EU-Asia Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Dialogue

EU-Asia Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation

EU-China

EU-China scientific cooperation was agreed in a Science & Technology Cooperation Agreement signed in 1998 and renewed for the third time in 2014. The implementation of the Agreement is overseen by a Joint Steering Committee.

China is seen as an important partner for EU and this is supported by the Commission decision to set up a high level Innovation Cooperation Dialogue (ICD) in 2012. ICD offers a forum for discussing innovation policies and systems and addresses framework conditions and launches new joint research and innovation (R&I) initiatives. The EU and China have also agreed that they have a responsibility addressing global societal challenges and the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals through science, technology and innovation (STI) and that innovation is at the core of both EU and China strategies for sustainable development and prosperity.

For 2018-2020, 11 topics are linked to joint flagship initiative agreed at the 3rd EU-China Innovation Cooperation Dialogue (ICD-3) in 2017. These Initiatives cover the areas of food, agriculture and bioeconomy, environment and sustainable urbanization, surface transport, safer and greener aviation, and biotechnology for environment and human health.

During ICD-3 the European Commission (EC) and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) agreed to renew China-EU co-funding mechanism on research and innovation (CFM) for 2018-2020 and to support flagship initiatives and other key Horizon 2020 themes.

For more information, please visit European Comission (EC) Research & Innovation International Cooperation-China.

(Modified from: http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/cn_roadmap_2018.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none)

EU-ASEAN

In the Southeast Asia (ASEAN = Association of the Southeast Asian Nations) the overall STI cooperation agenda is sustained via both bottom-up research initiatives prompted by scientists of both regions, as well as via policy exchange in the context of the regular EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Science and Technology that are set since 2008. Joint regional S&T acitivies are mainly processed through the ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Science and Technology taking place at regular intervals at Senior Official level between the ASEAN Committee of Science and Technology (COST) and the EU.
It has seen the reinforcement of links between the ASEAN Plan for Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) action plan for the period 2016-2020, and the Horizon 2020 Research Programme to take concrete steps:

  • Analysing in detail the state of EU-SEA S&T relations and especially supporting the new scheme for multilateral co-funding called Joint Funding Scheme (JFS).
  • Promoting specific dissemination events, e.g. in the fields of aquaculture, environment, and space research; and;
  • Extending the dialogue so to the area of mobility of researchers, and wide range of supporting tools such as EURAXESS (Researchers in Motion is a unique pan-European initiative, in addition to ASEAN also in China, India, and Japan) and JFS mentioned above.

For more information, please visit European Comission (EC) Research & Innovation International Cooperation-ASEAN.

(Modified from: https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/asean_roadmap_2018.pdf)

EU-India

EU and India signed the first Agreement on the Scientific and Technological Cooperation in 2001 and it was renewed in 2007, and 2016 until 2020.

The 14th Summit between the European Union and India took place in New Delhi in 2017 that followed the EU-India cooperation in research and innovation meeting at the 11th Joint Scientific and Technological Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) in June 2017. The EU and India agreed to scale-up cooperation under the renewed India-EU Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement in STI in addressing current global challenges in particular in the areas of health, water and clean energy.

And agreement was signed to launch a joint flagship initiative of €30 million on water-related challenges reflecting the pressing need to cooperate on technological and scientific knowledge and management capacities to cope with increasing stress on water resources. In addition to this, the EU and India launched EUR 30 million joint call on R&I to develop a next generation influenza vaccine. Both sides agreed to work towards opening of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 'Horizon 2020' and Indian programmes, and called for an intensified two-way mobility of researchers. The two sides welcomed the conclusion of the Implementing Arrangement between the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) and the European Research Council (ERC).

For more information, please visit European Comission (EC) Research & Innovation International Cooperation-India.

(Modified from: http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/in_roadmap_2018.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none)

EU-Japan

Cooperation between the EU and Japan in R&I is governed by the Agreement on S&T Cooperation (2011). The EU-Japan Joint S&T Committee established under this Agreement "exchanges information and views on S&T policy issues; identify and decide cooperative activities; review accomplishments; provide advice on the implementation of the agreement; review the reciprocal access to Research and Innovation (R&I) programmes and projects and arrangements for visiting researchers; and to examine measures to improve that access and to ensure the principle on reciprocity".

In addition to the Joint S&T Committee, a task force of senior officials was set to look at concrete ways to bring EU-Japan cooperation in R&I to its ‘full potential’. This Task Force has held three meetings in 2014-16.

The 23rd EU-Japan Summit in 2015 agreed about a new EU-Japan Strategic Partnership in Research and Innovation, which involves: "thematic cooperation in strategic areas (ICT, aeronautics and materials, and new cooperation possibilities in health, energy, environment and high energy physics); adding framework conditions to facilitate cooperation (for the joint funding of projects,and measures to enhance researchers' mobility); regular consultation and cooperation in R&I policy areas (such as Open Science); deepening strategic cooperation by frequent consultation at multiple levels (Summit, Joint S&T Committee meetings, Senior Officials meetings, Task Force meetings, thematic dialogues); and support activities and public engagement (National Contact Points in Japan and outreach activities)".

Promoting opportunities for increasing the mobility of researchers; as an example, The Implementing Arrangement between the European Commission and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), signed in 2015, provides opportunities for Japanese researchers to pursue research collaboration with ERC grantees in Europe.

For more information, please visit European Comission (EC) Research & Innovation International Cooperation-Japan.

(Modified from: https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/jp_roadmap_2018.pdf)

EU-South Korea

The EU and South Korea have made an  Agreement on the Scientific and Technological Cooperation in 2007.

The 8th bilateral summit between the EU and South Korea took place in 2015 in Seoul where the Strategic Partnership between the EU and South Korea was discussed. In the summit the EU-South Korea cooperation in research and innovation, including the outcome of the Joint Scientific and Technological Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) was discussed and it was agreed to continue improving the framework conditions and to deepen and scale-up the ongoing cooperation in selected thematic areas. Horizon 2020 cooperation has dealt with the areas of ICT, health, energy, climate action, and satellite navigation.

For more information, please visit European Comission (EC) Research & Innovation International Cooperation-South Korea.

(Modified from: https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/ko_roadmap_2018.pdf)

European Commission Resources

The European Union supports research and development activities primarily through the Horizon 2020 Programme which has replaced the previous Framework programmes. 

Links:

ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting)

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an intergovernmental process established in 1996 to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. It has 53 partners: 30 European and 21 Asian countries, the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat. ASEM addresses "political, economic, social, cultural, and educational issues of common interest, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership". FinCEAL Plus Asia is actively supporting the experts of universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutes in Finland to participate the ASEM events and seminars as Finnish research policy representatives.

For more information, please visit ASEM Infoboard Website.