Ημερολόγιο

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9

I N T H I S I S S U E :

News from EOC 1

News from EOC’s

members 2-3

Research &

Innovation 4

Health 5

Energy and

Environment 6

Education 7

News of Enterprise

Europe Network 8-9

Calendars

June - July 2017

10-

11

Ε U R O P E A N

O F F I C E O F

C Y P R U S

EUROPEAN

NEWS A P R I L 2 0 1 7 I S S U E 1 2 0

INFO DAYS

“Information & Networking Event on the 2017 funding

opportunities for green technology, nature conser-vation and climate projects

under the EU's LIFE programme”

31 May 2017 Brussels, Belgium

http://tinyurl.com/mcowrrv

“Info Day on the Spreading excellence and Widening

participation Calls in Horizon 2020” 15 June 2017

Brussels, Belgium RTD-INFO-DAYS-B5@ec.europa.eu

“Webinar: Maximising the

impact of Horizon 2020 project results”

19 July 2017 10:30-11:45 (CET)

http://tinyurl.com/lfen8we

EOC organises in Brussels a presentation on the new

Commission Communication on Smart Specialisation

The European Office of Cyprus organises on 6 June 2017, in Brussels, a presentation of the new Commission’s Communication “Smart Specialisation: a fresh approach to the European growth and jobs through re-gional research and innovation strategies” that will be published on 30 May 2017. The invited speaker is Mr. Marek Przeor, Team Leader, Unit G1 Smart and Sustainable Growth, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Com-mission.

The EU needs to spur all forms of innovation and to commercialise better its research re-sults by translating research and innovation into growth and jobs and to promote synergies in terms of actions and investments. If this is well done, a more inclusive society could be built – with more and better quality job oppor-tunities.

The aim of the Communication is to deliver on the ambitions of the smart specialisation strat-egies within EU programmes' specific objec-tives as regards smart growth investments, including more innovations successfully intro-duced into the market, shift to higher added value exports from less developed lagging regions, more connectivity among regional innovation eco-systems, less brain drain, more start-ups, etc.

The event will take place in cooperation with IGLO Network - Informal Group of RTD Liai-son Offices.

More information: eoc.brussels@ucy.ac.cy

EOC participates in the Mobility Fair 2017

The European Office of Cyprus participates in the 2nd Mobility Fair on 22 May 2017, 12:00 - 21:00, which will take place at Technopolis in Athens.

The Mobility Fair is organised by the State Scholar-ships Foundation, British Council, Erasmus Stu-dent Network Greece, and Innovathens, the inno-vation and entrepreneurship hub at Technopolis, Mu-nicipality of Athens.

The Mobility Fair is a one-day event aiming to promote mobility opportunities for students and young people, as well as teachers and other professionals. The fair will provide essential in-formation about the Erasmus+ programme, scholarships, studies in Europe, summer schools, exchange and training programmes, volunteer programmes and a wide range of activities re-lated to mobility in European countries.

The European Office of Cyprus aims to welcome all interested guests at its stand to provide information regarding the offered Erasmus+ traineeship programme in its of-fice in Brussels and discuss with participants the opportunities that exist for mobility

and exchange through the European Funded programmes.

More information: eoc.athens@ucy.ac.cy

P A G E 2 I S S U E 1 2 0

Supporting lifelong learning and career paths for migrants

The LIGHTHOUSE project intends to establish an innovative model and tools for supporting lifelong learning and career paths for migrants by tailored counselling and recognition of prior learning to improve skills, employability

and mobility. The project Platform now includes the Lighthouse Film. Lighthouse film is a pedagogical tool which will guide the audiences through the different zones of the LIGHTHOUSE, using comprehensive graphics and animations, displaying pedagogic key messages and testimonials from professionals and learners.

National pilots were organised in partners’ countries the past months. Their purpose was to present and test all tools and concepts develop within the different programs steps. In Cyprus, pilot trainings were organized by CARDET in order to present the Lighthouse Project and outputs. Coaches, trainers, social workers and psychologists had the opportunity to be trained and guided in relevant important subjects. Participating migrants were benefited by the meetings and material in the different zones and services of the project. In total, participants gave very encouraging and positive feedback and expressed how important the help that is provided to them through the project is. More information: http://www.lighthouse-project.eu/

Mediterranean Migration Network

The international research centre CARDET in collaboration with the consulting firm INNOVADE, received additional support to continue the operations of the Mediterranean Migration Network - MMN. The MMN has more than 200 members and is active in advocacy and lobbying of policy development areas for migration

and integration at national and European level. MMN developed within the Action 2/3 – CY/2016/AMIF/SO2.NO3.3.1 - “Integration Network”, which is co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and

the Republic of Cyprus – Project duration: November 2016 - November 2017. MMN specific objectives:

Promote a collaborative framework among national and European public and private organizations active in migra-tion and integration fields.

