News, Events & Funding

PACE-Net Plus: a bridge over europe and the pacific region for science, technology and innovation

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 08:02:49 +0000

Friday, 23 December 2016

The opportunities for European and Pacific researchers to collaborate are many and diverse. The European Union (EU) policies and scientific strategies aim at reinforcing these collaboration opportunities, notably through Horizon 2020, the European framework programme dedicated to research and innovation. Strengthening the Europe-Pacific bi-regional dialogue in science, technology and innovation (ST&I) is a key step in achieving increased collaboration towards the societal challenges identi ed in Horizon 2020.

This compendium presents the outcomes of PACE-NET Plus, a project funded by the European Commission (EC) under the 7^th Framework Programme, which united 16 partners in the Pacific and the EU, coordinated by the French Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), to strengthen ST&I cooperation between the Pacific island countries and Europe. This partnership involved a comprehensive collection of Pacific and European ST&I actors, including institutions from the two largest Pacific players, Australia and New Zealand, the French overseas countries and territories (New Caledonia and French Polynesia), European countries, Pacific island countries (Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea), international multilateral institutions and Pacific regional bodies.

This project promoted the integration of the Pacific region and its interests into a number of EC roadmaps and actions. One of the core missions of PACE- NET Plus was to raise the visibility of the Pacific within the EU. In particular, this included the EC Directorates-General for Research and Innovation and for International Cooperation and Development, through illuminating the role of ST&I for development aid and better governance. Also included was the European Exterior Action Service, through “science diplomacy”. Conversely, PACE-NET Plus also aimed at assisting greater integration of EU activities into the research and development policies of the Pacific countries. The project was also a signi cant contributor to a bi-regional dialogue between the two regions.

PACE-NET Plus analysis of the research priorities of mutual interests for Europe and the Pacific highlighted three major societal challenges:

Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy
Climate action, environment, resource e ciency and raw materials.

ST&I approaches play an important role in assisting Pacific nations to address these challenges which, compounded by geographic and socio-economic issues unique to the region, are also key developmental priorities.

Actions taken by PACE-NET Plus in the perspective of these multiple expectations are presented in this document. Also presented are major policy recommendations of the project, in collaboration with in uential Pacific regional bodies, such as the need to institutionalize the dialogue for ST&I between the Europe and Pacific. We also suggest the launch of two concrete support actions: the rst one dedicated to a multidisciplinary call for research (based on the PACE-Net Plus seed funding scheme) in order to stimulate cooperation between the PICTs, and with the European and Pacific larger countries (this call is endorsed by the ACP Secretary); the second action is dedicated to climate science through an interdisciplinary “observatory system of climate change and its impacts in the Pacific” (a pilot project on this topic was presented to the European Parliament and we are hopeful that it will be initiated during 2017).

On behalf of IRD, the coordinator of this project, we would like to wholeheartedly thank our partners as well as the three members of our External Advisory Board (Dr Raghunath Ghodake, APAARI; Dr Geo roy Lamarche, NIWA; and Dr Christophe Yvetot, UNIDO) for their deep and fruitful involvement in PACE-Net Plus, which has allowed us all to carry out this project successfully, and to surpass our goals. We would also like to sincerely thank the European Commission, particularly Mr. Armand Beuf, our scientific offcer for his e cient and benevolent support for PACE-NET Plus.

On behalf of the 16 partners of the PACE-NET Plus Consortium, we would also like to thank all those who took part in this network and dialogue and supported us in one way or another. We very much hope that the growing research community that we have mobilized together during the 3 last years in the region and in Europe, will remain ready to continue this regional and bi-regional cooperation and dialogue, while contributing to the well-being of Pacific and EU citizens.

Further information:

http://plus.pacenet.eu/system/files/documents/PNP_Compendium.pdf

Groups audience:

WP1 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

WP2 Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research, and the Bioeconomy

WP3 Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

WP5 Strengthening Pacific-EU Research Cooperation Partnerships

WP6 Bi-regional Policy Dialogue in ST&I

The Pacific region is a perfect example of science diplomacy in action

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 11:06:10 +0000

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

The Pacific region can serve as an exemplar of how science diplomacy could work, according to Professor Jean-François Marini, coordinator of the EU-funded PACE-Net Plus project and former adviser to the French government on science diplomacy.

