Workpackages

WP1: Black Sea Dialogue in STI

The main objective of WP1 is to provide a structured, efficient and effective dialogue to forward bi-regional STI cooperation based on analytical evidence. Such dialogue involves all interested relevant stakeholders in the field of international STI cooperation to optimize the framework for cooperation between researchers from the EU and the non-EU BS countries and to contribute to the elimination of remaining obstacles as stipulated in Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2014-2015 (Part 13, p. 5).

WP2: Regional Funding Platform

The main objective of WP2 is to facilitate the preparation of a joint call for proposals by programme owners and programme managers from the EU Member States and the Black Sea (BS) international partner countries based on a variable geometry. The result of WP2 is an established group of committed funding parties, featured with a functional call infrastructure and a clear set of rules and regulations, prepared to implement a joint call for proposals based on agreed upon rules and regulations. The thematic identification for the joint calls builds on the results of Task 3.1. The call is considered a potential core instrument under the “EU – Black Sea Cooperation Programme in STI to be developed in WP1 and should be implemented outside this project. Moreover, a regionally accessible peer-review database will be made available. Through the envisaged joint call, resources shall be pooled and critical mass shall be built in a specific thematic field.

WP 3: Stimulating Joint RTI Activities

The main objective of WP3 is to increase the collaboration of research communities within the Black Sea region and with researchers in all the other EU MS and countries associated to Horizon 2020, and to support the general opening of Horizon 2020 through empowering and stimulating researchers in the Union’s international Black Sea partner countries to participate in Horizon 2020. Moreover, WP3 also facilitates the identification of pertinent topics of mutual interest serving as input to the forthcoming HORIZON 2020 Work Programmes as well as the envisaged joint call for proposal prepared under WP2 and increases awareness and understanding of programme owners from the international Black Sea partner countries to consider future engagement in JPIs and COFUND ERA-NETs.

WP4: Increasing Innovation Cooperation

The goal of WP4 is to encourage collaboration between research and innovation actors from the European Union and the partner countries to establish market relations and to design better products adapted to local needs. In BLACK SEA HORIZON innovation is understood in a modern broad sense encompassing economically viable innovation support activities (incl. service innovation), inclusive, sustainable and social innovation and the integration of the civil society sector in RTI agenda setting, which we believe is beneficial for a knowledge-based sustainable development of the Black Sea region.

WP5: Quality Assurance, Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation

The goal of WP5 is to ensure a continuous communication and targeted dissemination of the project’s quality assured activities and outputs to its potential users (reaching out to the whole EU) and to facilitate easy take-up and exploitation for achieving successfully the project’s objectives and for ensuring its sustainability of its results after project completion.

WP6: Project Management

The goal of WP6 is to plan, implement and oversee a smooth implementation of BSH through a professional project management, which pro-actively communicates with DG Research and Innovation and which anticipatorily and diligently positions the project as major flagship project under the EU’s strategy towards the Black Sea region in the field of STI cooperation. Moreover, the project management takes care that the contractually responsibilities of the consortium can be technically met in required quality and time.