About

The first SEA-EU-NET project had been engaged in a number of activities to enhance S&T collaboration between Europe and Southeast Asia. Some key outcomes resulting from past activities have been:

ASEAN EU-Year of Science Technology and Innovation 2012

(YoSTI2012 – www.yearofscience2012.com); The YoSTI2012 – which has been initiated by the SEA-EU-NET – has been a year long campaign to deepen S&T collaboration between Europe and Southeast Asia. The aim of the YoSTI 2012 was to highlight, promote and extend the reach of scientific cooperation between the EU and ASEAN. It was a year long effort to stimulate interest in, and appreciation of, the processes of science and its benefits to society. By focusing on topics of strategic importance to both regions as well as being of global relevance, the Year gave greater impact and higher visibility of S&T cooperation between ASEAN and Europe. This bi-regional Year of Science, Technology and Innovation was officially launched in November 2011 in Hanoi and the official closing event took place on 11 December 2012 in Brussels/Belgium. It was the first of its kind and will be an important step to building a long-term strategic partnership between ASEAN and Europe.

Stakeholder dialogue

The SEA-EU-NET has established bi-regional dialogue between EU and ASEAN S&T stakeholders. Four stakeholders conferences were organised, in November 2008 in Paris/France, in 2009 in Bogor/Indonesia, in November 2010 in Budapest/Hungary and in November 2011 in Hanoi/Vietnam. This has been the main event of the project to engage with a larger audience of policy makers, scientists and representatives from NGOs in a discussion on S&T collaboration between the two regions. The conferences received considerable attention by the relevant stakeholders and about 150 policy makers, scientists and representatives from international organizations from both Southeast Asia and Europe take part. During the Stakeholder conference in Hanoi in 2011 the ASEAN-EU Year of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2012 was officially launched”.

Creating scientific contacts

Within the framework of the YoSTI2012, the project has supported and organised over 25 scientific workshops to foster and create scientific contacts between researchers from the two regions. These have been in the area of Biomass research, environmental science, infectious diseases, E-Health, sustainable urban development, food safety, second generation biofuels, biodiversity, photcatalytic materials, social sciences. These scientific workshops served as expert meetings to identify topics of mutual for bi-regional S&T cooperation and are used as matchmaking opportunities to form consortia to bid into FP7 calls.

Establishment of FP7 contact points

As a centrepiece to raise the awareness for FP7 in Southeast Asia the project has been actively assisting countries in setting up FP7 contact points. Most of the ASEAN member countries are currently establishing those information points and have started FP7 dissemination and counselling activities. There is a very strong demand among researchers in SEA countries for targeted information on FP7. At the beginning of the project there was no official FP7 National Contact Point in Southeast Asia – at the end of the project a total of 57 NCPs from SEA were officially nominated.

Analysis and information gathering

These activity focussed on the identification of opportunities and pitfalls for S&T cooperation between Southeast Asia.. This analysis is necessary to develop evidence-based recommendations for future intensified cooperation between the two regions. The project has consolidated all it’s analytical work in a book “Spotlight on: Science and Technology Cooperation Between Southeast Asia and Europe”