Manage and expand a database of resources on migration and integration.

Build the professional capacity of Network’s members through educational material and activities.

Promote further collaboration among MMN members.

Draft a strategic vision and an action plan to secure MMN’s sustainable contribution and support to its members.

MMN expected results:

Annual needs assessment within stakeholders, on the latest development on migration and integration policies and practices from the EU and the Mediterranean.

Literature Review on migration issues that the EU needs to tackle.

Development of a digital and print database and E-library with relevant resources.

Development and dissemination of policy and strategy papers.

More information: http://www.migrationnetwork.org/en/

The European Project “Digital Tools for Inclusion of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants”, funded by Erasmus+, is executed by adult education organisa-tions as well as public bodies in 6 Euro-pean Countries. The Research Centre CARDET is involved as a partner.

The main objectives are to strengthen the cooperation and networking between organisations from coun-tries most affected by the refugee crisis, to test and implement innovative practices in the field of educa-tion and training of specific target groups. An additional important goal is to promote and encourage the inte-gration of refugees, asylum seekers and newly ar-rived migrants through enhancing their basic skills and key competences for achieving better social and labour inclusion in the European Community. The pro-posed action will promote and use the potential of Open Educational Resources (OERs) to provide digital ac-

cess to education and training to the socially disadvantaged target groups in the partner countries and abroad.

The Hildburghäuser Bildungszentrum e.V. Organisation hosted the partners in Hildburghausen, Germany, and presented

the training possibilities for migrants and refugees in the region, organized visits to the premises where the train-ing courses for migrants from Afghanistan were held, and conducted a study visit to the House “Lichtblick” for unac-companied minor refugees in Schleusingen. The partners had the opportunity to see the good conditions of living and studying provided for 33 boys accommodated in the residence and even to directly speak with some of them in English. The next steps of the project include the de-velopment of the elearning course and the online assess-ment tool.

More information: http://digitalinclusiontools.com/

MOOCs for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees!

P A G E 3 I S S U E 1 2 0

Teachers and students in favour of Global Education and

Sustainable Development

More than 80 teachers and 80 students, policy makers from the Ministry of Ed-ucation and Culture and representatives from non-governmental organizations gathered in the University of Nicosia on Thursday, April 6, 2017, to assert their determination for the involvement of the state and school in shaping active and conscious global citizens during a conference held by the non-governmental educational centre CARDET. The conference “State and School promote Global Education: Challenges and Good Practices" was organised in the frame of the EAThink project (www.eathink2015.org), funded by Eu-ropeAid.

Improving the offered education in relation to the Global Sustainable Development Goals was the key theme of the conference. During the conference, Mr Charalambos Theopemptou, Member of the Parliament, analysed the policies for organic products and their relationship with the efforts to pursue sustainability. Then, Dr Aravella Zachariou (Coordinator of Environmental Education, Pedagogical Institute) highlight-ed the objectives of sustainable development and stressed the efforts for harmoniza-tion with international and national policies. Moreover, CARDET trainers proposed specific methodologies and good practices which were implemented in Cyprus schools as part of the EAThink project.

In addition, teachers and students of different schools presented their experiences from their participation in the aforementioned project. Finally, the participating teach-ers and students had the opportunity to attend experiential interdisciplinary work-shops, as part of which educational tools for Global Education and Sustainable De-velopment were used.

The one-day conference was successfully completed with positive comments and constructive feedback from the vast majority of participants. The success of the con-

ference lies in the fact that all participants, teachers and students, demonstrate special interest for sustainability is-sues and promote the concept of active citizenship daily in their schools. Thus, the conference was the culmination of a joint effort of both, teachers and students, as a result of their active involvement in a range of activities proposed as part of the EAThink project.

More information: www.eathink2015.org

One of the factors leading to ESL is the lack of prevention and early intervention strate-gies in order to cope with problems that students are facing in school. In this re-gard, there is a need to develop effective methodologies in order to support the most vulnerable students, such as migrant stu-dents. For this purpose, the project “Evaluation Environment for Fostering Intercultural Mentoring Tools and Practices at School” (E-EVALINTO) which will be implemented from October 2016 until September 2018, will provide a prevention and early intervention strategy that will allow each school unit to prevent early school leaving and to intervene in order to handle and solve difficult cases.

More specific, E-EVALINTO aims to implement intercul-tural mediation programs and activities in schools in order to enhance the integration of vulnerable groups into the school environment. The main deliverables of the pro-ject include the following:

A theoretical and methodological frame-work for peer mentoring and for evaluating the situation of a school with regard to intercultural-ity, identifying at risk and potential peers to act as mentors.

