The main objective of RI2integrate is to exploit the economic development potential and to better the integration of the operation of EU's excellent R&D Infrastructure (RI) investment projects through devising and implementing innovative tools for policy learning on macro-regional embeddedness in the Danube Region.

The main result is the improved transfer of scientific results into the economy in the Danube Region, in line with the different needs of the participating countries, by facilitating cross-linkages among R&D, SMEs, community and government. As the main outputs, 3 tools will be developed and tested for boosting macro-regional embeddedness of RIs (one public procurement on innovation utilization guide; one guideline for aiding the RI-related business ecosystem; one roadmap for community dissemination). To ensure policy durability, 7 National and 1 Joint Action Plans will be developed and a transnational RI2integrate Committee will be founded covering all Danube countries.

The main novelty of RI2integrate is two-fold. Its methodology is a combination of the Smart Specialization approach (from the expert side) and the Quadruple Helix model (from the stakeholder perspective). Additionally, as a policy-driven novelty, the project creates synergies between different EU and territorial funding instruments.

Participants: regional and national research institutions, universities, governmental bodies, decision makers and intermediaries from Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia and Slovakia. Each partner stands for a particular type of organisation involved in the utilization of excellent research infrastructures. All partners have experience in transnational projects.

The partner selection criteria were:

  • All partners have demonstrated activities and experience vital for the embeddedness of research infrastructures;
  • The frame of the partnership is given by the Danube-Region flagship excellent research infrastructure investment (Extreme Light Infrastructure - ELI);
  • All ELI countries (HU, CZ, RO) have dual partnerships to ensure the resources to manage the development of 3 tools;
  • The partnership covers all parts of the Quadruple Helix to assure cross-linkages of all relevant stakeholders;
  • The partnership covers 7 Danube countries with cooperation activities relevant to all 14 Danube countries;
  • 7 ASPs are involved for policy integration.