First Semmering Science and Technology Forum
September 26-27, 1996, Semmering, Austria

The Hotel Panhans in Semmering, Austria, on the 26th and 27th of 1996 was the meeting place for a number of experts holding the First Semmering Science and Technology Forum. Participants came from supranational organisations, namely the European Commission, general directorates IA and 12, as well as the UNIDO, Central and Eastern European countries, more specifically the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia and EU member states, Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK.

The First Science and Technology Forum was organised by the ICCR on behalf of the division of international innovation and technology of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs. The topics of the meeting were concentrating on the perspectives of science and technology within the PHARE programme and other related forms of East-West science and technology co-operation. Accordingly, the discussions were focussing on the scientific-technological sector in the framework of PHARE and the perspectives of the Central and Eastern European as well as Western European experts regarding this issue.

1. Assessment

Purpose of meeting:

Science & technology is increasingly recognized as a decisive medium- and long-term factor of economic development, a fact that is also increasingly reflected in policy development. In the context of CEEC accession strategies, this trend is of even greater significance for EU member states as well as for the CEEC themselves. The Phare programme has become one of the major cornerstones in the implementation strategy for accession as formulated by the Council in Essen. The development of policies at the intersection between Phare and S&T is therefore an important element in S&T policy development. It is the purpose of this expert meeting to encourage dialogue and to promote cooperation in this area and to analyze and evaluate the status quo as well as to develop a strategy to develop the role of S&T within Phare as well as within other forms of East-West S&T cooperation.

The Austrian position:

Austria has traditionally close relationships with the CEEC and is as a EU member state in the special position to utilize its expertise as a mediating force between the EU and the CEEC as well as on the bilateral level between CEEC and member states. Support for S&T within Phare is one of the options, the specific form of which needs to be discussed with representatives from the CEEC, other member states and the EU.

S&T sector in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia

In order to support the development of S&T policies in the framework of the Phare programme, the sector needs to be viewed in the context of internal and external political forces as well as with regard to its present status. In order to do so, the meeting sets out to achieve a dialogue between actors to come to a realistic evaluation of the present situation and its likely potential, as it relates to Community programmes, particularly Phare.

S&T within Phare:

Just as the CEEC are faced with a number of variables that lead to specific S&T policies, actors from DG1A and DGXII have to coordinate various factors and forces that influence the prominence of S&T within Phare and other programmes. Pragmatic strategies need to be developed in collaboration with the CEEC. The meeting sets out to specifically discuss S&T within Phare as it relates to long-term objectives of the EC as well as the CEEC and to assess and analyze the present direction by building up a collaborative dialogue. The implicit and explicit role of S&T within Phare needs to be viewed in the light of the development of the programme so far and analyzed in terms of its potential in the future.

S&T collaboration with CEEC:

Member states cooperate with the CEEC on the bilateral as well as on a multi-lateral level. The interests and diverse strategies and policies need to be understood as well as coordinated in order to develop them in the interest of all involved parties. The further development of S&T within Phare needs therefore also be viewed from the perspective of S&T cooperation apart from Phare in order to establish a contextual framework for S&T within the programme.

2. Strategy Development

To develop a clear basis of discussion and strategies for actors on all levels regarding S&T within Phare, the questions that need to be addressed include the following:

How can S&T within Phare as an instrument of accession stragies be best utilized?
Which considerations have the different actors (EC, individual member states, CEEC) to accommodate?
How can these parameters be best coordinated?
Which key actors need to be increasingly involved and in which form?

Conclusions:

It is the final objective of the meeting to summarize the cross-section between S&T and Phare in the light of its desired and likely future development. Furthermore is it in the interest of the host of this meeting, the Department of Innovation and Technology of the Austrian Ministry of Economics, to develop the role Austrian efforts for S&T within Phare can play.

Long-term perspective:

The meeting is designed as an exploratory first step to achieve the goal of mutually beneficiary S&T development and cooperation within particular attention to Phare and ideally will build a network of focused ongoing collaboration for this sector.

Venue

Hotel Panhans
Hochstraße 32
2680 Semmering, Austria
Website

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