There are 70 universities and hundreds of research institutes and other scientific institutions in the Danube Region. They are all united in the desire to advance science and innovation, and to strengthen the region’s competitiveness in the interests of social and economic progress.

The 19 participants in the Danube-INCO.NET project are encouraging research and innovation to help overcome obstacles and improve social and economic development in the region. They aim to turn it into a ‘region of innovation’ and to stimulate the development of a ‘knowledge society’ in an effort to make the Danube Region more attractive and competitive.

One of the key activities is to provide wide-ranging information and stimulate political dialogue among those interested in promoting science and innovation in the Danube Region. Danube-INCO.NET provides the basis for an exchange of ideas and experience, bringing together researchers from countries across the region and connecting them to the relevant administrations. The project is facilitating communication between the funding agencies and project applicants, and is offering researchers from all the countries in the region the opportunity to gather information about current and planned projects, procurement and jobs.

Spreading the word

Thanks to this project, its website and newsletter, the general scientific community and others interested in advancing research and innovation in the Danube Region have access to comprehensive information about conferences, journals and published scientific works, as well as policy recommendations related to these areas.

The Danube-INCO.NET project activities include supporting countries where the fields of science and innovation are still not sufficiently advanced and which want to improve their respective national strategies. It also helps those countries in the Danube Region that are not yet EU members to engage in the European Research Area (ERA) and to engage in the Innovation Union which is part of the Europe 2020 strategy.

Special attention is paid to topics such as energy security, energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as bio-economics – i.e. food security and sustainable agricultural production. Among the latest projects in the network are pilot actions for the support and development of bio-economics in the Danube Region. DANCERS aims to develop new instruments and tools to enhance environmental research and promote innovation in the Danube Region, including the Danube Delta and the Black Sea.

One important goal is the creation and development of a network of Danube technology transfer centres which would ensure that the Danube-INCO.NET project objectives will continue to be realised even after its completion. The project involves partners from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Ukraine.

FIND OUT MORE: http://danube-inco.net