At the end of Forward’s achievement, the joint strategy and regional orientations were thought to be updated through the four operational WPs’ outputs: thematic working groups (WP3), capacity building and training (WP4), networking actions (WP5) and connecting research and policy making (WP6).
1- Due to Covid, the Forward consortium had to adapt. Thanks to the use of digital video-conferencing platforms and digital collaboration platforms, namely, brainstorming, sticky-notes, voting, mind-mapping, among others, the objectives have been reached
– in this sense, the scope of any training and capacity building action extends to the entire territory, eliminating territorial and border barriers, reaching a greater number of agents of the regional ecosystem of each OR, and there is even the participation of other regions in various actions.
2- Concerning WP3, TWG1 and TWG8 have submitted 3 proposals, TWG8 has 2 proposals in draft, and TWG5 has prepared 5 abstracts with the potential to be prepared. Also, more than 60 meetings have taken place, involving nearly 250 people. This WP also represents an amazing opportunity to matchmaking several actors and organizations concerning a specific thematic.
3- All Forward partners in each ORs led training actions on Horizon Europe program, writing proposals, implementation of calls and monitoring a Horizon Europe project (administrative and financial part).
4-Within the WP6, a huge step has been realized with the written declaration of the XXVII OR presidents conference confirming their will to continue Forward and promote OR-izon network.
All this resulted in a roadmap with concrete priority actions and perspectives such as:
– the sustainability of thematic working group to enhance the visibility of ORs added value,
– groups dedicated to the alignment of the regions in the RIS3 network
– the creation of a concept note about OR-izon network and the letter of support from the regional governments.
The next steps are the creation of regional contact point like the National Contact Point for Horizon Europe but at a regional level. The Forward consortium has also a big challenge to define what will be the chosen image for next years. It has to switch and valorize the ORs as particular and different region, European living labs with great assets.
The Forward project foresees the co-creation of a common strategy for the performance of the OR Research and Innovation ecosystem.
This strategy is the result of a mutual learning event at Brussels in 2019 with face-to-face meetings. It is also a bottom-up approach based on the diagnosis of the R&I ecosystems of the nine outermost regions carried out in the beginning of Forward.
It aims at presenting a common ambition, vision, and values to improve, promote and support the participation of OR’s R&I ecosystems to European framework program.
The ambition – support the transformation of the ORs to an economy based on knowledge and innovation and their integration to the ERA (European Research Area). The participation of ORs in European and international networks will reinforce their ecosystems of Research and Innovation through mobility of researchers, and promotion of scientific knowledges.
The vision – common objective to reach the excellence of ORs R&I ecosystems. Outermost regions are not “handicapped” to participate in the European framework programs as specified in Article 349 of the Treaty of Functioning of the European Union, but that of “differentiated” regions.
Despite their constraints and their heterogeneity, the ORs can bring added value to the Research and Innovation ecosystems in EUROPE. The improvement of their infrastructures, the qualification of their human resources and the integration into international networks are the keys.
The values – Common principles considering regional specificities.
Our territories have different levels of ripeness, political system and distinctive research and innovation ecosystems. Nevertheless, needs, common objectives and potential are a reality.
Given the conclusions of the WP2 diagnosis, three main values are identified within Forward project:
- Synergies for an alignment between the ORs
- Integration to the networks to higher the critical mass, the missing point to promote the Research and Innovation system
- Participation to Horizon Europe or framework programs to increase the circulation of ideas, boost collaborations and grow the critical mass
Source : FRCT, NEXA /WP2 TASK 2.5
After 3 years of collaboration between Outermost Regions, staff working on Forward project, exchanging in the Steering Committee, all 9 partners have confirmed their involvement by signing a document. It is a letter to support the Forward project expressing a common will of EU Outermost regions for the promotion of the “OR-izon Network”.
This letter involves the nine regional governments in this network for operational and governance perspectives.
The Forward consortium affirmed by this document the importance to continue the work done by them and their regional R&I ecosystems. Thus, the sustainability of the Forward legacy after its end is ensured.
The XXVI’s Presidents conference final declaration in the Azores on November 18th and 19th, 2021 has strengthen the continuation of the Forward project and capacities in the ORs to promote their assets for potential European collaboration.
A concept note details the OR-izon network and the contribution of the 9 OR’s. It is an operational and sustainability technical roadmap for the establishment of this network after FORWARD.
The OR-izon network requires two levels of collaboration and cooperation between the 9 regions based on OR-izon‘s survey results:
-Level 1: An increased collaboration between the regional organizations through the co-organization of events and training, the definition of common contributions to public consultations related to Horizon Europe, and the coordination of proposal development to create synergies and mutual support
-Level 2 : mutualization of pooling of resources (expertises) through the creation of a common support program for project development.
The Or-izon Network should be useful to :
- increase the performance of the R&I ecosystems,
- mobilize regional organizations and policymakers on a common pro-Horizon Europe agenda,
- professionalize support services and build common consortia.