An educational portal, which will offer to schools and teachers a complete set of tools

and activities to manage the implementation of the intercultural mentoring programme with their students.

A Training Program Design which will equip teachers with tools to deal with diversity and to apply them at school in order to work effectively with pupils at risk.

During the next stages of the project, the consortium will conduct field research to schools in order to finalize the theoretical and methodological framework of the project.

Online tools for fostering intercultural mediation environments

at school!

More information: https://evalinto.eu/

P A G E 4 I S S U E 1 2 0

Commission awards the Seal of Excellence to 2300 researchers

The Commission has awarded, for the first time, Seal of Excellence certificates to more than 2300 researchers in recognition of their high-quality research pro-posals under the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). These are being awarded to all researchers whose 2016 MSCA Individual Fellowship proposals

reached a score of 85% or above but could not be funded due to the highly-competitive nature of the MSCA programme.

This endorsement provides applicants with recognition for the quality of their work, which they can use to further de-velop their careers and to support their search for alternative funding at regional or national level. Cyprus and the Czech Republic have drawn on the European Social Fund to introduce funding schemes in support of recipients of the Seal. National funding bodies in Croatia, Slovenia and Poland also have initiatives in the pipeline. Some other countries’ official agencies have opted not to introduce a specific funding scheme but are instead encouraging recip-ients of the Seal to apply to existing schemes.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/research/soe/index.cfm

Are you an experienced researcher thinking about your next career move? The 2017 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fel-lowships (IF) call is now open. Individ-ual Fellowships fund researchers looking to enhance their career development and prospects by working abroad. This action is meant to support the best, most promising individual researchers from any-

where in the world.

Only experienced researchers can apply. This means you will have your doctoral degree or at least four years’ full-time research experience by the time of

the call deadline (14 September 2017).

Fellowships take the form of Europe-

an Fellowships or Global Fellowships.

European Fellowships are held in EU Member States or Associated Countries and are open to researchers either com-

ing to Europe from any country in the world or moving within Europe. They can help to restart research careers after a break such as parental leave, and can also help reintegrate researchers coming back to Europe.

Global Fellowships are based on a secondment to a third country for researchers based in the EU or associat-ed countries and a mandatory 12 month return period to a European host.

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/msca-if-2017.html

MSCA Individual Fellowships 2017

Results of Horizon 2020 Stakeholder Consultation

As part of the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020, a public stakeholder consultation was launched on 20 October 2016 and closed on 15 January 2017. The European Commission has published a report with a detailed analysis of the feedback received, with many revealing find-ings throughout; for example on simplification, on the flexibility of the programme and on its European added value.

The results of the stakeholder consultation show a tremendous interest in and support for EU research and innova-tion across a wide group of stakeholders, with responses received from 69 countries. Nearly 3500 replies to the online questionnaire and more than 300 position papers were submitted. The results of the Horizon 2020 stakehold-er consultation are part of the ongoing interim evaluation of Horizon 2020, which is due by the end of December 2017.

More information: http://tinyurl.com/nx4uueq

Conference “Research & Innovation – Shaping our Future”

Registration is now open for the Conference “Research & Innovation – Shaping our Future” that will take place on 3 July 2017 in Brussels. The Conference host-ed by Research, Science and Innovation Commissioner Carlos Moedas, will bring together policymakers from EU institutions, nearly 500 stakeholders and interest-

ed actors to discuss the role of research and innovation for Europe's future.

Pascal Lamy, the chair of the High Level Group on maximising the impact of European research and innovation pro-grammes, will present the Group's vision and recommendations for the future, based on the results of the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020. Visionary speakers will include captains of industry, researchers and innovators at the frontier of progress, politicians and movers and shakers in society but also young people who have expectations for the(ir) future. They will discuss with the audience how research and innovation could transform our economy and improve our society.

More information: http://tinyurl.com/l5tc2ce

P A G E 5 I S S U E 1 2 0

Priority actions for protecting all children in migration

Over the past two years, a growing number of children in mi-gration have arrived in the EU, many of them without their families. The recent surge in arrivals has put national systems under pressure and exposed gaps and shortcomings. This is why the European Commission set out actions to reinforce the protection of all migrant children at all stages of the pro-cess.

It is necessary to ensure that migrant children are swiftly identified when they arrive in the EU and that they receive child-adequate

treatment. Trained personnel need to be available to assist children during their status determination and chil-dren should be provided with sustainable long-term perspectives through better access to education and health care.