PACE-Net Plus united 16 partners in the Pacific and the EU to strengthen research cooperation between the two regions. How did you go about achieving this?

‘In order to reach this objective of a better, stronger cooperation in science, technology and innovation, the philosophy was to increase research capacity, management and dialogue, to allow the appropriation of science by the countries of the region. One of the ideas was to make information available to the Pacific states to help them to form opinions, founded on scientific evidence, and for Europe to better know the opportunities in Pacific research. At PACE-Net Plus, we have sent our recommendations to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) asking the leaders of the member countries of the region to recognise the importance of science for development, and to raise its visibility among the leaders of the Pacific region.

‘One of the outcomes that emerged is the idea that an observatory of climate change in the Pacific region would be a good tool to help ensure that scientific knowledge serves local governance. We also think, and this is important, that each country in the region should have a scientific coordinator, or a chief scientist, a function that is often still lacking.’

What can Europe learn by working with the Pacific states?: ‘With climate change, emerging diseases affect more people in the Pacific and could easily become a concern in Europe. Pacific countries are also starting to think about environmental migration as the water level rise forces some islands to evacuate. There are also a number of issues that concern this region which will become global in the future, such as deep sea mining and blue growth (sustainable exploitation of ocean resources), to name just a few.’
You were working alongside the European External Action Service, Europe’s diplomatic corps. What was the reason for this?: ‘In the framework of our bi-regional platforms, we worked closely with the European External Action Service because, over and above science, scientific projects such as PACE-Net Plus are also a tool of diplomatic relations between the two regions.’
How does capacity building in science help form diplomatic relations?: ‘In big international fora, for example, the Pacific islands are more our partners than opponents. They take part, for example, in open discussions to agree on 1, 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius as a tolerance threshold of temperature rise for all countries in the future. This relationship with the countries of the region based on science facilitates the discussion on these global issues.’
How did you go about building this relationship during the PACE-Net Plus project?: ‘In the field of climate change, for example, our thematic think tanks allowed country representatives to look at science as a development tool, to ensure that the decisions around climate are based on rigorous facts. As many of these countries deal with the reality of rising sea levels, science gives them concrete information that serves as a basis for their policymaking. This is also the case for resource management and other topics of importance such as the policies for innovation. Each year, PACE-Net also organised a large Pacific-Europe bi-regional platform dedicated to policy dialogue on science, technology and innovation cooperation.’
How will this connection between science and diplomacy evolve in the future?: ‘From a European point of view, I think the next steps will consist of consolidating a coordinated approach between scientific cooperation and development aid. In other words, between DG RTD (the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation) and DG DEVCO (the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development).’
Do you think that the seeds of this enhanced cooperation are already there?: ‘Yes, everything is there in the Pacific region. Everything is there for it to happen. We only need a few more actions and time to further implement it.’
So the Pacific is an environment where development science and aid can work effectively together?: ‘Exactly. In the Pacific countries, we played that role by chance, by having with PACE-Net direct relationships with (government) organisations that didn’t know each other well. There was science on the one hand and development aid on the other hand. I will conclude by saying that the Pacific region in relation to Europe is prototypic. We can develop or find cooperation tools, and we can coordinate between different DGs and services from the European Commission over actions dedicated to the Pacific region, where things can be done on a human scale.’

Further information:

http://plus.pacenet.eu/

Groups audience:

WP1 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

WP2 Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research, and the Bioeconomy

WP3 Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

WP5 Strengthening Pacific-EU Research Cooperation Partnerships

WP6 Bi-regional Policy Dialogue in ST&I

PACE-Net Plus bi-regional dialogue platform: media release

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 01:16:52 +0000

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Within the context of small fragile economies, vast oceans and extreme vulnerability, the Pacific-Europe Network for Science, Technology and Innovation (PACE-Net Plus) bi-regional dialogue platform recognises that regional cooperation amongst Small Island States of the Pacific is the only way forward to a sustainable future.

