RESEARCH POTENTIAL

Stimulating the realisation of the full research potential of the enlarged Union by unlocking and developing existing or emerging excellence in the EU's convergence regions and outermost regions Convergence regions are those set out in Article 5 of the Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund (OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 25). This includes ‘convergence’ objective regions, regions eligible for funding from the Cohesion fund, and outermost regions. , and helping to strengthen the capacities of their researchers to successfully participate in research activities at Community level. Europe does not fully exploit its research potential, in particular in less advanced regions remote from the European core of research and industrial development. In order to help researchers and institutions, whether in the public or private sector, of these regions to contribute to the overall European research effort, while taking advantage of the knowledge and experience existing in other regions of Europe, this action aims at establishing the conditions that will allow them to exploit their potential and help to fully realise the European Research Area in the enlarged Union. The actions will build on past and existing measures such as the European Centres of Excellence under the Fifth Framework Programme in what were then acceding and candidate countries and Marie Curie Host Fellowships for the Transfer of Knowledge. The action in this domain will comprise support for: Trans-national two-way secondments of research staff between selected organisations in the convergence regions, and one or more partner organisations; support for selected centres of existing or emerging excellence for the recruitment of incoming experienced researchers, including managers, from other countries. The acquisition and development of research equipment and the development of a material environment enabling a full exploitation of the intellectual potential present in the selected centres of existing or emerging excellence in the convergence regions. The organisation of workshops and conferences to facilitate knowledge transfer; promotion activities as well as initiatives aiming at disseminating and transferring research results in and to other countries and international markets. ‘Evaluation facilities’ through which any research centre in the convergence regions can obtain an international independent expert evaluation of the level of their overall research quality and infrastructures. Strong synergies will be sought with Community regional policy. Actions supported under this heading will identify needs and opportunities for reinforcing the research capacities of emerging and existing centres of excellence in convergence regions which may be met by structural and cohesion funds. Synergies will also be sought with the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme in order to promote the regional commercialisation of RTD in collaboration with industry.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-04 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.