WBC-INCO.NET project: Barriers in research cooperation of WBC countries – mobility aspects Jadranka Švarc Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb EURAXESS – Istraživači u pokretu Prezentacija hrvatske mreže mobilnosti istraživača 29 June, 2009, Zagreb

General information WBC-INCO. Net project – Co-ordination of research policies with the WBC to enhance their integration into ERA ( launched in February 2008 – FP7 - Capacities (4 years) Consortium of 26 partners: WBC+ Austria (coordinator), Germany, The Netherlands, Turkey, Greece, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Belgium and Italy WP 3.3. Analysis of barriers to cooperation – “side effect” analysis–mobility aspects Task lead: Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb Overall aim: to identify barriers which inhibit researchers from the Western Balkan countries and Turkey (WBC&T) from international R&D cooperation and to provide an analytical background for policy measures This is the first study focused on identification of the factors which hamper the cooperation of WBC&T in the: /1/ EU Framework Programmes (FPs); (up to now: only bilateral cooperation and mobility were analysed ); /2/ bilateral projects /3/ difference in perception of barrieres between WBC&T and MS

Selected literature on mobility and bilateral cooperation EC (2001), High level Expert group on improving mobility of researchers, Final report, EC, 4 April, 2001; Ivo Pilar (2006), SWOT analysis: Systematic Information Exchange on Bilateral RTD Programmes Targeting Southeast Europe, Report on 14 countries, WP1 within SEE-ERA.NET project, Institute Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, 2006; FFG-ARPA (2007), Thematic Report: Barriers to international Mobility and the Integration of Researchers from Western Balkan Countries (WBC) in the European Research Area (ERA), FFG- Austrian Research Promotion Agency, September 2007 Solitander, V., Tzatzanis-Stepanovic, E. (2008), Mobility study on the Western Balkan countries, Information Office of the Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkan Countries, Vienna. Santa, E., Windischbaur, B. (2008), Needs/offers matrix and analysis, Information Office of the Steering Platform on Research, Vienna SEE-ERA.NET (s.a.), Report on analysis of systematic information exchange on bilateral activities at the project level in 11 countries, WP3 within SEE-ERA.NET project, Bulgarian research team SCORE (2009), Shaping EU-Western Balkan co-operation in the field of ICT Research & Development in the period : Priorities and Recommendations, Project funded by the EC under the “Information Society Technologies”

The process of integration of WBC into ERA Zagreb Summit in 2000 when the status of ‘potential candidate’ is offered to the all WBC on the basis of the Copenhagen criteria and the progress in implementing the Stabilization and Association Agreements (SAA); The process has culminated with the adoption of the “EU – Balkan countries Action Plan in Science and Technology” at a Ministerial Conference in Greece on June 26-27, 2003; S&T are seen to be an essential tool for future economic stabilisation; 5th, 6th and the current 7th Framework Programmes (from 2007 to 2013) are open to WBC – status of the “third country”; Croatia – MuO – January 1, 2006 full member of FP According to the FP7 Third Country Agreements (MuO) all WBC&T (except Kosovo/UNMIK) are eligible for funding on the same footing as MS: this is an opportunity but also a threat: ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/third_country_agreements_en.pdf ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/third_country_agreements_en.pdf

Design of research

Data collection and sample – no. of respondents WBC&T and MS were equally represented: 46.8% WBC&T and 53.2 % MS web-based questionnaire (809 responses: 10.49% response rate)

Socio-demographic characteristic Respondents by reserarch area Respondents by type of institution Respondents by gender

Types of cooperative projects The dominant type of cooperation in both groups of countries are EU FP projects, 64% of all projects within WBC&T, and 76% of all projects within MS (71% of total projects). WBC&T projects: 64% EU FP 27% bilateral with MS 8% bilateral with WBC&T Inter-regional cooperation is more intensive than intra-regional cooperation

Bilateral projects’ cooperation The most intensive inter-regional bilateral cooperation between WBC&T and MS is with Slovenia followed by Austria, France and Italy (other countries are selected sporadically The most intensive intra-regional bilateral cooperation among WBC&T is with Croatia, Serbia and Turkey

Intensity of cooperation Measured as a composite index: 1.Component. Participation in international research projects in the last ten years (question 8); 2.Component. At least one visit or stay abroad for scientific purposes 3.Component. Participation in conferences 4.Component. Participation in research fellowship 5.Component. Participation in scholarship 6.Component. Participation in visiting professors 7.Component. Participation in temporary employment Measured as a composite index: 1.Component. Participation in international research projects in the last ten years (question 8); 2.Component. At least one visit or stay abroad for scientific purposes 3.Component. Participation in conferences 4.Component. Participation in research fellowship 5.Component. Participation in scholarship 6.Component. Participation in visiting professors 7.Component. Participation in temporary employment No positive answers to any of the 7 components 14% of respondents from MS and 31% from WBC&T have not participated in the international collaborative research projects in the last 10 years The intensity of project cooperation of WBC&T is much smaller than MS especially in FP

Mobility of researchers …is measured by the visits to foreign countries or staying abroad for research conferences, fellowships, and visiting professors’ positions SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS HAVE NOT BEEN ABROAD IN THE LAST TEN YEARS!! ! 35% of total 43% from WBC&T 27% from MS SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS HAVE NOT BEEN ABROAD IN THE LAST TEN YEARS!! ! 35% of total 43% from WBC&T 27% from MS

Mobility by duration

DESTINATION COUNTRIES ON THE INTER-REGIONAL LEVEL Where (all) researchers are going? … is measured by the longest stay/visit of respondents in selected countries. Researchers regardless the country of origin gravitate towards the three “old” and scientifically leading European countries Above 100 Germany, Italy, UK Spain, France, the Netherlands 40-50Belgium, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia and Greece 20-40Serbia, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Sweden Czech R WBC&T, Finland, Portugal Under 10Iceland, Lithuania, Estonia No. of selections

WBC&T REGION:COUNTRIES OF DESTINATION

Obstacles to mobility 809 respondents : problems related to mobility have been noticed 189 times (possibility: one respondent – several times) WBC&T: 74% MS: 26% WBC&T: 74% MS: 26%

Obstacles by countries

Conclusions A. Croatia is a regional leader in R&D cooperation and mobility 1.Croatia is a leading country in bilateral projects’ cooperation with both MS and WBC&T; 2.Croatia is a leading destination country of inward mobility of researchers for both MS and WBC&T; B. Croatia has a relatively privileged position for R&D mobility and cooperation (competition by other countries!) 1.There is a need to use take the advantage of this leading position and to create favourable environment to attract researchers (high-qualified labour force) with a view of developing scientific excellence and human capital synergy; 2. The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes has a deceive role but the assistance of all the stakeholders are necessary from different ministries (efficient system of regulations and legal aspects), over universities and research organisations to accommodation agencies. Mobility is the essence of research development, EU integration and recognition of Croatia on the international scientific maps!

Name: Jadranka Švarc Organisation: Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar Address: Marulićev trg 19, Zagreb, Croatia E-mai: Telephone: Thank you for your attention!