Project Acronym:	EECA-2-HORIZON
Project Full Title:	"Bringing the EU-EECA cooperation and policy dialogue in ICT in the HORIZON 2020 era”
Funding programme:	FP7-ICT
Type of project:	Coordination and Support Action
Participating EECA countries:	Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Kazakhstan
Project Duration:	February 1, 2014 - July 31, 2016 (30 Months)
Coordinator:	Q-PLAN North Greece Ltd (Greece)
Contact Persons:	Mr Kostas Bougiouklis (+30 2310 411 191, [email protected]) Mr Iakovos Delioglanis (+30 2310 411 191, [email protected])

Project Summary:
The man aim of the EECA-2-HORIZON project is to reinforce the development of strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships in ICT between the EU and the East Europe and Central Asia (EECA) countries. The overall goal is to strengthen the links and boost cooperation among the research and industrial communities of both regions to exploit emerging opportunities for international partnerships (both under EU and EECA RTD&I programmes) and jointly address common societal challenges.

To achieve this overall aim, the EECA-2-HORIZON project has set the following objectives:
1. Create a knowledge sharing and collaboration environment for ICT research and industrial actors from both regions. An "EU-EECA Virtual Collaboration Breeding Environment in ICT” ("ICT Platform”) will be developed to inform, facilitate interaction and support collaboration towards the formation of strategic partnerships under both EU and EECA RTD&I programmes.
2. Link and bring together leading ICT research and industrial actors from both regions in areas of mutual interest and added value for EU and EECA cooperation, foster their interaction and eventually boost the formation of strategic international partnerships. This will be based on 2 pillars:
a. RTD&I actors: a number of sustainable cooperative "ICT Communities” will be created having a thematic focus (e.g. focusing on specific ICT sub-areas) to maximise the efficiency of interactions.
b. Technology Platforms: the aim is to strengthen the interaction and cooperation among European Technology Platforms and similar structures and interested stakeholders from the EECA countries.
3. Reciprocity in collaboration by promoting and supporting the participation of EU researchers in EECA programmes. The aim is to identify and analyse RTD&I programmes and initiatives from the EECA countries that are open to the participation of EU research teams and/or individual researchers, with a view to highlight and promote emerging opportunities for EU actors, and eventually support the international cooperation under EECA programmes
4. Support dialogue between the EU and the EECA countries on enhancing their cooperation in ICT by communicating the project findings to ICT stakeholders from both regions as well as to the EC. The goal is to contribute to the formation of the HORIZON 2020 research orientation, with regard to reinforce the participation of the EECA ICT research and industrial actors in HORIZON 2020.
5. Organise a series of increase awareness and networking/twinning events in both regions to promote and facilitate collaboration among ICT actors.

EECA-2-HORIZON builds upon the invaluable legacy in EU-EECA cooperation in ICT that was created by the PICTURE project (FP7-ICT CSA, on-going) and its preceding EECA-ICT cluster that was formed by joining forces of FP7-ICT CSAs, namely: ISTOK-SOYUZ, SCUBE-ICT and EXTEND (completed in 2011).

Overall, to avoid duplication of work, maximize synergies and impact, successfully utilize PICTURE project outcomes as well as address issues of particular interest for the EC, EECA-2-HORIZON consortium will closely collaborate, coordinate and adjust its activities with the EAST HORIZON project activities. Both projects started on February 2014, focus on the same region and have similar objectives.

Consortium Partners
	International Environment and Quality Services North Greece Ltd  (Q-PLAN NG),Greece
	Inno TSD  (INNO),France
	National Association of Research and Educational E-Infrastructures "E-Arena"  (e-ARENA),Russia
	Non-governmental organization "Agency of European innovations”  (AEI),Ukraine
	BELARUSIAN INSTITUTE OF SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND INFORMATION SUPPORT OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SPHERE,Belarus
	R.I.T.A. LLC,Azerbaijan
	Institute for Informatics and Automation of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia  (IIAP),Armenia
	CENTRUL PROIECTE INTERNATIONALE,Moldova
	Georgian Research and Educational Networking Association  (GRENA),Georgia
	National Agency for Technological Development JSC  (NATD),Kazakhstan