing Research Excellence in EU outermost regions (OR)”, a coordination and support action (CSA) financed by the framework program Horizon 2020.

The FORWARD H2020 project involves 24 partners from the nine European Outermost Regions (ORs): Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Saint-Martin, Réunion, Mayotte, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira. The project addresses the issue of research and innovation in the ORs and the role they can play as living labs for experimenting with innovative solutions, taking advantage of their potential.

FORWARD is a 3 years project that has been awarded with 4.2 million euros in order to increase the participation of the ORs in the EU research program, on the one hand, and the visibility of their research and innovation capacities, on the other.

FORWARD is the opportunity to map the capabilities of the ORs in their fields of research experience and, on this basis, identify potential European and international partners who can further strengthen their capacity. The project will also help to design the future EU research framework programme, helping ORs to reinforce their effective participation in it.

In this first newsletter, you will find details on Forward workpackages (WP), and mainly WP2 with results of outermost regions research and innovation diagnosis, ORs joint strategy and news about our presence on web and social media.

ORs synergies

The identification of R&I synergies between OR’s is the first step to identify a common vision under Forward. These synergies will be capitalized by :
– networks and partnerships based on sharing principles, which will allow to increase resources, human, financial and material as open access to equipment, infrastructures and investment.
– Increase synergies with European centers of excellence in order to address the needed solutions to the present and future global challenges.
– Forward WP3 which identifies the strategic R&I areas under the thematic working groups and under WP5 which established networking activities

ORs integration

The integration is a main point identified as the missing link to promote OR’s R&I ecosystem. Integration in networks is the condition to boost and increase their critical masses, in order to engage the OR’s R&I for a knowledge economy. Indeed, by strengthening the capabilities of the R&I human resources, as well as its infrastructures as it was proposed under the Forward WP4, with training and capacity building actions.

Participation

The participation in Framework programs such as H2020 and Horizon Europe to increase the circulation of ideas, stimulate collaborations, reach and promote the growth of critical masses. Engaging OR’s R&I ecosystem in FP and projects, also allow to increase a global visibility, reputation and capability. It is crucial to improve OR’s FP participation as the mean to achieve R&I development and valorization.

Next step for the Roadmap

For the first time, the ORs have access to information and created a technical project that allows to create a common vision that carries within, it’s an ambition for the nine ORs, for their R&I ecosystems.

This project gives to ORs the opportunity to implement actions and a common roadmap to fulfil this vision. This vision was the result of a process that will extend along the 36 months of the Forward’s project, but also aims at creating the foundation for actions that can sustain long after the timeline of this H2020 project. It’s essential to put into place a strategic regional plan that targets a mindset change. That will also generate good outcomes, such as the creation of Regional Contact Points and other influence structures. These structures should be implemented at OR’s level, targeting the decision makers and R&I stakeholders.

A living document based on Forward WPs

The Regional Fund for Science and Technology (FRCT – Azores, Portugal) is responsible for the task “Co-creation of the Joint Strategy for OR’s R&I ecosystem performance. Indeed, this task is part of the Work Package 2 (WP2), dedicated to the “Diagnostic of OR’s R&I ecosystem”, led by NEXA (Reunion Island, France).

This document aims to “present a common vision, mission and values for the OR’s to improve, promote and support their R&I ecosystem in the participation of the EU Framework Program”. In a few words, the joint strategy is :

– an orientation roadmap, which needs to be understood as an iterative process,
– a living document that should be adapted and complemented along the project and be feed by the main four operational WorkPackage’s, namely:
• WP2 “Diagnostics of OR’s R&I ecosystem”
• WP3 “Co-creation and implementation of thematic action plans” ;
• WP4 “Capacity building and training activities” ;
• WP5 “Network activities” ;
• WP6 “Connecting research and policy making : next generation policy tools”.

The Mutual Learning Event between ORs, the first step

A consultation process that preceded the development of this document was the common exercises that took place during the Mutual Learning Event (MLE) in Brussels at the Regional European Week, 8th to 10th of October 2019. This MLE allowed validation by all partners, the mission, vision and values of the OR’s R&I and to define these orientations:

AMBITION – Inclusive growth through knowledge-based economy

The goal is to accompany the transformation of the OR’s toward a knowledge and innovation based economy to support an inclusive growth as expressed by the Memorandum of the Presidents. In this constructive process, Forward aims to increase our capacity to answer and manage framework-financing programs in the EU and improve OR’s position in the European Research Area (ERA). Also, the increasing of ORs participation at national and European level networks and initiatives will allow to achieve the improvement and empowerment of their R&I ecosystem, between others actions as free circulation of researchers, exchange and promotion of scientific knowledge and accessing technology.

VISION – Common goal to achieve excellence in the OR’s R&I ecosystem

ORs needs a clear vision to achieve goals together, namely by identifying specialization areas and stand out from the global competition, developing distinctive expertise’s and value proposition i.e. being recognized as resilience living labs.

The vision is the backbone of the project and a single, clear direction, fostering synergies between OR’s.

