BoF: Using the Structural Funds
in the domain of REN: Past
experience and Future
prospective
TNC 2014
19 May 2014, Dublin
Athina Zampara,
EC, DG CONNECT, Unit C1 eInfrastructure
Past, present and future:
• - NRENs have already used SF to develop and
upgrade their services
• - Presentations from CZ, HU, PL
• - Greece:
• Apart from the REN, they are developing HPC activities
(procurement of HPC system to be operational in second
half of 2014, data storage system)
• - Cyprus has plans to request ESIF funding
ESIF/Thematic Objectives 2014-2020
(of possible interest to NRENs)
TO1. Research and Innovation
Ex-ante conditionality:
1. A national or regional smart specialisation strategy is in
place
2. Multiannual plan for investment in Research and Innovation
(e.g. updated roadmap of research infrastructure)
TO2. Information and Communication Technologies
Ex-ante conditionalities:
1) Digital Growth strategic policy framework
2) National/Regional NGN plans in place.
RIS3
• Strategy planning for MS: Research and
Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisations
(RIS3) – S3 Platform (provides advice for the
design of RIS3, information on the emerging
fileds of smart specialisation priorities)
What is new? Synergies
• The European Commission and the Member
States are mandated to ensure
• - coordination
• - synergies and
• - complementarities
• between the European Structural and
Investement Funds (ESIF), Horizon 2020 and
other EC programmes (COSME, Erasmus+, etc)
Synergies …
• - are about obtaining more impacts on
competitiveness, jobs and growth by combing
ESIF and Horizon 2020
• This can be achieved by:
• - cumulative funding (use different public funding
sources in one project, programme, group of
projects
• - funding of successive projects or parallel
projects
Attention to
• - Non substitution principle (the use of a union
funding instrument to substitute the non-union
contribution to another union instrument is not
allowed)
• - ESIF support is subject to State Aid limitations
(whereas Horizon 2020 funding is not)
• - Overlaps and double-financing must be avoided
• - Objectives of the projects must align with the
RIS3
Novelties for ESIF
• - More ESIF (<10%) can be spent outside OP
territory – if for the benefit of the programme
area
• - Emphasis on innovation
• - National Contact Points close to national and
regional ESIF policy makers and Managing
Authorities
Opportunities
• - To receive funding to further develop NRENs in
general as an eInfrastructure provider if
appropriate (network, data, hpc services) – Plan
where you want to be in 2020!
• Research and education community
• Public administration
• Private domain (e.g. research SMEs)
• - To bridge the digital divide with the less
developed countries
• - To help national policies align with european
priorities
Questions
• - Do you need to take stock of what has
happened in the past?
• - Does TERENA know what NRENs plan to request
from MS for ESIF funding?
• - Are there complimentary needs to GEANT that
ESIF money could be used for?
• - Could ESIF funding be used for helping the less
developed countries?
• - Could ESIF funding be used for boosting
innovation (eg supporting private research SMEs)
Obstacles to synergies
• - Do we know what are the main obstacles to
using ESIF funding?
• past
• now and for the future
• - What NRENs did to overcome the obstacles?
• CYNET's suggestion: if they knew what other
NRENs did, they could use this information for
lobbying in their country
Potential threats?
• - Protect Geant's from politically motivated topdown choices
• - Protect Geant's self-regulated regime
Next steps
• - Investigate your country's RIS3
• - Consult the S3 platform
• - Contact the Managing Authorities of the
respective Operational Programmes
• - Contact the National Contact Points
• - See the multiannual plan for R&I in your
country and the roadmap for Ris – make sure
NRENs are there.
•
Actions at EC level
• - What do NRENs need in order to be able to
request and use ESIF funding?
• concrete actions for EC?
• Ask for specific support