Source : Concept note by FRCT, NEXA
In this fifth and penultimate newsletter, as the FORWARD project comes to an end after three and a half years, the actions underway confirm the interesting perspectives for the outermost regions, which are asserting their desire to be part of the R&I framework programs on a long-term basis.
First of all, a concept note has been approved by all 9 territories relative to the building of the OR-izon network. OR-izon intends to be a strong cooperation between the OR’s affirming themselves as European Living Labs with excellent R&I organizations and stakeholders.
Then, to strengthen the cooperation and involvement, a letter of intent has been signed by all the 9 OR’s governance affirming their will to collaborate post FORWARD.
All these documents, concept note for an OR-izon network and letter of support are tools included into a joint common strategy designed at the beginning of the project. One vision, mission and values have been defined. This joint strategy has been updated during the month of March and April 2022 specifying the results and perspectives.
The after Forward with OR-izon network will be discussed during the finale conference scheduled on June 1st and 2nd.
Two highlights are planned for this final conference, which are also part of the European Green Week:
– The Steering Committee meeting on June 1st, which will focus on discussions related to the end of the project scheduled for June 2022 and the post-Forward perspectives.
– The General Assembly and the Advisory Board meeting on June 2nd, where results of the project, diagnosis of OR R&I ecosystems and thematic working groups will be presented.
Today, on 25th April, the FORWARD Coordinator Agencia Canaria De Investigación Innovación Y Sociedad De La Información (ACIISI-GOBCAN) and the partner Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias (PLOCAN) have implemented a FORWARD WP4 capacity building event action, aimed to explore opportunities offered under Widening in the new Horizon Europe framework programme.
The training was provided in a hybrid format, both online and onsite at the PLOCAN premises. The event counted with the support of the Spanish National Contact Point (NCP) represented by Ana Hidalgo, Head of the European Programmes Office at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and at the NCP for Horizon Europe.
The event also counted with the participation of international speakers to share best practices from previous Widening funded projects, namely:
– Prof. Dusan Galusek – FUNGLASS project coordinator;
– Prof. Chahnez Charfi Triki – SEED project coordinator.
Furthermore, the training addressed the evaluator’s vision with a dedicated presentation from Ms Francisca Gómez Fernández, an EU Expert Consultant with long-standing experience in reviewing EU proposals and Widening applications. Finally, at the end of the day, the participants discussed the opportunities of Hop On and ERA-Chair funding.
After the sessions, representatives of Canary Islands’ R&I centres and universities have had the chance to arrange b2b meetings with the NCP representative to consult specific doubts and questions on the Widening programme.
As part of the FORWARD project, on May 3, 2022, the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique (CTM) is organizing a symposium on Food Security.
Faced with the consequences of climate change and the erosion of biodiversity, a crucial issue is to develop and promote the transition towards sustainable agricultural systems, which at the same time respond to environmental, economic and social challenges in order to ensure the security food for present and future generations.
The objectives of the seminar are to :
-Seek territorial anchoring which seeks to re-establish the link between agriculture and society, in particular by promoting local and quality supply, and makes it possible to support the jobs they represent throughout the territory;
-Stimulate a new impetus in favor of research for sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition.
This seminar aims local stakeholders in the research and innovation ecosystem and will be translated into English.
The seminar will take place physically at the CTM and will also be broadcast online.
FORWARD consortium on the Canary Islands gathered at Valencia last 5th of April at an event hosted by the CDTI-SOST Brussels exclusively for project managers. The Canary Islands Institute of Technology, the University of La Laguna, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Astrophysics Institute of the Canary Islands and the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands attended the activity representing the FORWARD team for the Archipelago.
The event evolved around Horizon Europe in three main segments. It started with an update on the strategy and practices for Horizon Europe. After that, it was displayed the new changes and opportunities for the Pillar III on the Horizon Europe programme. Finally, third and last session presented the latest developments for better outcomes on the programme activities. Before closing, all the participants had the opportunity to exchange their experiences about their work on different projects.
This encounter helped the Canary Islands FORWARD consortium to share their results, to do networking, as well as to learn from other teams from different practices to enrich their own processes. As a result, they also received an instruction on how to achieve the project goals by taking advantage of the latest developments and practical cases.
The consortium and its coordinator, the Canary Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI), also attended the “Horizon Europe in Spain National Conference” the 6th of April. In this case, the event organised by the CDTI had a wider view on the programme to analyse the performance of the project in its first year. Information on the latest news and updates on methodologies and goals was also offered.
A new release of our project newsletter has been published in March 2022.
This release provides updates on latest networking & research mobilities, capacity building, and policy making events organized by our partnership. You can find also more information on WP3 Thematic Working Groups’ activities and action plans. Finally, you will find an interesting article on the developments on the post-FORWARD era and the steps taken to support future activities taken at the ORs Presidents’ Conference in November 2021.
The newsletter can be accessed here. Have a good read!