More concrete, the needs of each child must be assessed as early as possible upon arrival and all children need to have access to legal assistance, healthcare, psychosocial support and education without delay and regardless of their status. For unaccompanied minors, the possibility of foster or family-based care should be provided. Eve-rything must be done to provide alternatives to administrative detention for children.

More information: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-907_en.htm

New EU rules on medical devices

On 5 April 2017 the European Com-mission’s proposal for two Regula-tions on medical devices was adopt-ed. The two Regulations will establish a modernised and more robust EU legislative framework to ensure better protection of public health and pa-tient safety.

The new Regulations on medical and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices proposed by the Commission in 2012 will help to ensure that all medical devices - from heart valves to sticking plasters to artificial hips – are safe and perform well.

To address this, the new rules will improve market sur-veillance and traceability as well as make sure that all

medical and in vitro diagnostic devices are designed to reflect the latest scien-tific and technological state-of-the art. The rules will also provide more trans-parency and legal certainty for produc-ers, manufacturers and importers and help to strengthen international competi-tiveness and innovation in this strategic sector.

To allow manufacturers and authorities to adapt, the

new rules will only apply after a transitional period,

namely 3 years after publication for the Regulation on

medical devices and 5 years after publication for in the

Regulation on vitro diagnostic medical devices.

More information: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-848_en.htm

SCOPE E-learning for healthcare professionals and doctors

An e-learning package for healthcare professionals focused on adverse drug reac-tion (ADR) reporting and the importance of monitoring the safety of medicines has developed through the SCOPE Joint Action.

The e-learning is designed for all healthcare professionals at any stage of their careers and it may be used as part of curriculum for students. The 45 minute e-learning package is accredited for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or Continuing Medical Ed-ucation (CME) purposes.

In March 2017, the e-learning module received accreditation from the European Accredi-tation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®). Upon completion through certification, the EACME awards 1 European CME credit (ECMEC) for this e-learning.

More information: http://www.scopejointaction.eu/outputsandresults/adr-collection/awareness-levels/story_html5.html?lms=1

P A G E 6 I S S U E 1 2 0

22.1 million supporting synergies between transport

and energy sectors

EU Member States approved the Commission's proposal to in-vest €22.1 million in seven actions that will help develop sustain-able and efficient transport and energy infrastructure. They will receive funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), one of the key funding instruments of the EU's Energy Union strategy to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted

infrastructure investment at European level.

Four of the selected actions refer to the transport priorities 'motorways of the sea', 'maritime ports' and 'multimodal transport modes' with emphasis on the gas sector (EU funding of €8.8 million), two are in the electricity sector ad-dressing roads and multimodal transport modes (EU funding of €12.3 million) and one relates to smart grids, focus-ing on railway transport (EU funding of €1 million). The EU's financial contribution for the selected actions is 60% of the eligible costs, which includes the 10% bonus for synergies between the two sectors. Till 2020, the EU’s Innova-tion & Networks Executive Agency will implement most of the CEF programme budget, in total €27.4 billion out of €30.4 billion (€22.4 billion for Transport, €4.7 billion for Energy, and €0.3 billion for Telecoms).

More information: http://tinyurl.com/mpt2lp3

The LIFE programme has launched its 2017 call for proposals for supporting projects that protect the environment and tackle the impact of climate change. The total budget for project action grants in this year's call is over €373 million. Of this, over €290 mil-lion is foreseen for the sub-programme for Environment and over €82 million for the sub-programme for Climate Action. At least 55% of the budgetary resources allocated to projects supported by way of action grants under the sub-programme for Environment shall be dedicated to projects support-

ing the conservation of nature and biodiversity.

For the sub-programme for Environment, the call co-vers action grants for "Traditional" projects, Preparatory projects, Integrated projects and Technical Assistance projects. For the sub-programme for Climate Action, this call will cover action grants for "Traditional pro-

jects", Integrated projects and Technical As-sistance projects.

In this year's call the Commission is particular-ly interested in close-to-market projects, i.e. projects that propose a new solution with clear environmental and/or climate benefits and which have a level of technical and business

readiness allowing them to implement their solution in close-to-market conditions. Applications are welcomed from public bodies, private commercial organisations and private non-commercial organisations (NGOs). Proposals may be submitted by legal persons (entities) registered in the EU.

On the 31 May 2017 there will be a LIFE 2017 call in-formation and networking event in Brussels to explain how to prepare and submit a successful LIFE proposal.

