Exploiting Widening opportunities in La Reunion

Initiated under Horizon 2020, the “Widening participation and spreading Excellence” programme aims at boosting the R&I systems in widening countries, fostering their participation in the FP and facilitating collaborative links all across EU. This programme is now open to outermost regions which are eligible for coordinators, offering new opportunities for La Reunion.

To raise awareness of the regional stakeholders about the Widening tools, Nexa, the regional Agency for Development, Innovation and Investment of La Reunion, organised an online workshop on the 19th May 2021.

Opened by Paula Duarte-Gaspar, Head of Outermost regions’s Unit in the DG for Regional policies at the European Commission, the seminar provided key elements to the local researchers and policy advisors with presentations from a panel of experts:

• Kalina Esmein, from the “institut français d’Autriche”, NCP Widening;
• Jean Sciare, Director of the Climate & Atmosphere Research Center at the Cyprus Institute, coordinating a TEAMING project;
• Ewa Domke, Deputy Director for International cooperation and project administration at The Institute of Fluid Machinery Polish Academy, coordinating a Twinning project;
• Bernie O’Rourke, Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Glasgow, Chair of a Cost Action.

The R&I local community is now working on a strategic plan to exploit the Widening opportunities with the help of Nexa’s Europe Office Team.