EU programmes are too complex for countries that do not have armies of consultants, say Widening experts
Photo credit: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash
Increasing project management demands are a significant barrier for Widening countries in EU research programmes, according to Aistė Vilkanauskytė, a technology and innovation adviser to the Lithuanian government.
“We all know that member states that are more experienced have developed very big systems of management for projects,” said Vilkanauskytė at last week’s Science|Business annual conference. “This happened not because these countries were very good in management, but because Horizon Europe [sometimes puts] more emphasis and weight on management than on the idea itself.”
At the same time, bid writing and project management have become more complex thanks to requirements such as gender balance and open access policies. Many institutions in the Widening countries, which includes most of central and eastern Europe, lack the know-how to respond, making it difficult for them to compete.
Other panellists…
Discover the latest in research funding every Tuesday with Funding Newswire. Dive into detailed articles with our monthly or yearly subscriptions or start with a free trial
NOTE: if you're a part of one of our Network member organisations, you get free access by signing up with your institutional email. Verify your eligibility here.
Receive the Funding Newswire [full access requires a subscription] each Tuesday, our Policy Bulletin each Thursday, and news about bridging Europe’s east-west innovation gap twice a month in The Widening. 
A unique international forum for public research organisations and companies to connect their external engagement with strategic interests around their R&D system.