The project is coordinated by DLR. The consortium consists of 9 European partners (DLR, FFG, inno TSD, Biocat, AKA, Intrasoft Internatinal, RCN, IPPT PAN, TUBITAK) and 4 US-American partners (DMI, FIU, NCURA, CTR).
An Advisory Board will accompany the project throughout its duration. Information on each of the partners forming the BILAT USA 2.0 consortium can be found under Partner Organisations.
Partner Organizations
The International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (IB) is part of the Project Management Agency c/o German Aerospace Center (DLR). The Project Management Agency (PT) of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) at the DLR assists the BMBF in planning and implementing a wide range of national research programs in various thematic areas. Next to providing direct services to the Ministry IB administers BMBF funding to German higher education and public research institutions as well as private companies. Having a strong background in R&D strategy and policy implementation with particular emphasis on international relations, the IB is especially dedicated to international cooperation activities and in the bilateral and multilateral political dialogue.
The IB further has a wide experience in coordinating and participating in EU-funded projects, focusing on international ERANETs, INCONETs, BILATs and other activities. Currently, IB is involved in 28 INCO projects worldwide. Through its long-lasting experience in implementing the international S&T cooperation of Germany, through the active involvement in planning and implementing the international dimension of the European Framework Programs and through the proactive participation in numerous EU-funded Coordination and Support Activities, the International Bureau has developed specific expertise to contribute as a coordinator to all elements of the BILAT USA 2.0 project.
The Austrian Research Promotion Agency, Division of European & International Programmes (EIP) hosts all Austrian National Contact Points to FP7, the Austrian EUREKA Office, the Enterprise Europe Network, the Competitiveness & Innovation Programme (CIP) as well as the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP). FFG is the biggest Austrian funding agency for applied research. The European & International Programmes Division’s (EIP) main objective is the support of the implementation of the Community Framework Programmes in Austria with the aim to strengthen the Austrian participation from academia as well as industry and other organisations in the European and International science and technology programmes. FFG/EIP is actively engaged in providing a broad spectrum of information, advice and individual coaching services for the Austrian research community with respect to FP7, EUREKA, CIP and ICT-PSP. As host of the Enterprise Europe Network, FFG/EIP is also pro-actively supporting Technology Transfer. FFG/EIP has been involved in more than 50 EU FP projects since FP5, focused on all aspects of capacity building, NCP structure development and training towards the FP in the EU New Member States, Associated Countries, Western Balkan and Eastern Europe and Central Asian Countries, China, Russia, etc.; several of these FP projects were coordinated by FFG/EIP. FFG/EIP is working with about 50 experts in all technology sectors, thus ensuring adequate thematic assistance in all framework programme related issues.
inno TSD, located in Sophia Antipolis, France is part of inno group, an EU-based innovation and technology transfer consultancy firm located in Germany, France and Sweden, with a representation in the US. Inno group employs approx. 60 staff members, has 20+ years experience, and specializes in innovation and technology transfer, university-industry cooperation, innovation start ups and development, IPR support and in international cooperation in innovation and S&T (over 500 projects implemented since 20 years by inno-group). Drawing upon twenty years of experience, inno enjoys privileged access to more than twenty leading universities and research institutes in Europe (partly including guaranteed first access to invention disclosures).
Many of inno’s projects have particular focus on international R&D collaboration and support to innovative clusters, EU-wide networks of innovative companies and to companies themselves. For example, inno runs three business incubators in France and provides support to SME internationalization of world-wide French systems & ICT clusters in the Paris region, as well as to other clusters around Europe. Inno also runs the secretariat of the European Cluster Alliance. Inno regularly organizes policy workshops, public consultations, brokerage and networking events, and prepares relevant reports and recommendations.
Biocat is the organization that coordinates and promotes the biotechnology, biomedicine and medical technology sector in Catalonia, the BioRegion of Catalonia. Our mission is to dynamize all the stakeholders in this area and their initiatives in order to create an environment with a strong research system, active transfer of knowledge and an entrepreneuring business fabric that can become a driving force for the country’s economy and contribute to the wellbeing of society as a whole.
Created in 2006 at the behest of the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council, Biocat is a foundation that brings together representatives from all areas of the biomedicine and biotechnology sector: Administrations, universities, research centers, companies and support bodies.
Biocat promotes collaboration among the stakeholders in the biocluster and a number of organizations both in Catalonia and on a national and international level. Biocat proposes flexible and innovative solutions to the challenges facing the biotechnology, biomedicine and medical technology sector, always seeking the highest quality and efficacy. Biocat’s agenda is clearly client oriented and follows a firm commitment to our objectives and the people.
The Academy of Finland’s mission is to finance high-quality scientific research, act as a science and science policy expert, and strengthen the position of science and research. The Academy works to contribute to the renewal, diversification and increasing internationalisation of Finnish research. Our activities cover the full spectrum of scientific disciplines. We support and facilitate researcher training and research careers, internationalisation and the application of research results. We are keen to emphasise the importance of the impact of research and breakthrough research by encouraging researchers to submit boundary-crossing applications that involve risks but also offer promise and potential for scientifically significant breakthroughs. Our tasks are to promote scientific research and its application, to develop international scientific cooperation, to act as an expert in science policy, to grant funding for scientific research, researcher training and the development of framework conditions for research, to implement other science policy expert tasks.
