11:30 – 13:00

Networking Lunch & Registration

13:00 – 13:30

Welcome remarks | Opening statements

• Ministry of Education and Science
• European Commission, DG Research and Innovation
• European Commission, Joint Research Centre
• Regional Cooperation Council

13:30 – 15:30

Towards Steering Platform meeting 2018

Recent R&I cooperation developments in/with the Western Balkans

• FP9, International Research Facility in South East Europe (European Commission, Chair of SEEIIST Steering Committee)
• Follow-up Belgrade, R&I Strategies, R&I Budgets (update from the Western Balkan 6)

Upcoming | Next steps
• EU - Western Balkan Summit, Sofia, May 17, 2018 (Bulgarian EU Council Presidency)
• Multi-Annual Action Plan on Regional Economic Area: Progress and needs assessment report on R&D and Innovation related actions (Regional Cooperation Council)
• Towards Joint Science Conference, Rome, 2018; Western Balkans Research Foundation (Berlin Process / Joint Science Conference)
• Discussion | Summing up towards Steering Platform meeting / Ministerial Meeting, Brussels, June 25-26, 2018 (European Commission)

15:30 – 16:00

Coffee break

16:00 – 17:15

New Enlargement Strategy: “Credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans”

• Short presentation of the Strategy with focus on R&I (European Commission)
• Role of Western Balkan 6 in FP9 in view of Enlargement (European Commission and Western Balkan 6)
• Discussion

20:00

Networking Dinner

08:30 – 10:30

Smart specialisation in the context of R&I capacity building

• Update on capacity building through the Enlargement and Integration Action (E&IA) initiative (DG Joint Research Center)
• Update on smart specialisation activities in the region (Regional Cooperation Council)
• S3 and Industry 4.0: A Way Forward for the Western Balkans (Tambourine Innovation Ventures)
• Measures in support of research and innovation capacity building (META Group)
• Croatia’s Experience with S3
• Economic Reform Programme (ERP) measures and smart specialisation activities (update from the Western Balkan 6)
• Discussion: Why is it so important to focus on S3 R&I capacity building efforts?

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee break

11:00 – 12:30

Development of regional research infrastructures based on smart specialisation and industry cooperation

• International Research Facility in South East Europe and related efforts – updates (Montenegro, European Commission, Croatia, Bulgaria)
• Linking of accompanying research infrastructure efforts across the region and beyond (European Commission)
• Socio-economic impact of research infrastructures (European Commission)
• Input by Western Balkan 6 and all stakeholders
• Discussion

12:30 – 13:30

Conclusions on the further integration of the Western Balkans into existing knowledge networks in the EU

14:00 – 16:30

Bilateral Meetings