KONNECT 1 st PERIODIC REPORT Grant Agreement number: 603564 Project acronym: KONNECT Project title: Strengthening STI Cooperation between the EU and Korea, Promoting Innovation and the Enhancement of Communication for Technology-related Policy Dialogue Funding Scheme: Coordination and support actions (CSA) Date of latest version of Annex I against which the assessment will be made: 2013-07-05 Periodic report: 1 st 2 nd Period covered: From 1 st of October2013 to 30 th September2014 Name, title and organisation of the scientific representative of the project's coordinator 1 : Mr. Myon Jung Kim National Research Foundation of Korea, Republic of Korea Tel: +82-2-3460-5730 Fax: +82-23460-5729 E-mail: lui@nrf.re.kr Project website 2 address: www.haneurope.or.kr 1 Usually the contact person of the coordinator as specified in Art. 8.1. of the grant agreement 2 The home page of the website should contain the generic European flag and the FP7 logo which are available in electronic format at the Europa website (logo of the European flag: http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/index_en.htm ; logo of the 7th FP: http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm?pg=logos). The area of activity of the project should also be mentioned. PERIODIC REPORT TEMPLATE NOVEMBER 2008
Declaration by the scientific representative of the project coordinator 1 I, as scientific representative of the coordinator 1 of this project and in line with the obligations as stated in Article II.2.3 of the Grant Agreement declare that: The attached periodic report represents an accurate description of the work carried out in this project for this reporting period; The project (tick as appropriate): has fully achieved its objectives and technical goals for the period; has achieved most of its objectives and technical goals for the period with relatively minor deviations 3 ; has failed to achieve critical objectives and/or is not at all on schedule 4. The public website is up to date, if applicable. To my best knowledge, the financial statements which are being submitted as part of this report are in line with the actual work carried out and are consistent with the report on the resources used for the project (section 6) and if applicable with the certificate on financial statement. All beneficiaries, in particular non-profit public bodies, secondary and higher education establishments, research organisations and SMEs, have declared to have verified their legal status. Any changes have been reported under section 5 (Project Management) in accordance with Article II.3.f of the Grant Agreement. Name of scientific representative of the Coordinator 1 : Mr. MYON JUNG KIM Date: 2014 / 11 / 30 Signature of scientific representative of the Coordinator 1 : 3 If either of these boxes is ticked, the report should reflect these and any remedial actions taken. 4 If either of these boxes is ticked, the report should reflect these and any remedial actions taken. 2
1. Publishable summary Strengthening STI Cooperation between the EU and Korea, Promoting Innovation and the Enhancement of Communication for Technology-related Policy Dialogue Summary description of the project objectives KONNECT project principally aims at enhancing the level of collaboration in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) between European Union and Republic of Korea. With newly launched Horizon 2020 started from 2014, the EU and Korea meet reciprocal interests and necessities to build a fresh communication window to support sustainable policy dialogue, to promote future-oriented partnership in the field of STI leading to economic growth based on innovation and to drive expansion of research and industrial network between both sides. For the purpose of achieving these objectives, KONNECT project is launched and invites key issues of focus as below: Strengthening communication for sustaining continuous policy-related dialogue Supporting the JSTCC Raising awareness for Horizon2020 Confirming strategic thematic areas & Expanding joint activities under thematic areas Supporting collaboration between basic research and industrial technology sectors Advancing Innovation as well as R&D Creating more opportunities for the involvement of the private sector Creating new programmes to expand joint research Responding to key issues of focus, specific objectives for the project are established in tandem with the 2013 EU FP Capacities Work Programme. The project will be committed to adhering to the following objectives: Develop Knowledge-based infrastructure by: Identifying, monitoring and analysing the evolution of the collaboration activities in FP7 and current STI challenges & issues Utilizing outside experts to improve expertise in research & analysis, project implementation and feasibility studies Analysing and supporting fair practices in research and innovation between Korea and EU Strengthening industrial research by examining innovation based-best practices Developing a roadmap for future S&T cooperation strategies, including specific research areas for joint cooperation under KONNECT s four thematic technology areas and provisions to support and coordinate with EU programmes and policies targeting Korea in the future Creating an integrate website for storing and communicating relevant EU-Korea STI Cooperation Producing tangible and intangible materials for dissemination purposes Setting methodology for participants for use in all joint programmes Utilizing an external review committee to supervise the quality control of deliverables 3