INTRASOFT International is a leading European company with a broad portfolio of activities largely related to information-and technology-based solutions and consultancy services to public administrations, international government and large enterprises. As a member of INTRACOM HOLDINGS Group that employs some 6,200 people in 21 countries around the world, INTRASOFT International was established in October 1996 to better serve public and private sector clients throughout Western Europe with a particular focus in European Union bodies and agencies. Since then INTRASOFT International has achieved impressive organic growth. Consolidated organic revenue in 2010 reached € 89,8 million (2009: € 85,4 million). With headquarters in Luxembourg, INTRASOFT International operates through its seven main operational branches in Belgium, Greece, Denmark, Bulgaria, Romania and Jordan, while it also has offices in six other countries in Cyprus, Moldova, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the UK and Yemen. More than 500 organizations in 68 countries worldwide (Institutions and Agencies of the European Union, National Government Organizations, Public Agencies, Financial Institutions, Telecommunication Organizations, and Private Enterprises) have chosen the company’s services and solutions to fulfill their business needs. At the end of 2010, INTRASOFT International employed over 1.100 professional, 20% of which have postgraduate degrees, representing 17 different nationalities and mastering more than 15 languages. Through its continuous investment over the years it has earned a place among the primary suppliers for EU institutions and bodies (Commission DG, EU Agencies and Parliament).
For more than 15 years, INTRASOFT International has set a focus on supporting enterprises, especially SMEs, in their growth and innovation activities. In a globally changing landscape characterised by continuous structural changes and enhanced competitive pressures, the role of SMEs in our society has become even more important as providers of employment opportunities and key players for the wellbeing of local and regional communities. Our long-term involvement in the management of the EEN (Enterprise Europe Network, www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/) until 2009, our participation in the Boards of Management of INSME (International Network for SMEs, www.insme.org) and TII (Technology Innovation International , www.tii.org), and other similar exposures, has allowed us to master the best possible ways to support and advice SMEs around the globe on how to make the most of business opportunities. Through our in house and associate consultants, close working relations with universities and acclaimed partners we are capable of providing assistance to SMEs around the globe in entering new markets, improve their business, their needs for technology transfer, their access to financial support and funding for research & development, as well as to innovation related services, including training, investment, or employment.
The Research Council of Norway is a national strategic and funding agency for research activities, and a chief source of advice on and input into research policy for the Norwegian Government, the central government administration and the overall research community. RCN manages about one third of the total government funding for R&D on behalf of 17 ministries. It is the task of the Research Council to identify Norway’s research needs and recommend national priorities. Using targeted funding schemes, the Council helps to translate national research policy goals into action. RCN promotes a cohesive strategic approach to the establishment of new fields of research, the development of higher caliber research and the implementation of new initiatives to meet the needs of society. An important objective is to ensure that Norway adequately invests in research and development (R&D) activity. RCN provides an essential meeting place for researchers, users of research and research funders. The Council is involved in a wide range of international programmes, as well as bilateral programmes and agreements with selected countries, and actively promotes the internationalisation of Norwegian research.
“The Institute of Fundamental Technological Research Polish Academy of Sciences is one of the biggest research institutions within the structure of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Between 1999 and 2012, more than 100 international projects financed mainly within the 5th, 6th and 7th Framework Programme were implemented at the Institute. IPPT PAN is a Member of EuMaT, EARMA as well as a member of more than 20 Polish Technology Platforms. The Institute is actively involved in cooperation with the USA. Wide experience in international cooperation has resulted in establishing at IPPT PAN the National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the EU (NCP-PL). Since 1999, NCP-PL operates as an umbrella for a country-wide network and its main goal is to promote the EU research and innovation programmes (currently, FP7 and CIP) in various research and industrial areas. It is being achieved through info-days, trainings, conferences, brokerage events, consultancy, facilitating partner search and promoting S&T international co-operation. NCP-PL is the national coordinator of the Polish EURAXESS Services Centres network and has a wide experience in coordinating the INCO projects, especially focused on Eastern Europe countries.”
Founded in 1963, TUBITAK is the supreme organisation in charge of promoting, developing, organising and coordinating research and development in the fields of science and technology in line with the national targets of economic development. TUBITAK functions under the fold of the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology with adequate administrative and financial autonomy. TUBITAK is also the national coordinating body of the 7th FP in Turkey. TUBITAK’s main functions are to determine Turkey’s science and technology policies; to support, encourage and coordinate scientific research; to establish and operate special institutes to conduct research and development activities geared towards the priorities set by the Science Board; to provide scholarships and other support to researchers and organizing contests to discover and train future scientists; to support R&D activities and innovations in industry; to promote university-industry collaborations; to establish techno-parks to facilitate their realization; to implement tasks undertaken through international scientific and technical cooperation agreements; to publish scientific journals, books and monthly science magazines that make science accessible to the public; to support scientists and researchers with awards. TUBITAK is the executing agency in deployment of international scientific and technological agreements.
