While Western Balkan countries (WBCs) have demonstrated improved research and innovation (R&I) capacities, there is still progress to be made to meet the rest of the EU on equal terms. The EU-funded WBC-RRI.NET project aims to boost R&I in the WBCs by adopting a sustainable development framework based on responsible research and innovation principles at local level.

At the end of the project, it will have sparked open dialogue, created a regional network and helped the WBCs to contribute to the goal of a single, borderless European Research Area.

The starting date of the project is March 1st, 2021 and it will last in the next three years. The project consortium is composed of 13 partners from 8 countries. This initiative will help enhance R&I planning, including smart specialisation strategies in the WBCs, and foster strong socioeconomic development while informing R&I policy and enabling the region to address its needs.

WBC-RRI.NET aims to foster the application of RRI principles at the territorial level in five Western Balkan -4 region-level and 1 country-level- R&I ecosystems and promote a multi-level steering R&I governance framework in the WBCs. RRI principles will act as enablers to the shared learning and diffusion of R&I governance innovations at territorial level, enhancing R&I planning, including S3 Strategies in the WBCs.
More information about the Project: https://wbc-rri.net/