In essence, the involved 17 partners and the EC provide three million Euros for multilateral research projects. Funding is administered by the principle of a common pot, a trust account established at the German partner PT-DLR. Funded projects will end 2012 (although prolongation might be possible), but SEE-ERA.NET PLUS, project partners from EU MS and all WBC are on the lookout for future multilateral funding activities. According to an internal assessment in preparation for, and the opinions expressed during the SEE-ERA.NET PLUS Steering Board Meeting in May 2011, all partners are highly committed and would like to continue joint funding in the following years.
The experiences with EC co-funding in the ERA-NET Plus scheme are perceived very positively by the partners; the contribution from the EC is essential for future motivation and continuation of the successful cooperation. The interplay of WBC-INCO.NET and SEE-ERA.NET PLUS is important for future joint activities. The close cooperation between those two projects can support thematic call priority setting and support the decision making required for a follow-up.
Main challenges identified for the next years and expected windows of opportunities such as the INCO work programme 2013 might lead to a shifted focus − from the FP7-associated WBC to the wider Danube region − and a readjustment of research fields covered by future joint calls, covering more applied research domains or particular activities with impact on the innovation systems in the region.