1. BoF: Using the Structural Funds in the domain of REN: Past experience and Future prospective TNC 2014 19 May 2014, Dublin Athina Zampara, EC, DG CONNECT, Unit C1 eInfrastructure

2. Past, present and future: - NRENs have already used SF to develop and upgrade their services - Presentations from CZ, HU, PL - Greece: Apart from the REN, they are developing HPC activities (procurement of HPC system to be operational in second half of 2014, data storage system) - Cyprus has plans to request ESIF funding

3. ESIF/Thematic Objectives 2014-2020 (of possible interest to NRENs) TO1. Research and Innovation Ex-ante conditionality: 1. A national or regional smart specialisation strategy is in place 2. Multiannual plan for investment in Research and Innovation (e.g. updated roadmap of research infrastructure) TO2. Information and Communication Technologies Ex-ante conditionalities: 1) Digital Growth strategic policy framework 2) National/Regional NGN plans in place.

4. RIS3 Strategy planning for MS: Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisations (RIS3) – S3 Platform (provides advice for the design of RIS3, information on the emerging fileds of smart specialisation priorities)

5. What is new? Synergies The European Commission and the Member States are mandated to ensure - coordination - synergies and - complementarities between the European Structural and Investement Funds (ESIF), Horizon 2020 and other EC programmes (COSME, Erasmus+, etc)

6. Synergies … - are about obtaining more impacts on competitiveness, jobs and growth by combing ESIF and Horizon 2020 This can be achieved by: - cumulative funding (use different public funding sources in one project, programme, group of projects - funding of successive projects or parallel projects

7. Attention to - Non substitution principle (the use of a union funding instrument to substitute the non-union contribution to another union instrument is not allowed) - ESIF support is subject to State Aid limitations (whereas Horizon 2020 funding is not) - Overlaps and double-financing must be avoided - Objectives of the projects must align with the RIS3

8. Novelties for ESIF - More ESIF (<10%) can be spent outside OP territory – if for the benefit of the programme area - Emphasis on innovation - National Contact Points close to national and regional ESIF policy makers and Managing Authorities

9. Opportunities - To receive funding to further develop NRENs in general as an eInfrastructure provider if appropriate (network, data, hpc services) – Plan where you want to be in 2020! Research and education community Public administration Private domain (e.g. research SMEs) - To bridge the digital divide with the less developed countries - To help national policies align with european priorities

10. Questions - Do you need to take stock of what has happened in the past? - Does TERENA know what NRENs plan to request from MS for ESIF funding? - Are there complimentary needs to GEANT that ESIF money could be used for? - Could ESIF funding be used for helping the less developed countries? - Could ESIF funding be used for boosting innovation (eg supporting private research SMEs)

11. Obstacles to synergies - Do we know what are the main obstacles to using ESIF funding? past now and for the future - What NRENs did to overcome the obstacles? CYNET's suggestion: if they knew what other NRENs did, they could use this information for lobbying in their country

12. Potential threats? - Protect Geant's from politically motivated top- down choices - Protect Geant's self-regulated regime

13. Next steps - Investigate your country's RIS3 - Consult the S3 platform - Contact the Managing Authorities of the respective Operational Programmes - Contact the National Contact Points - See the multiannual plan for R&I in your country and the roadmap for Ris – make sure NRENs are there.

14. Actions at EC level - What do NRENs need in order to be able to request and use ESIF funding? concrete actions for EC? Ask for specific support