The main contribution of the SCORE project will be the development of ICT Strategic Research Agendas for the participating Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia) and a Policy Paper with “Recommendations for shaping EU scientific co-operation with the Western Balkan Region in the field of ICT research: 2007-2013” that will enable EU RTD policy-makers to define realistic research policies and agendas for the region.

SCORE Objectives are:

• Develop ICT Strategic Research Agendas for the Western Balkan countries
• Each Agenda will define the ICT research priorities per country following a broad consultation with affected ICT stakeholders.
• Develop a Policy Paper with “Recommendations for shaping EU scientific co-operation with the Western Balkan Region in the field of ICT research: 2007-2013”
• This Policy Paper will provide valuable input for the up-to-date shaping of the FP7’s Co-operation Programme and future calls.
• Transfer EU research results and technologies in the identified ICT research priorities
• The aim is to familiarise Western Balkan ICT stakeholders with current research developments and state-of-art technologies in the identified research priorities.
• Facilitate the development of networks between ICT stakeholders
• Networks within the Western Balkan region and between the region and the EU in order to develop contacts, exchange ideas and foster joint research collaboration.

SCORE Activities are:

• Consultations with ICT stakeholders:
• Consultations with Western Balkan ICT stakeholders are being implemented (one in each partner country) involving also 4 consultation workshops, in order to identify the ICT research priorities per country. ICT stakeholders comprise: research actors, ICT industrial actors and national ICT research policy-makers.
• Know-how transfer workshops:
• Organisation of 4 workshops (one per country) for the transfer of EU technical know-how on key ICT thematic fields reflecting the research priorities defined in the ICT Strategic Research Agenda per country.
• EU-Western Balkan Regional Conference:
• Organisation of a closing conference on “EU-Western Balkan ICT research co-operation: the next priorities” with the aim to consolidate the ICT Strategic Research Agendas and Policy Paper and to put them within a broader Balkan region and European Neighborhood perspective.
• Network Facilitation Support:
• SCORE facilitates the development of networks between EU and Western Balkan ICT stakeholders through networking tools provided by the SCORE portal, guidance on how to establish networks during SCORE activities (e.g. know-how transfer workshops) and on-demand assistance.

Source: Self-entry in November 2007.