Diplomacy Matters Institute is a 501 (c) (3), non-profit organization dedicated to generating new platforms for meaningful dialogue, educating foreign officials and U.S. citizens, empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs, and increasing economic opportunity. We concentrate on areas that benefit most from international dialogue such as: renewable energy; food and agriculture; and science and technology.
We believe in the power of person-to-person connections. Government-to-government communications must be enhanced by a modern diplomacy – one that is characterized by engagement at all levels – among citizens, businesses, entrepreneurs and NGOs. Our programs and activities are designed to foster actionable ties and encourage partnerships for small to medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those that help advance global solutions. Relationships matter…and we put our mission into action by:
With more than 170 nations represented by foreign embassies in Washington, DC, the genesis of our effort is well-placed. Our goals are as follows:
The Miami-Florida European Union Center of Excellence, (EUCE), a consortium of Florida International University<http://www.fiu.edu/> (FIU) and the University of Miami (UM), was established in the Fall of 2001 through a grant from the European Commission through its Delegation in Washington, DC.
The Miami-Florida EUCE, is a member of the Network of European Union Centers<http://euce.org/centers/> created in 1998 to build stronger ties among Europeans and Americans by examining the process of European integration and the implications thereof for the United States. Additionally, the Center cooperates with the European Union Studies Association<http://www.eustudies.org/> (EUSA) to advance academic research in a number of fields concerning the EU.
The Miami-Florida EUCE, is jointly administered through the School of International and Public Affairs – College of Arts & Sciences (FIU) and the Jean Monnet Chair at University of Miami (UM).
The mission of the Miami-Florida EUCE, is to promote teaching, research, and outreach activities relating to the EU. To accomplish this mission, the Miami-Florida EUCE, facilitates the development of new courses on the EU, provides for financial assistance to graduate students and faculty pursuing research on topics related to the EU, holds academic conferences on EU matters, sponsors public lectures featuring EU speakers, and conducts outreach workshops for educators, journalists and media professionals, and the greater Miami business community.
The National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) is a professional society dedicated to the continuing education of research administrators and promoting the profession of research administration. Founded in 1959, NCURA has over 7,000 members at colleges, universities, teaching hospitals and private research institutes located, mainly, in the United States. NCURA hosts an Annual Meeting each year in Washington, DC, where over 2,000 participants come to learn the latest information on research management and to hear the latest updates on regulations from NCURA’s federal agency partners. NCURA holds additional special topic conferences both within and outside the U.S. Traveling workshops on topics such as the basics of research management; financial research management; and department management are held throughout the year and also, by request, presented on university campuses. NCURA publishes a magazine 6 times per year, an on-line professional journal, and a number of publications on research management topics, along with DVD workshops and on-line training tools. NCURA’s office is located in Washington, DC.
The SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations, located near Dupont Circle in Washington, DC, engages international scholars and students directly with government officials, journalists, business executives, and other opinion leaders from both sides of the Atlantic on issues facing Europe and North America. The goal of the Center is to strengthen and reorient transatlantic relations to the dynamics of the globalizing world. Center activities include seminars and lectures; media programs and web-based activities; research projects and policy study groups. The Center is an integral part of the Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), one of America's leading graduate schools devoted to the study of international relations.
The Center has been recognized by the European Commission as one of a select number of EU Centers of Excellence in the United States. It serves as the coordinating office of the American Consortium on EU Studies (ACES), a partnership among five national/capital area universities- American University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and The Johns Hopkins University-- to improve understanding of the European Union and US-EU relations throughout the Washington-Northern Virginia-Baltimore region.
The Director of the Transatlantic Center, SAIS professor Daniel Hamilton, also serves as ACES Executive Director. Dr. Hamilton has been integrally involved in transatlantic relations on both sides of the Atlantic as a scholar and educator, government official, think tank executive, media and business consultant.
The Center helped to launch the Congressional Caucus on the European Union, which now counts 32 Members of Congress. The Center offers seminars, briefings and other support to the Caucus, and to the Congressional Staff Roundtable on the European Union.
The Center also leads the international policy work of the Johns Hopkins-led National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER).
A New Perspective
Conventional approaches to transatlantic ties tend to overlook and undervalue important aspects of the relationship. During the 20th century, the primary focus of transatlantic relations was the security and stability of Europe itself. This remains important. But in the 21st century, the most critical challenges—and greatest opportunities—facing transatlantic relations emanate from beyond the European continent.
The greatest security threats to the U.S. and Europe today stem from problems that defy borders: terrorism and the weapons of mass destruction; environmental scarcities and pandemics. They stem from challenges that have been marginal but contentious: “out-of-area” peacekeeping; post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation; rogue states, failed states and nations hijacked by groups or networks. And they come from places far beyond the European continent.
Are Europeans and Americans prepared to address the challenges of a globalizing world? Are they prepared to do it together? Through its various activities, the Center seeks to address these challenges.