LIFE launches 2017 call for action grants

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life2017/index.htm

New study focuses on potential of biogas as source of clean energy

A new study examines the use of biogas – gas produced from organic waste – as an energy source in Europe, and shows that it has not yet reached its full potential. As the EU works towards its ambitious energy and climate targets for 2020 and 2030, biogas can be a flexible and sustainable alternative source of energy, which supports energy security and greenhouse gas emission reduction in electricity, heating and transport. However, in some EU countries the absence of policies promoting biogas means that currently its full potential is not being used.

The study makes a number of recommendations for maximising the potential of biogas in Europe. It includes a call to create a long -term policy framework for the development of the biogas sector that also encompasses related areas, such as agriculture and waste management. In addition to creating a stable investment framework, several regulatory and technical barriers also still need to be addressed, including those hampering cross-border energy trade. The study also strongly recommends making more use of residual heat from biogas in-stallations, and informing citizens about local biogas projects, their benefits, and safety guidelines.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/news/new-study-focuses-potential-biogas-source-clean-energy

P A G E 7 I S S U E 1 2 0

HEInnovate announces that translated self-assessments for all EU-28 languages are now available on the HEInnovate self-assessment tool. To make the self-assessments more accurate and avoid communication gaps you can now rate your HEI against statements written in your native language wherever you are in the EU-28.

HEInnovate is a free self-assessment tool for all types of higher education institution. It allows you to assess your institution using a number of statements related to its entrepreneurial activities, including leadership, staff-

ing and links with business. Extensive train-ing and support materials, including practical case studies, are available to support work-shops and further development within your institution.

HEInnovate is intended for higher education institutions (Universities, University Colleg-es, Polytechnics etc) who are interested in

assessing themselves against a number of statements related to the entrepreneurial and innovative nature of their higher education environment.

HEI self-assessment translated for all EU-28 languages

The 7th edition of the University Busi-ness Forum was organised by the European Commission on April 6-7 in Brussels. It brought together around 400 representatives from higher edu-cation institutions, large companies, SMEs, relevant European organisa-tions and associations, as well as na-tional, regional and local authorities from Europe and beyond. This year's Forum with the theme “University-Business Cooperation – for Innovation and Modernisation” addressed topics related to modernisation; relevance and skills; evolution and innovation; smart specialisation & regional devel-opment; changing face of higher education institu-tions.

Despite advances, there remain many barriers to uni-versity-business collaboration, often caused by compet-ing priorities. The lack of mutual understanding be-tween the worlds of higher education and business can be addressed in a number of ways. The gap between research activities and teaching methods, as well as the gap in interdisciplinary activities and the gap in commercialisation were highlighted during this Forum.

Building a long term strategy and pro-moting the permanent dialogue between Universities and Business, introducing co-creative education – from knowledge transfer to co-creation and mutual com-petence building -, Identifying the skills of the future together, and cooperating with regional authorities and cities are

key factors for better collaboration.

The results of the study "The state of University Busi-ness Cooperation in Europe" were presented during the Forum. The main findings of the study were:

Universities are important for businesses in provid-ing innovation, education and recruitment appli-cants.

There is a set of barriers with sectoral as well as regional characteristics.

Stakeholders each have their own motivation to co-operate.

Trusted relationships is the key to building bridges of cooperation.

7th University Business Forum

e-Survey about the impact of Erasmus+

A new electronic survey is undertaken for the European Commission re-garding the impact of international mobility and cooperation schemes in the areas of education, training, youth and sports. The research will con-tribute to the better understanding of the impact of the Erasmus+ pro-gramme, through comparing variations in attitudes, skills and behaviour of learners and stuff, as a result of the mobility.

The survey is addressed to all learners and stuff across the areas of education and training, youth and sport also from those who have not participated in any international mobility or cooper-ation programme, including: School pupils, school staff, VET schools learners, VET schools staff, higher edu-cation learners, higher education staff, adult education staff, young people in youth organisation, staff in youth organisations, staff in sport organisations. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/education/news/20170411-erasmus-survey_en

More information: https://heinnovate.eu/en/news/hei-self-assessment-translated-all-eu-28-languages

More information: https://ubforum2017.teamwork.fr/en/programme

P A G E 8 I S S U E 1 2 0

News for Small and Medium

Enterprises (SMEs)

EU to invest €8.9 million in 184 innovative businesses

184 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 28 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument. The funding is provided un-der Phase 1 of the instrument, which means that each project will receive €50,000 to finance feasibility studies for new products that can disrupt the market.

Most of the projects funded were in the area of ICT (36). It was closely followed by low-carbon and efficient energy systems (31) and transport (28). The next cut-off for Phase 1 is 6 September 2017.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/news/sme-instrument-eu-invest-89-million-184-innovative-businesses

Improving access by innovative SMEs

to alternative forms of finance

Sources of finance for innovative SMEs should be as diverse as possible in order to cater for their varying needs at different stages of the firm life-cycle and the innova-tion process. However, more needs to be done to improve such SMEs' access to alter-native forms of finance such as peer-to-peer lending, venture debt and convertible loans, equity finance provided by crowdfunding or business angels, and factoring and trade finance.

