PACE-Net Plus - Publishable summary (Periodic I)

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Prepared by F. Le Meur & Prof. J.-F. Marini

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement

Pacific-Europe Network for Science, Technology and Innovation Website: http://www.pacenet.eu/ Publishable summary (Periodic report 1)

PACE-Net Plus is a project funded by the European Commission to reinforce EU-Pacific cooperation in Science, Technology & Innovation. Grant Agreement no.: 244514 PACE-Net Plus is a project funded by the European Commission to reinforce EU-Pacific cooperation in ST&I.

Grant Agreement no.: 244514

Pacific-Europe Network for Science, Technology and Innovation Website: http://www.pacenet.eu/ Publishable summary (Periodic report I) September 2013 to February 2015

Prepared by Fadhila Le Meur (Institut de recherche

pour le développement)

PACE-Net Plus - Publishable summary (Periodic I)

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PACE-Net Plus is a project funded by the European Commission to further support the institutional bi-regional policy dialogue in Science and Technology between the Pacific Region and the European Union, strengthen the bi-regional cooperation between research and innovation actors, especially in the context of the Horizon 2020 programme and monitor progress in the bi-regional STI cooperation.

Launched in September 2013 (Kick off meeting: 9-11 October 2013), the project brings together 16 members, from the Pacific region and Europe:

♦ IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement) – France (Coordination) ♦ ACU (Association of Commonwealth Universities) – United Kingdom ♦ ANU (Australian National University) - Australia ♦ CNRT (CNRT Nickel and its environment) - New Caledonia ♦ CTA (Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation) - The Netherlands ♦ ILM (Institut Louis Malardé) - French Polynesia ♦ LCR (Landcare research) - New Zealand ♦ MPL (Montroix Pty Ltd) - Australia ♦ NUS (National University of Samoa) - Samoa ♦ SPC (Secretariat of the Pacific Community) - New Caledonia ♦ SPI (Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação) – Portugal ♦ UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) - Austria ♦ UPNG (University of Papua New Guinea) - Papua New Guinea ♦ USP (University of the South Pacific) - Fiji ♦ VKS (Vanuatu Cultural Centre) – Vanuatu ♦ ZMT (Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie) - Germany

To date, PACE-Net+ has completed most of its major activities, under the leadership of motivated partners.

Based on the Pace-Net previous State of the art and in order to contribute to tackle three selected societal challenges (Health, demographic change and wellbeing; Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials) that both regions are facing or that have a global character, the followings activities were planned: update information on ST&I regional and bi-regional cooperation and major key stakeholders; identify priority research areas and innovation niches; establish some technological surveillance. A questionnaire with implementation guidelines was launched in order to collect and analyse information related to regional and bi-regional ST&I collaborative programmes and their effectiveness in enhancing EU-Pacific cooperation. The outcomes of the survey will be subtly analysed in period 2 of the project.

This large key stakeholder consultation was complemented with a Directory of research in the Pacific (including American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, and Australia and New Zealand). http://pacenet.eu/system/files/documents/Pacific_research_directory

_2015.pdf

Over the reviewed period, the CTA undertook a situational analysis of research cooperation betwee n the EU and Pacific Insular Countries and Territories (PICTs) o n food and nutrition security, sustainable agricult ure, marine and maritime science and the bio-economy , which involved a desk review, that:

- Compiles a list of all the relevant European and Pacific - bi-regional policies, programmes and projects and impact assessment reports over the past 10 years on S&T cooperation between Europe and the Pacific in the above field.

- Reviews the relevant documents in a synthesis report on the major policy goals and priorities, the programmes and projects, policy learning and recommendations for improving bi-regional cooperation.

Another new tool introduced to perform this task: the use of bibliometrics , from the Scopus database to understand current and potential EU-Pacific collaboration; a keyword list was used to identify scope of EU societal themes and Pacific-related publications have been matched to these. http://pacenet.eu/documents/d3.1-bibliometrics In the framework of our surveillance of upcoming events in STI in Europe and in the Pacific of interest to the Pacific, announcements are regularly circulated among partners and posted on the website. http://pacenet.eu/events

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A first wave of Think Tanks were organised on 9-11 Sept. 2014 in Bremen covering the three societal challenges addressed by the project. A common methodology was developed to drive the objectives of the Think Tanks: identify-update priority areas of mutual interest for EU and the Pacific and/or themes of specific interest to the region, innovation niches and possible joint initiatives. These workshops fed policy recommendations and the on-going bi-regional policy dialogue. http://pacenet.eu/events/pacenetplus-bremen-2014

- WP1: Non communicable diseases : Lifestyle/nutrition and wellbeing issues/use of ICTs for surveillance, remedying

- WP2: Food security and nutrition, agriculture/aquacultur e, traditional/modern agriculture

- WP3: Enhancing community resilience: managing environmen t, water and wastes under a changing climate .

More Think Tanks took place as follows:

- Infectious diseases (Papeete, 26-28 Nov. 2014) http://pacenet.eu/events/pacenetplus-papeete-2014

- Coastal ecosystem health (disturbances), fish and s hellfish poisoning and their socio-economic implications (Noumea, 18-20 Nov. 2014) http://pacenet.eu/events/pacenetplus-noumea-2014

- Mining and the Environment (Auckland, 8-10 Dec., back to back with the first bi-regional platform). http://pacenet.eu/events/thinktank-auckland-2014

A last Think Tank will be organized in June 2015 in Noumea, the central objective of which will be to produce a guidance note for the European Institutions on “Strengthening the observation systems of climate ch ange and its impacts in the South Pacific, for a sustainable man agement of resources and adaptation” .