These were the comments by the Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, Honourable Siaosi Sovaleni, who officiated as the Chief Guest at the opening of the PACE-Net Plus bi-regional dialogue platform on 30 June 2016 at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi, with a focus on innovation in the Pacific.

The PACE-Net Plus bi-regional dialogue platform was hosted by The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) with the theme “Moving towards a high-level policy dialogue in Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I): Pathways to innovation in the Pacific region.”

Coordinated by the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), PACE-Net Plus is the second project funded by the European Commission to further support the institutional bi-regional policy dialogue in ST&I between the Pacific region and the European Union. One of the aims of the project is to strengthen the bi-regional cooperation in ST&I, notably through Horizon 2020, which is the European Union’s framework programme dedicated to research and innovation.

Honourable Sovaleni said within this dialogue platform, ST&I become increasingly important especially in regards to the global challenges faced by the South Pacific region. “Challenges such as energy and food security, transportation, and climate change are reasons for the Pacific to take advantage of ST&I,” he said. He also highlighted that the principal of regional and bi-regional cooperation, while respecting sovereignty and national priorities, is also reinforced and reflected by PACE-Net Plus.

Honourable Sovaleni added that in the context of the Kingdom of Tonga, the process of initiating the development of a ST&I policy framework financed by the European Commission through the PACE-Net Plus project has allowed Tonga to reassess challenges and opportunities. “It has allowed us to identify, the means of developing a more coordinated system of ST&I for Tonga, and to articulate a draft ST&I framework with strategies to improve our ST&I and legal framework; good governance; knowledge sharing; research infrastructure; advanced education and training; and entrepreneurship, innovation potential of our country,” he said. Honourable Sovaleni encouraged other Small Pacific Islands Developing States to be inspired and follow processes such as the one taken by Tonga under this project.

USP Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and International, Professor Derrick Armstrong said there is a dire need for innovations to yield specific solutions to the unique problems faced by the Pacific region. “It is also important to pilot and test innovations. In this regard, PACE-Net Plus has taken leadership and is moving in the right direction,” Professor Armstrong said.

Amongst many others, the major outcomes of PACE-Net Plus include:

A strategic Roadmap for STI regional frameworks for a better collaboration between the European Union and the Pacific;
The establishment of Pacific Islands University Research Network (PIURN);
An overview of innovation niches and strategies in the region;
Recent successful seed-funding scheme, enhancing regional and bi-regional partnerships;
PACE-Net Plus also supports the strengthening and the coordination of observatory systems of climate change in the region.

Professor Armstrong added that USP stands poised to make significant breakthroughs in areas of immediate importance to the region, specifically in Marine Science, Agriculture, and Climate Change among other sciences. He said that with the ongoing success of PACE-Net Plus project, all contributions made by consortium members during this dialogue platform will be a significant step forward in the years to come.

While thanking the EU Delegation for the PACE-Net Plus platform’s initiative and IRD as the co-organisers of the bi-regional dialogue platform, French Ambassador, His Excellency Michael Djokovic said that French research, through research institutes and universities, has been serving Europe and the Pacific for a long time.

Further information:

https://youtu.be/CCVx6S_-NoI

Groups audience:

WP1 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

WP2 Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research, and the Bioeconomy

WP3 Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

WP5 Strengthening Pacific-EU Research Cooperation Partnerships

WP6 Bi-regional Policy Dialogue in ST&I

The Right to Development, Small Island Developing States and the SAMOA Pathway

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Wed, 11 May 2016 00:46:21 +0000

Tuesday, 10 May 2016

The South Centre has announced the publication of Policy Brief No. 25 entitled “The Right to Development, Small Island Developing States and the SAMOA Pathway” by Manuel F. Montes, the Senior Advisor on Finance and Development of the South Centre.

In 2015, the United Nations community reached agreements on updating the financing for development mechanisms, Agenda 2030 and an updated climate change regime. The SAMOA pathway is an important resource and an input to these efforts. For Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and their peoples, the right to development will require a genuine global partnership for development that surmounts the exposure and vulnerability of these countries to the vagaries and vicissitudes of international trade and financial markets and the inequities in global macroeconomic policy governance which unduly restrict their policy space. For the SIDS, the right to development will also entail a sea change in present performance trends in mitigation, adaptation, and the transfer of finance and technology. SIDS can take an active role in defining what the right to development means in terms of international economic governance.