The call for proposals “ALTFI-01-2017: Improving access by innovative SMEs to alternative forms of finance”, with deadline on 7 September 2017, will provide support to projects that will:

1. Develop a capacity-building strategy and consequent implementation plan that makes use of techniques (tailored for both women and men) such as awareness raising campaigns, coaching, mentoring, workshops, courses, training materials (in particular through social media) as well as knowledge transfer of best practices.

2. Validate the implementation plan by stakeholders including innovative SMEs, alternative finance providers and public authorities.

3. Execute the implementation plan.

4. Review the impact of the implementation plan and possibly adapt the scheme in the light of experience.

Proposers must have and must demonstrate deep knowledge of the issues around access to risk finance by innova-tive SMEs, have proven experience in this field, and significant experience of capacity-building.

The total budget under this call is 2,5 million euros and the Commission expects to fund between 1 and 3 pro-posals. The project duration should be a maximum period of 24 months.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/altfi-01-2017.html

P A G E 9 I S S U E 1 2 0

Skills in tourism

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the European Commission wishes to enter a service contract for the creation of a “Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills in tourism: enhancing the image of careers in the tourism sector.”

The contract aims to boost employment and employability in the tourism sector, overcome the mis-matches between the supply and demand for labour in the tourism labour market, and support quali-ty jobs in tourism. The estimated value of this contract is 800 000 euros for a total duration of 12

months. The deadline for submission of tenders is 12 June 2017.

More Information: https://etendering.ted.europa.eu/cft/cft-display.html?cftId=2387&locale=en

Services to enhance innovation management capabilities

The Research Promotion Foundation (RPF), in collaboration with the Cyprus Business Support Centre, announces Call for Expres-sions of Interest to provide services to en-hance innovation management capabilities in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The aim of providing services is to support SMEs in the process of developing innovative products and success-fully introducing them to the local and international mar-ket. The services are specifically targeted in promising Small and Medium Enterprises, which have the incentive and / or prospects for growth and internationalization through innovation in products, services and processes, as well as organizational and management models.

This Call for Expressions of Interest gives SMEs the opportunity to benefit from the following services:

Assessing the company's capabilities for innovation management, using reliable tools widely used at pan-European level (Using

the IMP3rove Assessment tool).

Analyse business needs and provide advice for boost-ing innovation.

Design and guidance for the implementation of an Ac-tion Plan tailored to the needs of the business.

The Call for Expressions of Interest will remain open until 31 October 2018. Please note that all of the above men-tioned services are provided to the Media free of charge.

More information: http://bsccyprus.org.cy/en/

Supporting Transnational Thematic Tourism Products

A new call for proposals has been published under the COSME Programme on “Supporting the Promotion and Development of Transnational Thematic Tourism Products Linked to Cul-tural and Creative Industries”. The call aims at supporting the development and, in particular, the promotion of transnational thematic tourism products through cultural and creative in-dustries (CCIs), sub-sector Cultural Heritage, with involvement of SMEs and in close cooper-ation with the Member States. A particular focus will be put on using CCIs-related technolo-gies in promoting these tourism products and enhancing visitor's experience.

Examples of the types of eligible activities include (the list is non exhaustive):

Mapping projects (mapping of attractions, sites, destinations and tourism related services), prod-uct development.

Development of tourism products and services, which have excellent marketing potential, are attractive and in-teresting for travellers and operators, and can continue after the end of the co-financing period.

Development and implementation of a medium-to-long-term joint communication/promotion and market uptake strategy.

Development of creative promotional activities offering practical information and useful tools for potential tourists.

Implementing awareness raising and dissemination actions.

The consortium must gather a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 members/partners - different legal enti-ties - covering at least 4 eligible countries. The consortium must be composed of at least:

One managing authority of a UNESCO cultural site included in the World Heritage list.

One SME acting in the tourism or the CCIs, subsector cultural heritage.

one national or regional or local public authority.

