News archive - Regional Research Priorities Identified
With three Priority Setting Workshops held in May and June 2009, the series of five consultation sessions was concluded bringing together relevant stakeholders from the WBCs and EU Member States from the science sector, the European Commission, ministries and the business sector. As a result, commonly agreed-on research topics and country reports on the S&T systems of the WBCs are now available in the fields of ICT, AgroFood, Health, Transport and Environment.
The priorities were presented also on the occasion of the Steering Platform meeting on research for the Western Balkan countries and they will be and were communicated further to the European Commission, other potential funders, etc.
Having accomplished the priority setting process in the fields of ICT and AgroFood in the beginning of 2009 (the WBC-INCO.NET journal reported in its Spring 2009 issue), three more consultation sessions were organised on the themes of Health (May 12 – 13, 2009 in Tirana/Albania), Transport (May 19 – 20, 2009 in Sarajevo/Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Environment (June 16 – 17, 2009 in Skopje/FYR of Macedonia).
Through a sound preparatory work, comprehensive national background reports on the S&T systems and the priority setting in the WBCs could be generated. The sessions were attended by stakeholder delegations from the Western Balkans, representatives from the European Commission and experts from other countries.
The aim was to define the most important research topics for the region that would serve as input to the Work Programmes of FP7 and the further development of national and regional programmes in the WBC.
The following priorities were decided upon:
- Health: Oncology, Cardiovascular Diseases, Public Health, Mental Health, Infectious Diseases;
- Transport: Impact of Surface Transport on Environment and Safety (Coastal Seas, Inland Waterways, Railways and Roads), Advanced Materials and Structures – Engineering for Safer and Greener Means of Transport, Passenger and Freight Intermodal Transport and Optimal Use of Various Transport Modes, Application of Advanced Simulations in Transport Systems, Application of ICT in Intelligent Transport Systems;
- Environment: Ecosystem-Based Approach to Management of Renewable Resources, Environmental Hazards in Cultural Heritage – Development of Knowledge Base for Effective Western Balkan Protection Strategy, Biodiversity, Cleaner Production / Environmental Technologies, Sustainable Management of Terrestrial Natural Resources, Climate Change.
Author: Ulrike Kunze
Via the links below, you find the related presentations and background reports discussed during the consultation session for your interest.
- Western Balkans
Entry created by Katarina Rohsmann on October 30, 2009
Modified on October 23, 2009
