Workshop: Presentation of preliminary results on the mapping on research programs and infrastructures Synthesis on possible synergies between programs in MPC/EU countries (session 11:00-11:30) Nicosia, 13th of October 2014

Summary 1-Thematics MPCs/EU 2-Scope of Programs and Instruments 3-Synergies on Topics 4-Strategic orientations

Preliminary remarks Synergies and differences that may appear are based on the results gained on what have been responded by the countries and the research organisations concerned Some of the organisations contacted never responded or only on a little number of Programs or even sending a database of Projects/Programs which was not sufficient to fill in the entire questionnaire Other facts introduce bias in the survey on research Programs when some countries mentioned and added other topics than those already selected in the proposed questionnaire. This is not allowing us to operate a complete comparison on all the topics mentioned within the questionnaires sent back to us Other selected fields having a rather large definition like «General» or «Environmental research» do not allow us to have a clear idea of the research topics behind

1-Thematics : MPCs Common research themes in MPCs after the first results of the survey on research Programs : The topical area supported by most programmes are : -Agriculture, which is supported by ten of the thirteen reported programmes, next are -Energy, energy technologies and -Environmental research, followed by -Economics, social sciences and humanities, and -Healthcare and medicine, as well as -Biology and biotechnology Horizontal aspects like innovation or entrepreneurship are targeted by one programme in Tunisia, while Morocco also mentions support for PhD-students as a horizontal issue. Besides these horizontal aspects, the respective programmes also focus on certain topics The Algerian programme covers all topics displayed. Topics covered by the reported programmes, and also Fisheries as an extra discipline. Following topics have been mentioned but not displayed : Aeronautics/ Space and clean technologies. Some of these topics might be partially covered by the topics mentioned by the respondents, e.g. under environmental research, without being explicitly mentioned

Topics covered by reported Programs MPCs

Topics Ranking in order of importance

1-Thematics : EU Common research themes in EU Countries after the first results of the survey on research Programs : The topical area supported by most programmes in consulted EU Countries are divided in five groups :  From 8 to 11% of the reported Programs : Environmental research, General, Agriculture, Biology, Engineering, Eco. SSH, Healthcare-Medicine  From 3 to 5% of the reported Programs : Geosciences, Market, Marine, Energy, Climate research,  Around 2 % of the reported Programs : Databases, Food, Informatics-IT, Chemistry  Under 2% of the reported Programs : Forest Industry, Entrepreneurship, Fisheries, Infrastructures, Water  Under 1% of the reported Programs : Mining, Innovation, Urban Planning, Transportation, Maths Horizontal aspects like innovation, entrepreneurship, engineering, market, Infrastructures, Database are targeted by the following countries : Germany, Cyprus, France, Italy Besides these horizontal aspects, the respective programmes also focus on certain topics that have been added to the original questionnaire : Food, Innovation, Urban Planning, Transportation, Water, Market, Marine, Fisheries, Databases, Infrastructures, Maths MPCs did not reported on these cited topic areas & horizontal aspects (apart innovation and Entrepreneurship).

Topics covered by reported Programs EU

Topics Ranking in order of importance (%)

2-Scope of Programs/Instruments Most programs target in MPCs  1-applied research,  2-mobility and capacity building.  3-Basic research and technological development are targeted by fewer programs  4-Four countries mention funding opportunities for basic research, while five countries report programmes targeting technological development.

2-Scope of Programs/Instruments Most programs target in EU  1-applied research which have been reported in 63 Programs  2-capacity building which have been reported in 34 Programs  3-Basic research which have been reported in 30 Programs  4-Technological development which have been reported in 24 Programs  5-Mobility which have been reported in 15 Programs

2-Scope of Programs/Instruments

2-Scope of Programs/Instruments (%)

2-Scope of Programs/Instruments Bilateral/National/International frame Programs in Tunisia, Morocco and Palestine have a bilateral scope, while another eight of the programs in question have a national scope, e.g. fund exclusively national beneficiaries; but MPCs Programs generally support projects with international participation. Some of the programs in Tunisia have an international scope with targetting specific partner countries : MPCs : Egyptian, Algerian, EU : German, Portuguese, Spanish, Other : Indian and South Korean researchers. International scope/ERANETS : One program in Morocco takes place in the frame of the ERA-Net ARIMNET (Agricultural Research In the Mediterranean Network). The ERANET ARIMNET gives the opportunity to involve partners from the EU and Mediterranean Partner Countries. In particular program owners from Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Israel and Cyprus have participated with national funds to the joint call.

2-Scope of Programs/Management of projects MPCs and EU countries are sharing almost the same procedure for calls (electronic procedures commonly used), evaluation (experts and Peer Review), follow-up (periodical reporting and evaluation) of projects. Management procedures could slightly be improved so that the management of programs could be shared by almost all the countries around the Mediterranean basin.

3-Synergies on Topics Added by respondents EU THEMATICS / COMPARISON BETWEEN MPCS AND EU (%)

3-Synergies on Topics

Most targeted topics EU (by order of importance) compared to MPCs 3-Synergies on Topics

A first block of topics where EU/MPCs are globally converging consist of the following topics : Environmental research (3rd MPC, 1st EU) Economics social sciences humanities, (4th MPC, 6th EU) Biology-Biotech. (5th MPC, 4th EU) Healthcare and medicine (6th MPC, 7th EU) Engineering (7th MPC, 5th EU) Climate research (12th MPC, 12th EU) Forest industry (14th MPC, 17th EU) Entrepreneurship (15th MPC, 18th EU)

3-Synergies on Topics Main differences between Topics : Within a second block of topics, a closer examination of the statistics indicates distinct differences between some Programs leaded by MPCs and EU countries : Agriculture (1st topic MPCs, 3rd for EU) Energy (2 nd MPCs, 11th EU) Informatics (8th MPCs, 15th EU) Materials-Chemistry (9th MPC, 16th EU) Mining (10th MPC, 22nd EU) Geosciences (11th MPCs, 8th EU) General (13rd MPCs, 2 nd EU)

3-Synergies on Topics These differences observed are not surprising for few topics The Topic « General » is covering a wide scope of results and should be deeper analyzed as the difference observed between MPCS/EU on this topic means little for us. Other differences observed are rather linked to horizontal aspects, to a certain extent Informatics-IT for example which is linked to the topic Engineering. There is a relative difference MPCs/EU on the topic Engineering (6,56/8,35%)  This is consistent with the differences already observed on Strategic Orientations where MPCs expressed their willing to improve the research infrastructures and develop human resources.

4-Strategic orientations MPCs

4-Strategic orientations MPCs/EU

4-Synergies on Strategic orientations MPCs/EU Have access to foreign infrastructures Improve MPC country's research infrastructure Information concerning RTD opportunities in other countries Gap of industrial participation need to be fill in both in MPCs and EU countries Human Resource development Access to foreign infrastructures Support training of PhD and post-doctorates

4-Synergies on Strategic orientations MPCs/EU - MPCs and EU countries are sharing the same concerns on : participation of private sector lack of orientation of Programs towards innovation commercialization of research results and stronger valorization of research results for the economic development support the international linkages of the national innovation systems with other partner countries industry-science relationships could be intensified, as the level of industry involvement is regarded as rather weak in a majority of countries reduction of budgets duplication of efforts

Thank you for your attention Arthur Mulle, Antoine Weexsteen, CNRS-INSU France