The event brought together representatives of academia, private sector, policy makers and students / PhD researchers.

The discussants of the round table pointed out the following critical issues:

• the “lack of trust” the private sector perceives towards Albanian research institutions and research products is due to the outdated research infrastructure of Albanian institutions and research policies governing research in the country, rather than the lack of capacities in human resources. The government should thus play a crucial role in promoting enabling policies and procedures that facilitate the cooperation between both sectors.

• Albania has more research institutions and researchers per capita compared to other Western Balkan and European countries. The "research landscape" in Albania resembles "an archipelago, which lacks the material to link different islands." Therefore, an increased role of the state in designing enabling policies towards cooperation between the private sector and academia is crucial.

• A more pro-active approach of Albanian researchers and research institutions in promoting their research and recommendations to the private sector is needed. So far, the private sector has been looking for research capacities and scientific products outside Albania.

Source: RRPP. For more details please see the event report.