From components and devices to entire systems, intelligent functions embedded at all levels are a key driver for both product and service innovation and creativity. The challenge is to develop safer, more cost efficient, energy aware, stable and reliable systems that monitor their ‘environment’ and control (adjust) their operation in order to increase productivity and efficiency.

Today’s engineers are trying to solve complex problems such as the design and operation of intelligent:

• Energy management systems that exploit all available energy sources and monitor energy demand at real time so as to adjust the use of each energy source, thus maximising the entire grid efficiency and limiting energy losses.
• Urban traffic management systems that enable civil servants to better respond to emergency situations (natural disasters, fires, accidents, etc), or simply offer a safe, fast and convenient system for citizens’ everyday (urban) activities.
• Transportation systems at regional, national or international level that monitor weather, road and traffic conditions, local emergencies (accidents, natural disasters), etc. and adjust transportation plans so that the products reach their destination on-time at the lowest possible cost.
• Industrial production systems that enable production with an optimal consumption of resources (human, energy, infrastructure, etc) and minimal Green House Gas emissions, while adapting production processes to customer requirements and market needs (customised products).

Meanwhile, all Western Balkan Countries (WBC) retain a number of highly qualified research teams active in the design, development and implementation of systems and applications applied in Monitoring and Control (M&C). Strengthening the scientific and technological collaboration between WBC and EU research teams in the respective field will consequently favour the production, sharing and exploitation of knowledge.

By bringing researchers from the two regions into direct contact and promoting the benefits of collaboration, BALCON aims to facilitate and enable the preparation of joint research activities in the field of Monitoring and Control. The ultimate goal is to reinforce the EU-WBC research collaboration in the field of M&C and, therefore, support productivity and economic growth in both regions, helping them to address common challenges and creating mutual socio-economic benefits.

To achieve its objectives, the BALCON consortium will:

• Review R&D priorities and capacity in developing M&C systems and applications in both regions in order to assess the collaboration potential among the research and industrial communities, aiming at identifying and highlighting the “EU-WBC research areas of common interest in the field of M&C” which may result in substantial benefits for both regions if R&D collaboration is reinforced.
• Create a community of experts from both regions in the field of Monitoring and Control (“Advisory Group”) to support the early validation of the main project outcomes, increase their credibility and facilitate their wider possible diffusion. This interaction will bring key European and WBC researchers into direct contact, facilitating the exchange of ideas in order to reach consensus in the research areas with a high EU-WBC collaboration potential in the M&C field, as well as on the actions required towards strengthening this collaboration.
• Organise a variety of networking, training and awareness raising activities to bring research & industrial actors of the two regions closer, thus preparing the ground for concrete EU-WBC R&D activities in the M&C area.

The project's fact sheet can be downloaded here