EUROPEAN UNION STRATEGY FOR THE REGION REPUBLIC OF

Scientific support to the EUSDR

Miroslav Vesković, Scientific support coordinator for EU macro regional strategies and Pavle Sekeruš Vice Rector for international relations Sarajevo , 7th May , 2015 EU macro-regional policies

A 'Macroregional strategy' is an integrated framework, which may be supported by the European Structural and Investment Funds among others, to address common challenges faced by a defined geographical area relating to Member States and third countries located in the same geographical area which thereby benefit from strengthened cooperation contributing to achievement of economic, social and territorial cohesion. 1. EUSBR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region 2. EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region 3. EUAIR- EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region 4.EUAR - EU Strategy for the Alpine Region-under elaboration

THE DANUBE REGION Danube River Basin

The Danube River Basin is Europe’s second largest river basin, with a total area of 801,463 km². More than 115 million people from 14 countries share the Danube Catchment area, making it the world’s most international river basin. Based on its gradients, the Danube River Basin can be divided into three sub-regions: the Upper, Middle and Lower Basins (the latter including the ). The Upper Basin extends from the source of the Danube in Germany to in Slovakia. The Middle Basin from Bratislava to the dams of the Iron Gate Gorge. The low-lands, plateaus and mountains of Romania and Bulgaria form the Lower Basin of the River Danube. Socio-economic diversity

• The Danube countries all depend on the Danube waters as an economic resource. Despite this uniting feature, the Danube rivers flow through countries with very different social and economic conditions.

EU MACRO-REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DANUBE REGION

The Strategy provides a sustainable framework for policy integration and coherent development of the Danube Region. It sets out priority actions to make it an EU region for the 21st century. It must be accompanied by sufficient information and publicity to ensure its objectives are widely known.

Policy Framework

EU Strategy for the Danube Region

• The European Council endorsed the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in June 2011 and called on action

7

PILLAR C- BUILDING PROSPERITY IN THE DANUBE REGION

Priority 7 as a horizontal priority EUSDR PA7 Working groups

1. WG for Higher Education and Mobility 2. WG for Information and Communication Technologies 3. WG for DRRIF and Coordination of National Funds within the Danube Region 4. WG for Communication with Joint Research Centre with special emphasize on RIS3 (Research and information for smart specialization strategies) 5. WG for Research and Innovation

EUSDR PA7 Flagship projects

1. DRRIF (Danube Region Research and Innovation Fund)

2. DREAM (Danube River Research and Management -

3. DANUBIUS (DANUBE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES FOR RIVER-DELTA-SEA SYSTEMS".

4. DANUBE:FUTURE (Dianet school…

5. DUAL EDUCATION (Germany, Austria and Slovakia project, vocational schools…)

6. H.I.N.O. (Health Impact of Nanotechnology)

Important projects aiming at receiving FS label:

1. DANUBE-INCO.NET (Fp7 Austria, Serbia, Ukraine, Hungary…coordination and support action

2. DO-IT (Danube Open Innovative Technologies (DO-IT, spin offs, incubators…)

Horizon 2020 and EUSDR

The biggest EU Research and Innovation program ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). The financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness.

Danube Region

Scientific support to the Danube Strategy

Launched by the JRC in 2011

•In close collaboration with key scientific partners of the Danube countries: • Science Academies (LoI with 11 partner Academies) • Universities (LoI with Danube Rectors' Conference representing almost 70 universities of the region)

Conclusions

JRC initiative Scientific Support to the EU Danube Strategy is a cross-boarder research cooperation based on concrete projects supports the EU Strategy for the Danube Region • Potentials • Challenges - Provide technical assistance - Ensuring impact to policy to policy for the Danube - Matching expectations of Region as a whole stakeholders - Strengthen transnational - Providing European dimension cooperation in science and in design and implementation research - Knowledge spill-over For the programming period 2014-2020 concerning Regional Policy: JRC smart specialisation platform for greater efficiency in the use of EU regional funds oriented to science, research and innovation (Element of conditionality in the proposal for the 13 regulation) JRC and EUSDR

JRC (Joint Research Center within the EC) Scientific Support to the EU Danube Strategy based on concrete projects. 4 thematic flagship clusters: 1. Danube Water Nexus 2. Danube Land and Soil Nexus 3. Danube Air Nexus 4. Danube Bioenergy Nexus 3 horizontal flagship clusters: 1. Danube Reference Data and Service Infrastructure/DRDSI 2. Support to research and innovation strategies for Smart Specialization/ RIS3 3. Danube Innovation Partnership/DIP

NEXUSES

Coherent view on air, land and soil through integrated assessments.

The Danube Land and Soil Nexus (DLSN):

This flagship cluster aims to study various issues related to the state and use of land and soils in the Danube Region, including land and soil availability and quality, land and soil-related risks and the preservation and restoration of above- and belowground ecosystems and biodiversity. The Danube Air Nexus (DAN):

The Danube Bio-energy Nexus (DBN)

This flagship cluster addresses the challenges related to energy in the Danube Region.

The four thematic clusters are complemented by three horizontal activities:

• The Danube Reference Data and Service Infrastructure (DRDSI)

• Smart Specialization

• Danube Innovation Partnership (DIP)

Smart Specialisation

• Due to its unique experience, the JRC – via its Smart Specialization Platform – supports the designing and implementation of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialization in the Danube Region, taking into consideration

the regional assets and opportunities but also the

broader macro-regional dimension.

EUROPEAN UNION STRATEGY FOR THE DANUBE REGION REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Thank you for your attention!

University of