Danube-INCO.NET and the PA7 working group on DRRIF and coordination and national funding met in Vienna on September 18, 2015. The discussions centered around the current activities and strategic projects.

Several points were discussed with a view on Danube-INCO.NET:

– the Danube Transnational Programme is to be exploited also for strategic coordination projects (e.g. a funding network), several other project ideas were presented that need co-funding of national authorities, coordination in this regards is relevant. In particular the Axis 1 offers concrete possibilities for research and innovation. Already by early November the call will close (opened with a kick-off meeting next week in Budapest) and consortia are forming quickly. It is expected that projects will start end of 2016 / early 2017 and Danube-INCO.NET (which ends in December 2016) hopes that it can hand over some of its results to active projects.

– the Ulm Annual Forum is a high-level event to take note (including the side event of the JRC) and participants continue discussions there. A dedicated panel discussion on financing is being organised on Friday afternoon by Danube-INCO.NET cooperation. Furthermore, the 14 DANUBIUS awards are handed to young scientists. Registration is open.

– PA7 and the Danube-INCO.NET co-organise events in Budapest: the next PA7 Steering Group meeting and the Danube-INCO.NET General Assembly.

– EUREKA aims to label the projects for the last call by the end of the year / early next year and has already decided to launch a new call on March 2016 (deadline June 2016). EUREKA 2.0 was presented as offering modules that will be relevant for the next Danube call to better exploit the know-how gained by the Secretariate in the management of transnational calls (e.g. offering the evaluators database). EUREKA also organises conferences for national funding bodies which is offered as a possibility for a back-to-back effort for Danube-INCO.NETs plan to organise a meeting with funding partners. The option will be investigated.

– Several calls of Horizon 2020’s just published draft programmes are of high relevance for the coordination of funds – in particular ERA-NET Cofunds and Framework Partnership Agreements. The new calls need to be further assessed nationally. Feedback about the interest of the different countries in participating in such projects needs to be collected (database / partner search tool) could be prepared (Danube-INCO.NET can organise follow-up) and partners from the country should explore the national interests. Lobbying for the work programme 2018/19 needs to be coordinated. The identification of the relevant topics and information of programme delegates is needed.

– COST is an interesting instrument to allow “inclusiveness countries” to enlarge their networks. Also a targeted network on issues for the Danube Region should be further explored.

– As regards national initiatives, the German BMBF had launched already 3 calls and reported on the feedback: 2nd Danube Call just closing on September 18, CESEER call, call for Joint Research Structures. The possibility to support joint proposal development will be open also throughout the following years. Austria aims to open up its bilateral agreements for a pilot call in 2016 and is currently collecting feedback of other countries on this initiative.