Further information:

http://www.southcentre.int/policy-brief-25-may-2016/

Groups audience:

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

WP5 Strengthening Pacific-EU Research Cooperation Partnerships

WP6 Bi-regional Policy Dialogue in ST&I

Innovative Ways for Sustainable Nutrition, Food Security and Inclusive Agricultural Growth

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 02:03:35 +0000

Food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture are among the EU’s top development priorities for the period of 2015–2020. In this regard, research and innovation are fundamental pieces to achieve food and nutrition security goals.

The EU is launching four major initiatives to support partner countries in food security and agriculture specifically addressing the key areas of innovation, nutrition, resilience and financing.

Groups audience:

WP2 Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research, and the Bioeconomy

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

Fiji Information Day on European funding

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 09:53:43 +0000

This half-day afternoon workshop about research and innovation funding aims to introduce researchers, administrators, government officials and innovators to funding opportunities available via the European Union (EU).

The first part of the InfoDay will provide information about the two major European funding opportunities for the Pacific: Horizon 2020 and the EDF.

Horizon 2020 is the EU’s large research and innovation funding initiative that supports the entire ecosystem of research, technological development and innovation, from early-career research fellowships, to research exchange programs, to large multinational collaborative projects, to financing for innovative SMEs, to policy actions that are informed by scientific evidence, and much more.

This enormous program is open for global participation, and most actors from the Pacific are eligible to receive full funding for their activities.

Within the aid domain, the 11^th European Development Fund (EDF) will also be presented, paying particular attention to opportunities for Pacific initiatives.

After a brief afternoon tea break, international collaboration experts from Montroix Pty Ltd will address issues critical to successfully approaching international funding mechanisms. This includes strategic matters such as what can be done within institutions to better position themselves as desirable international partners, as well as many practical matters such as how to minimise risk, overcoming cultural challenges, and pre- and post-award matters.

	Information day on European funding Wednesday 29^th June	Facilitator
1:30pm	Part 1 – International funding for research & innovation Horizon 2020 – the largest research & innovation funding program in the world 11^th European Development Fund (EDF)	USP
3:00pm	Tea break
3:30pm	Part 2 – Understanding international funding Strategic issues & general principles Risk Cultural understanding	Montroix
5:00pm	End of InfoDay

Attendance is free.

Following this InfoDay, the PACE-Net Plus project will be holding its final bi-regional (Pacific-EU) dialogue platform, “Pathways to Innovation in the Pacific Region”. InfoDay participants are welcome to also attend this conference. Further information at http://plus.pacenet.eu/events/pacenetplus-fiji-2016.

Groups audience:

WP1 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

WP2 Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research, and the Bioeconomy

WP3 Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

WP5 Strengthening Pacific-EU Research Cooperation Partnerships

WP6 Bi-regional Policy Dialogue in ST&I

- Private group -

Flat-pack, cyclone-proof housing for vulnerable Pacific nations

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 22:43:33 +0000

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

For decades, Australian surfboard shaper Nev Hyman shaped boards for world champions, but now he is shaping something quite different: affordable, cyclone-proof housing.

After launching three surfboard brands — the first in 1973 — Mr Hyman initially invested in plastics recycling.

“Being in Bali in the late 70s and early 80s and seeing how fantastic [Bali] was, and then going back there and seeing more and more rubbish in the oceans … I ended up thinking I might as well invest in a plastics recycling company,” he said.

Then, four years ago, Mr Hyman teamed up with leading Sydney architect Ken McBryde to experiment using recycled plastic waste and wood-plastic composite to make cheap homes for Pacific nations that could be quickly set up by non-expert local labour.

The pair initially aimed their project, called The Nev House, at Papua New Guinea.

But following Cyclone Pam in March 2015, they redesigned the house to withstand 300 kilometre an hour winds and shifted their attention to Vanuatu.

“The biggest mistake people actually do make when they’re trying to do good, is they don’t listen to the people,” Mr Hyman said.