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects is estimated at 1,5 million euros, with maxi-mum grant per project at 300.000 euros. It is expected that 5 to 7 proposals will be funded. The grant is limited to a maximum reimbursement rate of 75% of eligible costs. The duration of projects must be between 15-18 months.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 29 June 2017. More information: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/cosme/topics/cos-2017-3-03.html

I S S U E 1 2 0 P A G E 1 0

CALENDAR JUNE 2017 The Digital Festival 2017 More information: https://www.digitalfestival.eu/

1 June Brussels, Belgium

Skills needs in an evolving maritime green economy More information: https://tinyurl.com/mezuyoz

1 June Brussels, Belgium

Energy Infrastructure forum More information: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/events/energy-infrastructure-forum

1-2 June Copenhagen,

Denmark

Smart Regions 2.0 Conference More information: https://tinyurl.com/lvot2r9

1-2 June Helsinki, Finland

Conference on strategic public procurement More information: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=9123&lang=en

2 June Paris, France

Implementing the European Structural and Investment Funds Regulations, 2014-2020 More information: http://seminars.eipa.eu/en/activities09/show/&tid=6063

6-7 June Maastricht,

The Netherlands

Introduction to EU Asylum and Migration Law More information: http://seminars.eipa.eu/en/activities09/show/&tid=6030

6-7 June Luxembourg

Offshore Wind Energy 2017 More information: http://offshorewind2017.com/

6-8 June London,

United Kingdom

The Internet of Things Week 2017 Geneva More information: http://iot-week.eu/

6-9 June Geneva,

Switzerland

European Development Days (EDD) 2017 More information: https://www.eudevdays.eu/

7-8 June Brussels, Belgium

University-Industry Interaction 2017 More information: https://www.university-industry.com/

7-9 June Dublin, Ireland

H2020 Waterborne Research Conference More information: https://tinyurl.com/m2q36tn

8 June Brussels, Belgium

Health Research in a connected and participative Society More information: https://tinyurl.com/nxh8zuf

9 June Brussels, Belgium

2nd Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) More information: https://tinyurl.com/n52jw3b

11-12 June Ioannina, Greece

Refugees' impact on Bologna reform – Recognition of Prior Learning and inclusion More information: https://www.uhr.se/om-uhr/Konferenser/refugees-impact-on-bologna-reform/

12-13 June Malmö, Sweden

Chemistry Means Business 2017 More information: http://www.rsc.org/campaigns/chemistry-means-business/

13-14 June Manchester,

United Kingdom

Open Innovation 2.0 Conference 2017 More information: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/open-innovation-20-conference-2017

13-14 June Cluj-Napoca,

Romania

The Internet of Things World Europe More information: https://tmt.knect365.com/iot-world-europe/

13-15 June London,

United Kingdom

2017 CEF Energy call virtual Info Day More information: https://ec.europa.eu/inea/en/news-events/events/2017-cef-energy-call-virtual-info-day

14 June 10:00 - 16:00 (CET)

Info Day on the Spreading excellence and Widening participation Calls in H2020 More information and registration: RTD-INFO-DAYS-B5@ec.europa.eu

15 June Brussels, Belgium

Digital Assembly 2017: "Digital Europe: Investing in the Future" - DA 2017 More information: https://tinyurl.com/lfqyn6j

15-16 June Valetta, Malta

EU Sustainable Energy Week 2017 More information: http://www.eusew.eu/

19-25 June Brussels, Belgium

I S S U E 1 2 0 P A G E 1 1

CALENDAR JUNE 2017 EuroNano Forum 2017 More information: http://euronanoforum2017.eu/

21-23 Ιουνίου Valetta, Malta

E² Tech4Cities Brokerage Event 2017 More information: https://www.b2match.eu/e2tech4cities2017/

23 June Brussels, Belgium

European University Foundation OpenSpace 2017 More information: http://os.uni-foundation.eu/venue

26-28 June Naples, Italy

Science, technology & trade-Shaping the next Framework Programme More information: http://sciencebusiness.net/events/2017/new-world-order-science-technology-trade/

27 June Brussels, Belgium

Week of Innovative Regions in Europe More information: http://wire2017.eu/

28-30 June Košice, Slovakia

CALENDAR JULY 2017 MaculArt Meeting 2017 More information: http://www.maculart-meeting.com/2017/#.WRLj19R96t-

2-4 July Paris, France

Research & innovation – shaping our future More information: http://tinyurl.com/l8oaz77

3 July Brussels, Belgium

EDULEARN17 More information: https://iated.org/edulearn/

3-5 July Valencia, Spain

Understanding the Brain: Neurobiology for non-specialists More information: http://tinyurl.com/llmuru8

3-5 July Innsbruck, Austria

Energy Union - Challenges and vision for a common EU energy policy More information: http://tinyurl.com/lmosclv

3-14 July Bruges, Belgium

European and African Conference on Wind Engineering More information: https://10times.com/eacwe

4-7 July Liege, Belgium

Mastermind Europe Final Conference More information: http://mastermindeurope.eu/mastermind-europe-final-conference/

