The ERA SHUTTLE project brings together top research universities from these countries, which have less developed R&I systems, and strong non-academic institutions and associations from other countries. This collaboration aims to remove existing barriers and work toward common goals. ERA SHUTTLE offers training and secondment opportunities to celebrate diversity, develop core skills, share expertise, and support industry-research needs through the exchange of ideas.
Overview
At ERA SHUTTLE, our goal is to strengthen research and innovation abilities, increase collaboration across different sectors, and support the sharing of knowledge and talent. Our consortium consists of research universities and non-academic institutions working together towards an ambitious plan.
Our project provides training, secondments, and celebrates diversity, aiming to remove barriers and unite efforts towards a common goal. Our main mission is to improve the R&I systems in Croatia, Poland, and Malta, making these countries more attractive for top talent and enhancing research and career opportunities. Guided by the European Industrial Strategy and the European Skills Agenda, we focus on empowering R&I talents from these countries, improving their skills and expanding their opportunities in research and cross-sectoral cooperation.
Key Objectives
Strengthening R&I support capacities in the ERA
Boosting cross-sector collaboration and knowledge sharing
Enhancing the attractiveness of regional R&I ecosystems
Using R&I excellence and knowledge for societal and economic impact
The project aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of research institutions, improve research conditions, and attract and keep top R&I talent in the participating countries. By creating a structured framework for cross-sector collaboration, ERA SHUTTLE will facilitate talent mobility between academic and non-academic sectors, fostering closer collaboration between academia and business.
ERA SHUTTLE is funded by the Horizon programme and aims to make significant contributions to advancing R&I capacity and addressing societal challenges within the ERA. The project’s activities align with the European Industrial Strategy and European Skills Agenda, helping R&I talents from these countries increase their abilities and braden their skills to enhance research excellence, knowledge use, and cross-sector collaboration.
Challenges and Objectives
The European Research Area (ERA) is a major force for research and innovation in Europe, but there are big differences in research abilities across EU countries. Countries like Poland, Croatia, and Malta face specific problems because their research and innovation systems are not as strong, they have less international and cross-sector collaboration, and they lak enough skilled people. These issues limit their ability to contribute to the ERA’s growth and compete globally.
The ERA SHUTTLE project aims to solve these problems by building up research and innovation capacities, especially in Poland, Croatia, and Malta. The project seeks to create stronger connections between research actors, address uneven regional development, and enhance existing research infrastructure and talent. By improving the research environment, ERA SHUTTLE aims to boost research quality, use of knowledge, and cross-sectoral collaboration, helping the ERA grow.
Key Goals
Identify obstacles and strengths of involved research institutions and improve access to, integration, and use of existing research equipment and knowledge.
Attract and keep talents in Poland, Croatia, and Malta by improving research conditions, job opportunities, and career prospects.
Define and overcome barriers for staff exchange between different sectors by developing a framework for sharing talent and knowledge in these countries
Implement research talent exchanges between academic and non-academic sectors and identify best practices for cross-sector talent movement.
Strengthen the research profile and knowledge base in universities of Poland, Croatia, and Malta, and reduce networking gaps with other EU countries
Contribute to the development of the European Framework for Research Careers and set up an ERA Talent Platform to promote talent circulation between sectors and across the EU
Support the European Industrial Strategy and the European Skills Agenda by enhancing the skills and capacities of research and innovation talents in these countries
By achieving these goals, ERA SHUTTLE aims to significantly contribute to the ERA’s growth, improve the research quality of participating universities, and enhance their research management abilities. The project plans to maximise its impact through effective communication and dissemination strategies, ensuring that its results reach stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public.
Work Packages
WP1: Management and Coordination
WP2: ERA Cross-Sectoral Framework for Advancing Collaboration
WP3: Cross-Sectoral R&I Talent Development
WP4: Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer
WP5: Monitoring and Evaluation
WP6: Dissemination, Communication, and Exploitation
Project Results
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Partners
University of Split (Croatia)
The University of Split stands as a prominent scientific and teaching institution in the Croatian Adriatic and the Mediterranean region. It is composed of eleven faculties, Academy of Arts and four University Departments with a diverse range of disciplines including natural sciences, biomedical research, cultural studies, social sciences and engineering. As the lead partner, the university plays a central role in overseeing the overall project management and coordination (WP1).
University of Gdansk (Poland)
The University of Gdańsk (UG) is the largest university in the Pomorskie Region in Poland. The International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (ICCVS) at UG has been established in 2017 to become a centre of excellence that conducts interdisciplinary research focused on therapy of cancer. ICCVS has been co-funded by a 12 m EUR investment from EU Structural Funds and has gained further research projects from EU and national funds. Research approaches at ICCVS include a range of diverse scientific technologies that are applied to discovery research at the immune-cancer synapse, including molecular biology, mass spectrometry, virology, computational science, synthetic biologics, cancer biology, and immune-biology. Currently, the work is concentrated on the development of personalized vaccine against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
In the Era Shuttle project, the University of Gdańsk leads WP4 (Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer for Attracting and Retaining Talents), focusing on capacity building and knowledge transfer to enhance the project’s impact in Widening countries.
University of Malta
Schiller & Mertens GBR
Schiller & Mertens are ScientistsNeedMore! They will provide to the project their expertise on career development and on artificial intelligence (AI). AI will support Cross-Sectoral R & I Talent Development in workpackage 3 (WP3, lead ScientistsNeedMore!).
In WP3, talents together with ScientstsNeedMore! will introspect their interests and plan their development with support from AI using custom AI ChatBots and local large language models (LLMs). Widening their horizons!
Steinbeis Wissens Und Technologietransfer GMBH
Steinbeis is a significant partner contributing with expertise in technology transfer and knowledge valorisation, supporting the project’s objectives related to cross-sectoral collaboration and talent circulation.
Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium
(CERIC-ERIC)
CERIC is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) integrating and providing open access to some of the most advanced analytical facilities in Europe to help science and industry advance in all fields of materials, biomaterials, and nanotechnology. It leads WP5 (Monitoring and Evaluation), providing its expertise to assess the project’s outcomes and impact.
Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals
ASTP brings expertise in science and technology transfer, supporting the project’s objectives related to cross-sectoral collaboration and knowledge valorisation.
AcrossLimits
AcrossLimits plays a crucial role in the dissemination, communication and exploitation of the project and its results, leading WP6, enhancing the project’s visibility and impact.
Funding Scheme
ERA Shuttle is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe’s Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area programme, with the 2022 call: Fostering balanced brain circulation (BBC) – ERA Talents (HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-03). The WIDERA call aims to support the development of R&I capacity in the Widening countries by providing opportunities for researchers to gain new skills and knowledge through cross-border and cross-sectoral mobility.
The funding programme provides support for the project’s activities, including management and coordination, cross-sectoral collaboration, capacity building and knowledge transfer, talent development, monitoring and evaluation, and dissemination and exploitation. With a total budget of 3 milions Euros, the project’s consortium partners bring unique expertise and resources to advance R&I capacity in the ERA and support the participating Widening countries.
The ERA SHUTTLE project aligns with the EU’s strategic objectives to enhance R&I capacity and cross-sectoral collaboration in the ERA and support the development of Widening countries. The project’s outcomes and impact will contribute to the overall goals of the Horizon 2020 programme and the European Research Area.