“And our aim was to go and meet with the people, understand what they want, design a house that they’ll want to live in.”

Mr McBryde, an expert in indigenous architecture, has designed the house to be culturally appropriate as well as strong and affordable.

“I compare what I’ve learned in Indigenous Australia with the people I’m talking to in Vanuatu, and I’ve learned that the mother-in-law issue also exists in Vanuatu,” Mr McBryde said.

“In indigenous cultures, or in Indigenous Australia, you absolutely avoid looking your mother-in-law in the eye.

“You can prepare to open the door and you can drop your eyes depending on who it is.”

He explained that low-level louvres helped control airflow and climate and meant there was no glass in the building, but also allowed people lying down to see who was coming.

The house impressed the Vanuatu Government and The Nev House received preferred provider status from the administration.

It now wants to source tens of thousands of Nev Houses in flat-pack form for both immediate use and for future natural disaster recovery efforts.

In recent weeks, Mr Hyman’s company has begun supplying about 100 buildings to Vanuatu for use as classrooms and community centres, paid for by a private charitable foundation.

“Up to 100 people can fit in one of those buildings during the cyclone and be safe,” Mr Hyman said.

He said he was hoping the Australian Government would sanction the release of tens of millions of dollars of disaster recovery aid to pay for further Nev Houses, following a tender process and evaluation against conventional housing alternatives.

Many of the deaths during Cyclone Pam occurred on the remote island of Tanna.

“Most of the people that died on Tanna died from semi-permanent houses,” said Paul Nalau, an adviser to the Vanuatu Government and a native of Tanna.

“[Residents] thought they were safe and … bricks fell on them or they were running from one house to another and the corrugated iron sheet … tore through them.

“When I heard about Nev House from my contact in Australia, it just made sense in that we’re going to solve the issue of rubbish plus also provide housing.”

Mr Hyman said he had long-term plans to set up a plastics recycling plant in Vanuatu to process local waste and create building products.

Further information:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-19/the-nev-house/7340088

Groups audience:

WP3 Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

7th International Science and Technology Conference

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 00:40:33 +0000

The International Science and Technology Conference (ISTEC) series, started in 2010, is an international, non-profitable activity with the mission of Science and Technology in practical applications. ISTEC serves the profession with international conferences, quality proceedings books and leading edge digital library for professional growth.

It is an international Scientific activity for academics, and educators. This conference is known as a well known technology event and the number of paper submissions and attendees increase every year. It promotes the development and dissemination of theoretical knowledge, conceptual research, and professional knowledge through conference activities, the conference book, and The Online Journal of Science and Technology (TOJSAT). Its focus is to create and disseminate knowledge about the use of scientific and technological applications.

The ISTEC aims to diffuse the knowledge and researches among academicians and lead to development in science and technology.

Groups audience:

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

WP5 Strengthening Pacific-EU Research Cooperation Partnerships

European Forum Alpbach 2016: New Enlightenment

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 03:24:02 +0000

History does not progress to better things on its own. It needs curious and enthusiastic people to counter the doubt, the scepticism and the loss of the familiar with intrepid ideas and illuminating thoughts.

The European Forum Alpbach 2016 allows these explorers from the fields of science, business, politics, arts and civil society to find inspiration through dialogue. Armed with sound knowledge, convincing arguments and a great deal of passion, they are on the trail of a “New Enlightenment” and seizing on the unfamiliar in word and thought.

Groups audience:

WP1 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

WP2 Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research, and the Bioeconomy

WP3 Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

PACE-Net Plus bi-regional platform: Pathways to Innovation in the Pacific Region

PACE-Net Plus webmaster — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 06:29:07 +0000

Thursday, 31 March 2016

General objective

With this bi-regional dialogue platform, PACE-Net Plus will present a strategy to support the official recognition of the fundamental importance of STI in the sustainable development of Pacific Island Countries; PACE-Net Plus will also propose concrete joint activities to strengthen the STI cooperation between EU and the Pacific Region, thus contributing to policy dialogue between the two regions.