Improve Strategic Communication by way of: Developing agendas, strategies and roadmap- based action plans to support the JSTCC and its thematic technology areas Establishing a Europe-Korea Interest Group to recommend cooperative strategies for political communication to the JSTCC, SFIC, etc. Studying the feasibility of building a European liaison office in Korea to simplify dialogue processes Raise Awareness to Facilitate Cooperation between the EU and Korea through: Disseminating important information and materials regarding the current state of STI and political issues Disseminating information on joint research programmes developed under Horizon2020, KONECT and so forth Training Korea NCPs to support Horizon2020 by enhancing their quality and effectiveness Analysing a number of key issues affected by EU-Korea FTA and utilizing this information to increase support to promote further cooperation and support the initiation of Joint project Enhancing Networking between Science, Technology and innovation-focused Actors via: Organizing brokerage and networking events to encourage the expansion of STI networks between top level research and innovation actors in Europe and Korea Utilizing existing industrial events as networking tools to attract the participation of innovation actors Promoting a twinning activity based on key areas of common interest between organisations, institutes, technology centres enterprise, etc. Foster innovation focused Joint Activities through: Designing a framework and implementation plan for a new Public-Private Partnership, utilizing information regarding best practices in innovation in both Europe and Korea Implementing a joint funding programme within the applicable thematic areas of the KONNECT project through refinement of successful programmes implemented by previous FP7 EU-Korean actions Supporting the expansion of joint programmes between KONNECT partners by performing a feasibility study on their existing international programmes and recommending potential partnership Description of the work performed since the beginning of the project and the main results achieved so far. The planning frame of the KONNECT project is based on yearly plans with functionallyinterlocked phases. Most of activities in year 1 aim to build foundation for further activities for the next two years. Plans of work packages in year 2 are for enhancing and accelerating the activities in progress to achieve the goals and objectives of the project. And finally, plans of work packages in year 3 are to create and disseminate outcome of the project based on previous activities and output. Passing through these three phases, KONNECT project is reaching its ultimate goals. 4
Since the initiation of project in the first year from the Kick-off Meeting at Jeju Island, Korea (Rep.) in October 2013, KONNECT project has run smoothly and accomplished the goal of year 1 properly according to the schedule of DOW. In the first year, the project is designed to focus on establishment of infrastructure for 3-year project as followed by: 3-Year-Plan of WP In work package 1, High level policies and RTDI framework conditions in Korea and the EU were analysed and compared in Task 1.1(Analysing and Monitoring Current Issues). In collaboration with KISTEP, Task 1.1 leader, KIST-Europe carried out statistical analysis on cooperation status in previous Korean and European RTDI projects (numbers, areas, budget, cooperation types, etc.) and research results on Korea-EU STI information in the WP1 was distributed as basic data for the future activities. As the outcome of Task 1.1, the first version of deliverables D.1.1: Past and future RTDI analysis was completed. The report consists of 4 chapters such as backgrounds, objective and concepts of analysis framework, overview of current RTDI policies and programmes in the EU and Korea, analysis of previous international cooperation in Korea R&D programmes and so forth. Also, through Task 1.2(Studying and sharing Innovation-based Best practices) led by CDTI, a study on best practices in innovation including research, technology and development in the EU and Korea was conducted from different type of stakeholders in both of the EU and Korea through the survey and interviews. Currently, the results from 67 entities were collected and will lay the foundation for the report. In work package 2, At the working level meeting of the JSTCC in June 2014, which is a regular governmental level policy dialogue channel, Scope of STI cooperation (NT, Health, Energy, ICT, MSCA), mechanism for cooperation, financing for Joint activities and instruments available for SME cooperation were put on the table for discussion between the EU and Korea, these agenda were arranged and developed in preparation for JSTCC in following year. The resources produced by KONNECT were utilized to enrich the agenda for STI cooperation between the EU and Korea as 5
a result of Task 2.1(Continuous support for the JSTCC) in the first year. And in the Task 2.2(Fostering EU MS-Korea Policy Dialogue through Establishment of EU-Koran Interest group), the task leader, DLR invited several EU MS and Korean funding organisations to organize the Interest group meeting in Brussel, Belgium in June 2014 and to promote discussion and share the information about the planned Joint programme. It was successfully held and organizer received several feedbacks from the invited. Regarding Task 2.3(Feasibility study on Joint Liaison office), the task leader has selected two stake holders, European Business & Technology Centre (EBTC) in India and EU-Japan industrial Centre for Industrial Cooperation to be interviewed. Additionally, they will analyse surveys obtained within the Joint European Liaison Office working group of several BILAT projects. In work package 3, Task 3.1(Building a website as a Communication window) aims at creating a hardware for communication platform among project partners overcoming geographical distance and including diverse and useful information related to Korea-EU STI Cooperation and Task 3.2(Producing Tangible/Intangible Informational Materials for Dissemination) is main contents for the website and is produced as printed materials to be distributed to Korean researchers in Horizon 2020 info day. The website was launched in April 2014 and it has been utilized for the