VALUES – Common principles respecting the regional specificities

Through the common vision that resulted from the WP2, three main values for OR’s R&I in forward project were identified:
• Synergies
• Integration
• Participation

Further to this diagnosis, research and innovation assets and priorities of each region have been evaluated.

WP2 diagnosis mapped the field of common interests of RIS3 of the nine outermost regions.

ORs Main Strategic Priorities

ORs : toward a new economic model

As a reminder, the elaboration of Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) occured after a crisis in 2007, that revealed the very vulnerability of the economy whose growth and sustainability mostly relies on massive and regular financial, material and energy flux. The 2007 crisis lead to the breakdown of this model of economy.

Thus, the model of island characteristics naturalized disadvantages induced by the import of a mass production, consumption economic system that relies on fossil fuel and economies of scales collapsed.

This new situation offers opportunity to reconsider ORs singularities, as valuable assets rather than handicaps to be suppressed.

ORs new challenges

Most outermost regions have to invent an economy respectful of its capacities to connect to other European, international research and innovation ecosystems.

They have to become more resilient regions through the development of innovations solutions exportable to other regions and the creation of critical mass of singular knowledge and know-how. Forward project aims to encourage mutual learning between OR.

Thematic Working Groups (TWGs)

FORWARD is a European project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme (2019-2021), boosting Research Excellence & Innovation Capacity in Outermost Regions. The project overall objectives are:

  • Improve ORs’ excellence in research and their innovation potential.
  • Improve their participation in EU research and innovation funded projects.
  • Link research activities with territorial development.

According to FORWARD analysis, the lack of critical mass and connectivity among ORs and between ORs and continental Europe are some of the main obstacles ORs faces to access EU framework programme. The aim of work package 3 (Co-creation and implementation of thematic working plans) is to reinforce the actual and reveal the potential competitive advantages of Outermost Regions in their respective research and innovation fields of expertise, and the identification of common interests.

Who are the participants of the TWGs ?

The Thematic Working Groups will bring experts from OR and various European regions/countries and third countries. They have to define and implement thematic action plans with the feedbacks of the ORs Research and Innovation community.

Forward TWGs : which thematics ?

There are 8 thematic working groups.

TWG1: Health, applied Medical Technologies, Diagnostics and Therapies.
TWG2: Social sciences and social innovation.
TWG3: Earth system, space & universe sciences.
TWG4: Information and Communications Technology.
TWG5: Climate change and Energy transition.
TWG6: Agriculture, applied life sciences, biotechnology, and bio-systems engineering.
TWG7: Biodiversity conservation and restoration.
TWG8: Marine sciences & technologies.

How are the TWGs built ?

They are built on the :

  • diagnosis of OR’s research and innovation ecosystem which allowed the identification of common RIS3 domains ;
  • ranking of the different fields of expertise (at least 2 ORs + Framework Program and other EU funds) ;
  • potential field of cooperation between ORs ;
  • alignment with Horizon Europe pillars and cluster ;
  • sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

What are the TWGs general objectives ?

These Thematic Working Groups are meant to :

  • identify critical research fields in the OR ;
  • establish networks between OR ;
  • ensure its sustainability after the project

How and why TWG exchange ?

The first transregional meeting will take place online on september 17 during a Kick-off meeting to ensure a good coordination of these TWG, share the same methodology and share questions. Three meetings are scheduled :

1 – Initial training : this initial training will launch the TWG and manage their action plan design in an efficient and collaborative manner.

2 – A second transregional meeting will take place between TWG sub-coordinators to exchange on the work progress, good practices and difficulties.

3 – The last meeting will present the action plans and prospective approach.

In the scope of FORWARD WP3 (Co-creation and implementation of thematic action plans), on the 21st July 2020, ARDITI organized a working and coordination session / meeting with the regional coordinators for the 8 strategic thematic areas identified for cooperation between the ORs.

The session included the following topics:

  • Brief presentation of the FORWARD project, including a reference to WP2 report “Regional Diagnosis of OR’s R&I ecosystems – RAM”;
  • Presentation of the objectives for the TWGs / WP3 (Thematic Action Plans) and their relationship with WP4 (Capacity Building and Training) and WP5 (Networking);
  • Presentation of the interregional coordinators (subcoordinators);
  • Recommendations of regional coordinators on the composition of regional groups, approaches, next steps, etc;
  • Relation/integration of TWGs with RIS3_2021-2027 planning.

Activities under WP3 will continue in coordination with the elected interregional coordinators for each of the thematic areas and in line with D3.1 guidelines (Thematic working groups and thematic action plans methodology).

 

The Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (COCI) visited the offshore platform of PLOCAN accompanied by the director of PLOCAN, Octavio Llinás. The visit took place during the annual meeting where the Committee provides advice on the scientific and technical activities of PLOCAN. During the visit, Dr. Alicia Lavín, Prof. Gerold Wefer, Prof. Christopher Barnes and the rest of the attendees were able to visit the facilities of the offshore platform.

The Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (COCI) is a consultative body of the Consortium, whose objective is to advise on the PLOCAN scientific activities, programs and plans, as well as to propose future actions that may improve the quality and scope of the activities, and to configure and propose the offer for external scientists to the platform.

Source: PLOCAN