The main outcomes of the project activities will be delivered to the policy makers in the Pacific (State of the art of STI in the Pacific; thematic Think Tanks relating to Horizon 2020 societal challenges; surveys on Innovation and pathways to innovation in the Pacific; and results of the seed funding initiatives on STI). The participants will also discuss the policy recommendations that have been elaborated in the framework of the project, to promote the bi-regional cooperation in STI between Europe and the Pacific.

Background

PACE-Net Plus is the second project funded by the European Commission to further support the institutional bi-regional policy dialogue in Science and Technology between the Pacific Region and the European Union; strengthen the bi-regional cooperation in STI, notably through Horizon 2020 (the European Union’s framework programme dedicated to research and innovation). Launched in September 2013, the project brings together 16 members, from the Pacific region and the EU.

The opportunities for European and Pacific researchers to collaborate are many and diverse. During the last two years, PACE-Net Plus has organised 8 think-tanks, which sought to update and identify research priorities, innovation areas, and to develop preliminary ideas for joint initiatives and activities for EU-Pacific STI cooperation. To date for example, PACE-Net Plus, strongly advocates for a future project dedicated to strengthening the Observation systems of Climate change and its Impacts in the Pacific, serving also the global approach of a changing climate.

PACE-Net Plus supports the EU-Pacific policy dialogue in STI, including dialogue on innovation issues. Indeed, the world economy continuously poses new challenges to innovation in developing and emerging countries: the rise of information and communication technologies, the development of global value chains, and the increased importance of some countries in the global innovation system. Today a key challenge for innovation policy in developing and emerging countries is to exploit these new opportunities and at the same time to support innovation, addressing major social challenges and generate inclusive growth. This is why the project promotes the idea of innovation as an essential platform for tackling global challenges responds to the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and its Innovation Union Flagship initiative.

In addition, the project encourages the coordination between STI programmes and policies from the EU and its Member States targeting the Pacific, by promoting the implementation of joint actions, such as a future large research call, based on a significant seed-funding scheme designed to ease the access of the PICTs to H2020.

Finally, as strengthening the bi-regional dialogue in STI, is a a core component of PACE-Net Plus and a key step towards achieving increased EU-Pacific collaboration to address the societal challenges, the project will during this platform strongly advocate pathways for a Pacific regional strategy on STI, as well for the building of the relevant organisation to make this dialogue between the EU and Pacific Region sustainable.

Platform preliminary agenda

Day 1: Project outcomes

Official opening
Summary of project outcomes: Research directory, Bibliometric analysis, Think Tanks, Indicators on PACE-Net Plus)
Seed-Funding (scheme and presentation of selected initiatives)
Cocktail dinner

Day 2: Regional and bi-regional dialogue

Outcomes of innovation activities (regional surveys, group consultations, case-studies etc.) and discussion on pathways to innovation
Policy dialogue: beyond PACE-Net Plus (STI task force / regional & bi regional dialogue + funding scheme + Observatory systems of Climate Change)
Film on PACE-Net Plus
Closing dinner

Target audience (approx. 100 delegates from Pacific/European countries)

EU and EC representatives
Policy makers and senior officials from governments from the Pacific
Senior officials from regional organisations including the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific
Senior scientists and academics (Pacific Island Universities Research Network-PIURN, Regional University Network-RUN etc. representatives)
Non-governmental organisations
Representatives of the public and private sectors
Representatives of funding organisations

Contacts
Sheikh Izzal Azid The University of the South Pacific Faculty of Science and Technology and Environment Phone: (+679) 32 32859 Fax: (+679) 32 31416 e-mail: azid_s@usp.ac.fj	Prof. Jean-François Marini PACE-Net Plus coordinator Institut de Recherche pour le Développement BP A5 - 98848 Noumea (New Caledonia) Phone: +687 26 07 47 e-mail: jean-francois.marini@ird.fr

Further information:

http://plus.pacenet.eu/events/pacenetplus-fiji-2016

Groups audience:

WP1 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

WP2 Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research, and the Bioeconomy

WP3 Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

WP4 Cooperation on Innovation Issues to Tackle the Societal Challenges

WP5 Strengthening Pacific-EU Research Cooperation Partnerships

WP6 Bi-regional Policy Dialogue in ST&I