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Successfully Finished Policy Stakeholders Conference on ‘EU-Central Asia STI Cooperation in addressing Health’

This Policy Stakeholders Conference (PSC) organised by the IncoNet CA project addressed ‘Health’ as one of the societal challenges that are of mutual importance to Europe and Central Asia. Earlier PSCs had tackled ‘Climate Change’ and ‘Energy’ issues. The aim of the latest conference was to take stock and showcase best practices regarding EU-CA scientific cooperation, discuss concrete innovation cooperation projects, and promote international collaboration, networking, matchmaking. The event also provided an opportunity to present projects from the region as well as best practice examples.
Partcipants at the EU-Central Asia Policy Stakeholders Conference on Health in Warsaw | © Robert Graff, PAN KPK
Partcipants at the EU-Central Asia Policy Stakeholders Conference on Health in Warsaw | © Robert Graff, PAN KPK

The IncoNet Central Asian Countries Policy Stakeholders Conference ‘EU – Central Asia STI cooperation in addressing Health Research & Innovation’ that took place in Warsaw, Poland on 16-17 May, 2016, was 3rd of this kind of events organised by the IncoNet CA project and the 5th in a series of similar successful forums for policy dialogue between stakeholders organised in the framework of the predecessor S&T International Cooperation Network for Eastern European and Central Asian Countries (IncoNet EECA ) project.

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V. Akhmetov: ‘Healthcare Policy in Kazakhstan ‘ | © Robert Graff, PAN KPK

The main goals of the conference, among others, were to:

  • identify regional, international initiatives, common objectives, programmes, shape future cooperative initiatives on Health Research and Innovation between EU and the CA countries;
  • present good practice examples in order to create new synergies in the area of Research and Innovation in Health under the European Union’s current Framework Programme for Research and Innovation ‘Horizon 2020’ and beyond;
  • formulate recommendations on the enhancement of the EU-CA STI cooperation in addressing health issues which could be integrated in the current and forthcoming agendas and funding instruments by the relevant STI actors involved in cooperation;
  • strengthen STI cooperation and innovation as a common interest for EU and CA both as strategic and operative levels.

The conference gathered 62 policy makers and representatives of the academic and scientific communities. They represented 52 organisations from 14 European and Central Asian countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, Poland, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. A number of international organisations, as well as a representative from the European Commission attended the event. Participants represented also public policy coordination bodies in the field of research, innovation, health and international STI cooperation both at national and EU level, major international projects and programs in the health sector as well as some organisations coming from the civil society, the research community and the business sector. More than one third of the participants were women.

The event was jointly organised by the Centre for Regional and International STI Studies and Support (CeRISS/Greece) and the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research Polish Academy of Sciences (IPPT PAN/Poland).

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‘World Café Conversation’ at the PSC | © Robert Graff, PAN KPK
Report

The report of the conference will be available by summer 2016 containing the good practice examples, recommendations for a stronger EU-EaP STI cooperation in health research and innovation.

For further information please visit the project website.