The overall evaluation assessment of these events showed positive impacts such as great networking opportunities, good opportunities for sharing ideas and bringing new ideas up, good mixture of participants (disciplines and regions), excellent facilitation, increased knowledge of South Pacific and EU funding system. Based on the proposed joint activities, a seed-funding scheme will be launched in period 2 of the project. As regards Innovation , a review of the literature on innovation in developing countries with a special focus on Pacific countries was prepared to provide a background to all future activities. Based on a detailed concept note, various face-to-face meetings were organised, from Aug. 2014 to Aug. 2015 in several Pacific countries (Fiji, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea and will later be organised in Samoa and the Cook Islands) to conduct: - Firm survey wherever possible, based on a questionnaire on their activities distributed to the local firms. To this

end, a few students were trained to become enumerators during a two-days training on survey methodology and implementation strategy;

- Semi-structured interviews with policy makers and relevant stakeholders (such as representative of business associations or researchers) in the domain of economic development and innovation. The objective was to collect opinions on issues related to innovation and innovating policy.

A significant number of InfoDays have been successively organised by the partners of the project, to promote Horizon 2020 . In addition to information delivered directly to the Pacific community, the project website contains an introduction to H2020 and the opportunities it presents for Pacific researchers. Information on H2020 will be further disseminated to the largest audience in the region.

Several partners have taken an active watch of EU STI events that might be relevant to Pacific researchers and the development of EU-Pacific STI relationships.

Utilising the Website, plus social media presence (Twitter/Facebook), task partners have continued to highlight news, events and funding opportunities that have arisen in the Pacific region.

From the beginning of the project there has been on-going dialogue between MPL, ACU and the Pacific Island partners regarding the establishment of office National Contact Points (NCPs) in the Pacific. Developing formal (i.e. government supported) networks of NCPs in most of the Pacific nations is a challenging task because many

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governments do not have a ministry (e.g. Ministry of Science) with the competency to oversee and approve NCP appointments. Work has proceeded in several countries to attempt to establish formal National Contact Points, and training has been delivered in order to provide skills to consortium members to act as informal H2020 Contacts.

Links with CAESIE & FRIENZ programmes and other EU projects are encouraged to find possible synergies. Participation in INCO-Nets events will also allow representing the Pacific region in front of an EC audience. The bi-regional dialogue between stakeholders from Pacific and EU is a core component of PACE-Net Plus. The gaps in this dialogue and the absence of an ST&I structural framework at the regional and often at the national levels in the Pacific are a limiting factor. Addressing the lack of a structured forum for bi-regional ST&I policy dialogue, PACE-Net Plus plans bi-regional platforms, one of which will be specifically dedicated to cooperation on innovation issues.

The first platform held in Auckland in Dec. 2014 gathered more than 80 policy makers, officials and scientists. The outcomes of the Think Tanks were delivered and fed policy recommendations for science, development and innovation. A statement drafted with all participants, will form the basis for the future EU-Pacific global partnership, to be further intensified according to mutual interest, to optimize the use of all cooperation opportunities. http://pacenet.eu/events/pacenetplus-auckland-2014

In the framework of this dialogue, the project coordinator visited with the project officer, about twelve DGs or divisions (Health, Energy, Mare, DevCo, Erasmus/Marie Curie fellowships, Environment, EEAS) in Nov. 2013, to suggest the integration of the Pacific region in the different EC roadmaps and actions. Visit was also paid to ACP-diplomacy (Ambassador Luteru), to better integrate STI in the development tools of the Pacific Islands. Parallel on-going discussions with the EU Delegations for the Pacific will hopefully allow a better recognition of Research in STI in the European Development Fund (EDF).

Moreover, PACE-Net Plus explores opportunities of better structuring the policy dialogue, by involving existing Pacific regional networks in ST&I – such as the Pacific Island Universities Network (PIURN) and the Pacific Science Association. It will support the recognition of the fundamental importance of STI in the sustainable development of Pacific Island Countries and in the dialogue between the EU and the PICTs, in the future “Framework for Pacific Regionalism” (of the Pacific Islands Forum ).

To the same end, PACE-NET Plus held a side-event at the 3rd United Nations International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in Samoa in Sept. 2014: http://pacenet.eu/events/sids-pacenetplus-2014 and it also explores any potential common field of action with other EU and ACP and/or OCTs Fora .

3rd

United Nations International Conference on SIDS, Sept 2014 First PACE-Net Plus platform held in Auckland in Dec. 2014

In addition to regular Newsletters and media releases or communiqués, the Website http://pacenet.eu is regularly updated with new features online (including the Community of Practice facility). A dissemination strategy is being organised for period 2 of the project with a short documentary and various publications of the outcomes of the project, both in Europe and in the Pacific region. Perspectives in 2015 and 2016 are countless. A platform is planned in June 2015 in Brussels and the project will further focus on the establishment of a sustainable bi-regional dialogue . The purpose and scope of seed funding/knowledge exchange fund will be clarified and competitive calls will be launched. There will be further surveying and discussion on the innovation issue. Major coming tasks include the preparation of a manual of best industrial innovation practices in Pacific countries and of best EU knowledge and technology transfer approaches into the PAC region, and vice versa; the identification of government policies and support measures required for promoting innovation in selected activities/sectors etc.