As you know, WBC-INCO.NET is supporting the Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkan countries and follows up its conclusions (the latest ones are provided on page 1 and 2 of this journal). Thus, we are currently busy preparing a series of events in Zagreb, which culminate in the Platform meeting on October 29, 2009. Furthermore, we are already thinking about the next one: co-chaired by the EC, Spain, which will hold the EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2010 and Serbia for the WBCs.

At these meetings, we will present the results of our consultation processes for research priorities: the identified results on ICT and AgroFood well fed to the SEE-ERA.NET PLUS call (see page 19). Further results are available for Environment, Health and Transport research. Currently, we are also working on including the perspectives of civil society and the public on research priorities with a survey to open soon. In another task we focused on existing research funding programmes and strategies tackling the topic of climate change as a major global challenge.

We already presented a study on barriers to cooperation and are now preparing one on cooperation patterns in FP6 and FP7. Furthermore, we will present a report, which describes major research infrastructures in the region and discusses the possibilities for WBC researchers to access research infrastructures in the EU Member States.

Other workshops and reports were targeting the National Contact Point system (which was e.g. evaluated and benchmarked) and statistical offices as well as research information systems. Furthermore, several training workshops were organised within the framework of the project. In 2010 and 2011, we will continue to announce trainings for research managers and also brokerage events.

Furthermore, we prepare ourselves to participate in some major EU conferences to showcase excellence in the region and to promote research cooperation with the region to potential project partners and coordinators from
the established Member States.

Moreover, WBC-INCO.NET continues its efforts in the dissemination of information. Here we aim to provide information to the research community in the region, but also to policy makers in the field of RTDI (research, technological development and innovation). Our communication efforts also include informing you about interesting events and calls for proposals. If you have any suggestions for our dissemination efforts or for any of the above mentioned issues, please feel invited to get in touch with WBC-INCO.NET at office@wbc-inco.net.