Global cooperation at its best

A new drive to involve the world's developing nations in EU-funded projects is bearing fruit, thanks to the bloc's International Cooperation (INCO) programme and its national access points.

The EU's worldwide network of National Contact Points (NCPs) has fostered global cooperation with the bloc and is building valuable bridges through joint partnerships, innovation and investment. These efforts have been supported by the EU's INCO programme, which ensures nations other than EU Member States and Associated States can also access opportunities and partnerships with the bloc.

Against this backdrop, the EU-funded project 'Trans-national co-operation among NCPs for international cooperation' (INCONTACT-ONE WORLD) is fostering closer collaboration among INCO NCPs. It is helping to upgrade NCP services through conferences, training, policy advice, knowledge transfer, networking and events.

In the first three years of this initiative, the project team organised three INCO conferences and 19 infodays worldwide, in addition to conducting training and twinning activities. The conferences were instrumental in raising awareness on INCO opportunities and sharing best practices. In parallel, the project team developed an e-tool for INCO NCPs and the international community to identify INCO-relevant calls for projects through different EU programmes, complete with an online database .

Other project achievements include training sessions on topics such as communication, project dissemination, intellectual property rights, financial management and cultural differences. In addition, NCP twinning activities, such as a recent initiative between Ecuador and Bolivia, brought countries together in order to jointly benefit from EU support and to realise economies of scale. Much of the project's benefits, including a list of events and news, can be seen on the project website .

Through these initiatives, INCONTACT-ONE WORLD now offers a global platform for scientific and research collaboration, enabling researchers worldwide to join forces in addressing humanity's challenges. This is a welcome initiative that will lead to innovation and competitiveness not only for the EU but for many nations beyond its borders.

Related link:
http://cordis.europa.eu