The three main objectives of the BLACK SEA HORIZON are:

• to support the EU’s external relations with the target region by significantly contributing to ongoing bi-regional and regional STI policy dialogues, and by increasing the knowledge base about the EU’s external environment,
• to stimulate bi-regional STI cooperation and to strengthen the EU’s economic competitiveness
• to contribute to the establishment of supportive framework conditions by facilitating the pooling of resources and by identifying challenging thematic areas for mutual STI cooperation.

In terms of policy dialogue, BSH aims to address all the relevant policy dialogue fora from the beginning of the project in order to establish a two-way communication: to inform the policy makers about the objectives, results and achievements of the project and, vice-versa, to receive guidance and support for a successful implementation and/or follow-up of its actions.

In terms of concrete actions (the ‘operational level’), the project implements a series of activities requested by the call (and beyond):

• BSH promotes the participation in HORIZON 2020 (identification of topics for cooperation, implementing grants to increase networking, promoting participation in co-fund schemes, etc.);
• BSH promotes innovation (cluster policies, business contacts among clusters, other forms of innovation).

Moreover, BSH is to build on the achievements of the BS-ERANET that successfully launched a joint call in the region, by paving the ground for a Regional Funding Platform able to sustainably implement joint research funding activities in the Black Sea region.

Ultimately and as a result and synthesis of all its activities and achievements, the BSH project will develop a sustainable “EU-Black Sea Cooperation Programme in STI (BSCP)” to be presented to the afore-mentioned policy dialogue fora for endorsement and support. In that respect the project aims to constitute a good practice example and to contribute towards the direction of an ‘EU Strategy for the Black Sea region’.

The partnership consisting of 19 partners is also involved in other currently ongoing cooperation and support actions targeting the countries covered by BSH, a fact that stimulates cooperation and synergies with the parallel running initiatives and projects.

Danube Region Partners

Zentrum für Soziale innovation GMBH (Coordinator) - Austria

Applied Research and Communications Fund - Bulgaria

Centre of International Projects of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova - Moldova

Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding - Romania

Institute for economics and forecasting Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences - Ukraine

PT-DLR Project Management Agency-Germany - Germany

Regional Centre for Information and Scientific Development Ltd - Hungary

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