Workshop Overview
The IncoNet Eastern Partnership (EaP) project plays a vital role in exploring opportunities and addressing challenges associated with the extension of the European Union's European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) to EaP countries. A pivotal event in this venture was the workshop titled 'From Innovation Performance Assessment to Innovation Policies', which took place in Yerevan, Armenia on the 3rd and 4th of May 2016.
Objective and Venue
The pivotal assembly was organized by the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia in collaboration with project partners from Austria (ZSI) and Portugal (SPI). The forum was designed to not only present EIS to stakeholders and policymakers from Eastern Partnership nations but also aimed to spot gaps and recognize the advancements in integrating these countries into EIS assessments.
Importance of European Innovation Scoreboards
The EIS provides a framework for countries and regions within Europe to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of their research and innovation capabilities. These scoreboards are critical for assisting nations in developing efficient innovation policies tailored to mitigate their specific challenges and bolster their own unique strengths.
High-Level Participation
The conference saw the participation of roughly 50 delegates including officials responsible for science, technology, and innovation policymaking, EU experts, representatives of the EU Delegation to Armenia, alongside national experts, research personnel, and small and medium-sized enterprise representatives from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Keynote Addresses and Discussions
Prominent figures in science and policy contributed welcome addresses, elucidated the goals, methodologies, and the array of country coverage criteria of EIS. Each session provided valuable insights into the current status of innovation statistics and policymaking in EaP countries as well as lessons learned from the EU's extensive experience with innovation indicators and policy development.
Consensus and Collaboration
The consensus among presenters, notably from EaP countries, was the pivotal importance of aligning national innovation statistics with EIS methodologies. Attendees concluded the first day with a collaborative spirit, seeking to harness H2020 and other funding opportunities for future joint initiatives on EIS studies.
Special Sessions and Policy Focus
The workshop's second day featured a session emphasizing the role of innovation policies in economic strategy and providing support for technology transfer and innovation in EaP countries. Presentations spanned various European and EaP innovation policy models, with panel discussions delving into the synergy between research, innovation, and industry, as well as elucidating supporting policies that enable the transition from research to market.
Concluding Insights
Throughout the event, the importance of leveraging the EIS as a tool for objective innovation performance assessment was highlighted, showcasing its potential as a linchpin for crafting apt policy responses in Eastern Partnership countries.
Integrating Travel and Innovation
In the spirit of innovation that moved policymakers, experts, and academics to journey to Yerevan for the workshop, the nexus between travel and innovation becomes clear. Travel, as a means to facilitate interchange and brainstorming between diverse cultures and expertise, mirrors the journey countries undertake in their quest to refine innovation policies. Each trip, each collaboration, becomes a leg in the journey towards a more innovative, interconnected world.