The ICT FORUM

Information and Communication Technologies, as enabling science and key driver for a knowledge based society having also high impact in the Western Balkan region needs specific coordination mechanisms in order to deploy its potential.

The Forum on research for Innovation in ICT FOR the Western Balkan Countries is organised for this purpose, in Belgrade on November 30^th as a policy platform for high-level debate on driving the political agenda for ICT research for greater Western Balkan integration into the European Research Area. 

The ICT Forum intends to deepen research and technological development co-operation between the EU and the Western Balkan region, accommodating all Western Balkan Countries being currently associated to the EU Seventh Framework Programme on Research and Technological Development as well as candidates or future candidates for EU accession. Ministers, deputy ministers or analogous high-officials for science, information society or technological development as well as leading researchers and experts from the academia and industry sectors will attend this conference.

The intention is to improve interregional as well as EU-Western Balkan research cooperation by encouraging the discussion on the actual priorities and challenges to research cooperation.  Representatives from the neighboring EU Member States will present good practices and experiences stemming from the implementation of their national ICT policies so as to encourage the implementation of similar winning policies in the Western Balkan region.

The ICT Forum’s final ambition is to lead to a joint declaration by the Delegates for the adoption of regional ICT priorities and common resolutions for tackling problems hindering research co-operation, thus enabling reinforced coordination of national policies and strategies among Western Balkan countries.