The event gathered experts from ministries of science and research of the RCC members from South East Europe (SEE), including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, the FYR of Macedonia, Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244), members of scientific institutions from the region, and representatives of relevant international organisations and stakeholders. The WBC-INCO.NET project was represented by its coordinator Elke Dall.

The Regional Strategy for Research and Development for the Western Balkans aims at increasing knowledge transfer through boosting networks and capacities of researchers and scientists from the Western Balkans, and within the entire SEE, at enhancing cooperation between the science, research and education communities and the business sector and at creating cross-border regional clusters in competitive sectors to pave the way for the establishment of competitive regional centres of excellence.

The meeting participants urged the European Commission, the World Bank, UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, the RCC Task Force Fostering and Building Human Capital, the Steering Platform on Research for Western Balkans and all other interested international donors and appropriate networks, to work together in the establishing of a multi-donor approach for the implementation of the said Regional Strategy.

The approach to involve the national administrations, working groups, networks and regional stakeholders as much as possible in the forthcoming World Bank study, ensuring that the results are fully owned by the countries concerned, was highly appreciated by the participants.

The participants also welcomed the European Commission’s support for the Regional Strategy for Research and Development for the Western Balkans. Moreover, they invited the Commission to investigate, whether the project fiche – to be presented in the Regional Programme – can cater for a multi-donor approach, which was based upon the Joint Statement of the ministerial conference of April 24, 2009, building further on the work already carried out by SEE-ERA.NET, WBC-INCO.NET and the Steering Platform, while taking into account the results of the World Bank study.

The meeting participants also agreed that a coordination body for the continuation of all activities related to Regional Research Strategy needs to be established, involving representatives of the science ministries of all countries concerned, coordinated by the RCC.