RI2integrate: Embeddedness of high quality research infrastructures in the Danube Region 

Dear reader,

Welcome to the first edition of the RI2integrate project newsletter. RI2integrate is project implemented by the INTERREG Danube Transnational programme co-financed by European Union funds. The main objective of the project is to exploit the economic development potential and to better the integration of the operation of the EU’s excellent R&D Infrastructure in Danube Region.

Ri2integrate project has started on first of January 2017. Our newsletters will inform you at least twice a year about the progress of the project. We welcome your contributions and inputs. Stay with us and enjoy reading!

Yours sincerely,
Ri2integrate team

RI2INTEGRATE PROJECT

The main objective of RI2integrate project is to exploit the economic development potential and to better the integration of the operation of the 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 novelty of RI2integrate is two-fold. It's methodology foresees the 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.

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 the improvement of cross-linkages among the R&D, SMEs, community and government. 

Project duration: 1.1.2017 - 30.6.2019

Budget: 1.899.430 EUR 
ERDF contribution: 1.474.669,35 EUR
IPA contribution: 139.846,12 EUR

Priority: Innovative and socially responsible Danube region

Specific objective: Improve framework conditions for innovation

PROJECT PARTNERSHIP

The RI2integrate partnership consist of 17 project partners (9 ERDF partners, 1 IPA partner and 7 Associated partners) and covers 7 Danube countries. 

RI2integrate project partners from HU, CZ, AT, RO, SRB, SLO, HR represent regional and national research institutions, universities, governmental bodies, decision makers, and intermediaries. Each partner stands for a particular type of organisation involved in the utilization of excellent research infrastructures.

Consortium consist of following organizaction:

Lead partner:
ELI-HU Nonprofit Ltd. 

ERDF partners:
Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency Nonprofit Ltd. 
Horia Hulubei National Institute of R&D for Physics and Nuclear Engineering
Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
FH JOANNEUM Gesellschaft mbH
Institution for development of competence, innovation and specialization of Zadar County
University of Maribor
Magurele High Tech Cluster 
Central Bohemia Innovation Centre 

IPA partner:
Development Agency of Serbia 

Associated partners:
Ministry for National Economy 
Ilfov County Council 
Central Bohemia Region 
Steirische Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH 
Zadar County 
Technical University of Kosice
Municipality of Ruše

KICK-OFF MEETING IN SZEGED

The first important public event was the Kick-off meeting, which took place between 9 and 10 March 2017 in Szeged, Hungary, hosted by lead partner ELI Alps. The two-part event was divided into the public part, which took place on 9 March, and the project-oriented part, which took place on 10 March 2017.

The project, its issues, and goals were presented to the broader public. All project partners gathered to discuss the state of the art review of project-related issues and agreed on future steps of project implementation. The entire group also paid a visit to new state of the art Eli facilities in Szeged.

The event was covered by local media like regional online newspaper of Southern Great Plain, which has published an article on the kick-off meeting of RI2integrate project

The article highlights the main goals of the project, that deals with the excellent research and development infrastructures that supports local embeddedness of the Danube Region Program. It is also mention that the project just started with the leadership of ELI-HU Nonprofit Ltd. and its 17 partners from 8 Danube countries.

By mentioning the aim of the partner countries, the author stresses the utilization of the economic development of the region. Further goals were established during the project, like; to attract students, enterprises and the general public to the laser centre.

The article recalls Mr. Dávid Bereczkei -project manager of ELI and RI2integrate – who stated that the purpose of them is to attract local students and enterprises to the centre of ELI. They would like to establish a visitor centre to get in touch with the locals, as well as to support the local labour.

The full article in original language can be reached here: http://www.delmagyar.hu/szeged_hirek/latogatokozpontot_is_kialakitanak_az_eli-ben/2510463/

HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER AT ELI-ALPS

The Prime Minister of Hungary – Viktor Orbán - handed over the ELI-ALPS large-scale investment called Szeged laser center. He stated that "this is not an investment that we are catching up with Europe, but this is the closure of Europe to the world. 

For one and for most, the question may arise that what does the acronym „ELI” stands for? Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) is a state-of-the-art research facility based on high-performance lasers, which in fact consists of three laser research institutes: an institute is established in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania with European cooperation and the international scientific community. An attosecond in Szeged, a laser particle accelerator in Prague and a photonuclear research center in Magurele (near Bucharest) will be established, which will jointly examine the interaction of light and matter with greater intensities than ever before, even in the so-called ultra-relativistic range. (A fourth research institute capable of producing and using a fourth 200 petawatt high-performance laser pulses is also planned in the future.

At the moment the number of workers at ELI-ALPS is about 250, with a final staff of about three hundred people. About 200 people is researcher but of course there will be engineers, technologists, backoffice workers, salesmen and HRs. In addition, there will be visiting scientists about 40-50 person which will be constantly changing. 

This way, we congratulate to the laser center of ELI and we wish them a successful job in the future.

A video of the established center: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGrZOhSu0lo&feature=youtu.be 

The Hungarian site that published the new: http://index.hu/tudomany/2017/06/11/eli_alps_lezerkozpont_szeged/