communication tool among partners and various informative contents related to EU R&D programmes and other Korea-EU STI Cooperation were provided to European and Korean researchers in English and Korean language version respectively. Contents for website as intangible materials are created and updated so far, furthermore tangible materials like guideline of Horizon 2020 was distributed to Korean researchers in Horizon2020 info day event at Seoul in March 2014. In Task 3.3(Regular Dissemination Events and Focused NCP training), at KONNECT info day event on 27 May 2014 on the occasion of EUREKA day event in Oslo, Norway, two experts from EU and KONNECT coordinator, Mr. Kim made a presentation to Korean invitees about overview of Horizon 2020, ICT in Horizon 2020, Current STI of Korea and other relevant themes. NCP training for Korean researchers was separately organized and was held at KIC-Europe where most of NCPs from Korea were dispatched in various S&T fields. TUBITAK attended Interest Group meeting hosted by DLR and shared the National Regulations and ideas for subtopic. Joint Call launching discussed in Interest group meeting is closely connected to brokerage event that will be organized by TUBITAK as a works of Task 3.4(Creating New Networks under KONNECT Thematic Technology Areas). In Task 3.5(Expanding Networks in Industrial Technological Area), KIAT hosted the premium international R&D matchmaking event named KOREA EUREKA day 2014 from 26 to 28 May in Oslo under the theme of Linking Korea & Europe towards Global Innovation it was successfully held with lots of attendees from EU and Korea industrial group. In work package 4, work on Task 4.1(Feasibility Study for Opening New Public Private partnership (PPP) Programmes during the first year of the project, was at the first stage analysing Korean and European PPPs and understanding the nature of PPP structures both in Europe and Korea. Understanding on the evolution of PPP Programmes, Identifying major undergoing types and representative case studies from Korea and Europe and other foundation step for following works were achieved as major outcome so far. In Task 4.2(Implementing a Joint Funding Programme), several ground works were made in the first year like determining the set-up of a joint 6
call funding parties within KONNECT consortium, drafting call documents and forming a wider consortium of funding agencies for the call through the Interest group meeting. In work package 5, Regular video conferences were held monthly to carry out implementation management based on monthly report by action plan of the 1 st year submitted by each task leader in the initial stage and to discuss pending issues during the project schedule as a part of Task 5.1(Project Activity and Implementation management). Also, every 6 month in the 1 st year, financial report was made to check financial activities conducted by respective partners through Task 5.2(Financial Management). DLR made Risk and Quality Management guideline as a deliverable 5.2 Report on risk management plan covering each of the project s processes produced in Task 5.4(Risk and Quality management). On the basis of guideline, all the works and processes made in the 1 st year were assessed together in the 1 st annual meeting held at Busan, Korea in September 2014. Additionally, External review committee (ERC) composed of 2 European and 2 Korean experts was organized to make an in-depth review on the quality of respective deliverables. In the 1 st year, 5 deliverables were reviewed properly and were revised based on review report from the ERC. Participants of the 1 st Annual Meeting (30 September to 1 October 2014) The Contact Information of the Personnel in Management office is: Role Name Contact Project coordinator Mr. Myon Jung Kim lui@nrf.re.kr Staff Ms. Seung Mi Han Mr. Arthur Shin Mr. Seung Jae Lee hsm0212@nrf.re.kr manchu6d@nrf.re.kr sjlee23@nrf.re.kr Website www.haneurope.com or www.haneurope.or.kr 7
Description of expected final result and their potential impact and use (including socio economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far) In the 1 st period of KONNECT, 3 pillars of main activities were executed. The 1 st pillar was to build infrastructure of communication among partners and to produce useful materials for dissemination to the public. The website as a communication tool will help overcoming geographical distance among partners to communicate and share the information. Also, with intangible materials providing the public through the website will contribute to raise mutual awareness of R&D programmes and schemes in the EU and Korea. Tangible informative materials of Horizon 2020 distributed in Info day event will help understanding on EU R&D programme to Korean researchers and it will contribute to promoting participation of programme. The 2 nd pillar was to hold various types of gatherings to help expanding networks and providing information for collaboration between the EU and Korea. The networks built will help information diffusion into own group and bridge the network of researchers and industrial groups between the EU and Korea. In the 3 rd pillar, management format was established solidly and quality of outcomes was guaranteed. Both of measures will help stabilizing management of project in following 2-year and producing high quality of outputs. Especially, Past and Future RTDI Analysis report of D.1.1 produced in the 1 st year will crucially contribute to developing agenda of collaboration between the EU and Korea on the occasion of JSTCC, concurrently; it will be utilized as main resources and central axis to build up long term based Korea-EU STI Cooperation roadmap. Ultimately, the results of the KONNECT project will support the JSTCC by formulating a strategic roadmap, providing up-to-date STI information, launching joint call programme, giving practical support and disseminating and implementing the results of the meeting. 8