5-6 July Amsterdam, The

Netherlands

The future of Transportation More information: http://www.thefutureoftransport.com/

5-6 July Cologne, Germany

7th International Conference on Experiments / Process / System Modelling / Simula-tion / Optimization More information: http://tinyurl.com/n7tyqmj

5-8 July Athens, Greece

Osnabrück Computational Cognition Alliance Meeting More information: http://www.occam-os.de/home.html

6-8 July Osnabrück, Germany

Doing Business in Innovative China More information: https://bcecc.be/hubermont-summits-2017-business-innovative-china-july-7-8-2017/

7-8 July Ortho,

Luxembourg

Intellectual Property Rights, Translation & Exploitation of Research More information: https://education.humanbrainproject.eu/web/1st-hbp-curriculum-ipr/general-information

17-19 July Leimen, Germany

Cancer Science and Therapy More information: http://cancerscience.conferenceseries.com/

17-19 July Lisbon, Portugal

Global Conference of Womens Health and Gynecology More information: http://womens-health-gynecology-conference.scientonline.org/index.html

17-19 July Valencia, Spain

Webinar: Maximising the impact of Horizon 2020 project results More information: https://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/node/2625

19 July 10:30-11:45 (CET)

14th Annual International Conference on SΜΕs, Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Management – Marketing – Economic – Social Aspects More information: https://www.atiner.gr/sme

24-27 July Athens, Greece

I S S U E 1 2 0 P A G E 1 2

Members of the European Office of Cyprus

UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS

http://www.ucy.ac.cy/goto/mainportal/en-US/HOME.aspx

OPEN UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS

http://www.ouc.ac.cy/web/guest/home

CYPRUS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

http://www.cut.ac.cy/?languageId=2

FREDERICK UNIVERSITY

http://www.frederick.ac.cy/

NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY PAFOS

http://www.nup.ac.cy/

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE - CYPRUS (UCLAN CYPRUS)

http://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE

http://www.moec.gov.cy/en/index.html

NICOSIA MUNICIPALITY

http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/greekhome.shtm

PARALIMNI MUNICIPALITY

http://www.paralimni.org.cy/index.php?lang=el

CYPRUS SPORT ORGANISATION

http://www.sportskoa.org.cy/

EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF ERASMUS COORDINATORS (EAEC)

http://www.eaec.eu.com/

CENTRE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF R&D IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (CARDET)

http://www.cardet.org/

PwC

http://www.pwc.com.cy/

Full Members

International Members

UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY http://www.uth.gr/en/index.php

HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITY

https://www.eap.gr/en/

TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF ATHENS

http://www.teiath.gr/?lang=en

MICHAEL CACOYANNIS FOUNDATION

http://www.mcf.gr/en/

ERGASIA EKPEDEFTIKI S.A

http://www.ergasiakek.gr/en/

ATHINA EDUCATIONAL NETWORK

http://www.athinaedunet.org/

HOUSE OF CYPRUS (SPITI TIS KYPROU)

http://spititiskyprou.gr/

I S S U E 1 2 0 P A G E 1 3

Μembers of the European Office of Cyprus

COOPERATIVE CENTRAL BANK LTD

http://www.coopbank.com.cy/

CHURCH OF CYPRUS

http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/index.php?lang=en

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION (CTO)

http://www.visitcyprus.biz/

CYPRUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (CCCI)

http://www.ccci.org.cy/

PAPHOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

http://www.pcci.org.cy/

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY CYPRUS

http://www.euc.ac.cy/

UNIVERSITY OF NICOSIA

http://www.unic.ac.cy/

CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

http://www.ciim.ac.cy/

ΙΜΗ

http://www.imhbusiness.com/

AGLANTZIA MUNICIPALITY

http://www.aglantzia.com/

STROVOLOS MUNICIPALITY

http://www.strovolos.org.cy/default.asp?id=24

CONTACT ADVERTISING AGENCY LTD

http://www.contact.com.cy/

THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE

http://www.cyi.ac.cy/

Associate Members

Editing: European Office of Cyprus - Brussels Office

For more information: eoc.brussels@ucy.ac.cy

Rosemary Strevinioti Head of Brussels Office E-mail: strevinioti.rozamaria@ucy.ac.cy

European Office of Cyprus

www.eoc.org.cy

Brussels: Rue du Luxembourg 3, B-1000, Brussels, Tel./Fax: +32 (0) 2 280 22 85 Nicosia: 1, University Avenue, 2109 Aglantzia, Nicosia, Τel.: +357 22 89 4278, Fax:+ 357 22 89 5005

Athens: Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, Xenophontos 2A, 105 57, Athens - Syntagma, Τel.: +30 210 373 4833