Organised in the frame of Danube-INCO.NET Project, the  second Era workshop “European Research and Innovation Programmes: fostering the participation of Danube region stakeholders in Horizon2020 with a special focus on SMEs” took place on 23 April 2015 in Kiev in Conference hall of National Academy of Science of Ukraine.

The meeting mainly addressed the theme of participation in European R&I programs, including the access to these programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This issue is perceived as a priority for dialogue between the countries, which were presented by project partners Danube-INCO.NET and stakeholders. The agenda of the workshop included the efforts in Horizon-2020 and other EU programs to improve R&I capacity and cooperation in the Danube Region, including its Ukrainian part.

More than 60 participants from 9 countries including 8 partners of Danube-INCO.NET had the opportunity to assess the situation, particularly in countries that are not EU members, concerning the participation of stakeholders in R&I programs to review their status as countries associated with the Horizon-2020; gain experience to be a participant in the program Horizon-2020 by the Member States and to identify concrete measures to encourage and support participation of the Danube Region in research and innovation programs. The workshop ended with a discussion of role of the Danube-INCO.NET project in fostering of SMEs involvement in HORIZON 2020.