The document discusses the Quintuple Helix Approach to Targeted Open Innovation in key sectors like energy, water and agriculture in the South Mediterranean region. It outlines the concept of bringing together government, industry, academia, citizens and the environment to drive innovation. Projects under this approach have supported over 600 researchers and entrepreneurs, facilitated business deals and led to patents. Recommendations include further developing entrepreneurship programs, testing platforms, and public procurement networks. The approach aims to foster regional development through opportunities like addressing migration, sustainable resource use and access to essential services.

1. Title
QUINTUPLE HELIX APPROACH TO TARGETED OPEN
INNOVATION IN ENERGY, WATER, AGRICULTURE
IN THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN NEIGHBORHOOD
UNIMED WEEK IN BRUSSELS
28/03/17 Brussels

2. 1
1. The genesis.
the R2i ecosystem

3. THE ECOSYSTEM
R2I
cluster
WaterFood
Energy

4. R2I OUTPUTS
The R2Is have supported innovation
and business creation including:
630 researches and entrepreneurs
trained
300 participants to brokerage
200 Research to business and
business to research study visits
60 technical and business assistance
to entrepreneurs done
7 start ups triggered
2 patents application filled and
exploited

5. MESSINA RECOMMENDATIONS
• Develop and standardize soft.
• Stimulate an entrepreneurial
innovation.
• Spin-offs and startups linked to the
diaspora of researchers and
refugees.
• Support of innovators company
missions
Entrepreneurship
• To set up a network of innovation
agencies as PPP to manage projects.
• Set up of testing platforms open to
innovation actors.
• To develop a public South-South
cooperation procurement platform
to access international tenders.
Platforms/network
• Integration of technologies following
the NEXUS approach
• Widespread of smart specialization
strategy concept
• Launch a round of calls for proposal
targeted to transnational
accelerators.
• To reach optimal financial and
bureaucratic dimension between
art. 185 and ERA-NET, following the
example of DG Connect with the 16
FIWARE accelerator programme or
the MAGRENOV calls or the
ERANETMED experience
Policy/integration

6. THE PARTNERSHIP
8 universities &
research centres
1 Technological
park
1 technology
transfer
organization
1 foundation
1 Chambers of
commerce
6 ministries &
national
agencies
3 international
/national
networks
4 companies
16 countries involved (ES, IT, BE, DE, GR, FR, AT, LB,
PS, TN, DZ, MO, EG, JO, LY, TR)
24 organizations

7. 1
2. The concept.
Nexus approach.
quintuple helix.

8. THE CONCEPT

9. PENTA HELIX
Government
Social
Organizations
EducationCitizens
Private sector
Trust
Mutual
understanding
Agile & driven by
competencies
Knowledge
Finance
Support &
legitimation
Circulation of knowledge to enhance R&I smart specialization strategies
To support regional development through main NEXUS opportunities

10. 1
3. The opportunities.
Regional development

11. OPPORTUNTIES
 Face migration challenge
Capacity building,
value chain
approach to
support local
economies,
innovation to
strengthen local
socio-economic
fabric in MPC
countries in key
sectors of water,
food, energy
 Create more with less (circular economy)
Increasing
productivity, identify
scarce resource for
productive process,
intensifying the use
of land and water,
to achieve
equitable social,
economic and
environmentally
sound development
 Accelerate access
Progressive
implementation of
the humans rights
to water, sanitation,
energy and food to
the resulting health,
productivity and
development
benefits
 Value natural infrastructure
Investing to secure,
improve and
restore the
considerable
multifunctional
value of biodiversity
and ecosystems.
 End waste and
minimize losses
Reducing waste
and losses along
supply chains to
capture significant
economic and
environmental
gains within and
across sectors and
reduce demands on
water, land and
energy

12. 1
4. The objectives.

13. AIMS
To support the Science and Innovation Policy Dialogue Platform for a more strategic priority
setting for international cooperation on water, energy and food targeted specific following
NEXUS approach with co-design and co-ownership.
To audit the existing international cooperation between EU-MPC focused on targeted open
innovation in the energy, water and food sectors following a NEXUS approach to increase the
coordination and synergies between policies and programmes among both regions.
To promote and achieve a deeper international R&I cooperation between EU-MPC in the
water, energy and food sectors and contribute to the establishment of Common Knowledge
and Innovation Space of specialization (RIS) in the Southern Mediterranean Neighborhood.
To raise awareness concerning targeted open innovation in water, agriculture and energy
sectors among policy, business community and civil society to spread the concept of
international cooperation between EU-MPC actors.

14. 1
5. Outputs,
indicators, legacy.

15. MAIN OUTPUTS
Joint Action Plan
• To support the improvement of research-policy
coordination in the project domains to face
societal challenges; and
• To explain how the work plan might be
amended to better align with the inventory of
cooperation.
Nexus Think Tank in the MPC area
• Creating an experienced network to allow think
tank operate about relevant topics – in relation
to the selected social needs that can be solved
by research, also in relation to potential political
and policies paths
Thematic committees for societal
challenges
• To present the state of the art of existing
policies in the target countries on each thematic
committee related topic, and to place a proposal
for the renewal of existing policies to societal
challenges
Research & Innovation Vouchers
•To ensure close synergies with the international
dimension of the H2020 calls and to increase the
capacity of MPC individuals (researchers and
innovators) to get access to scientific excellence
Research and Innovation H2020
Champions (training and capacity
building)
•Future pivotal person that will have the objective
to increase the Research and Innovation capacity
of its institution and of its network

16. STATUS BY MONTH 10
 Established a Methodology Guideline to gather information from the targeted MPC and define the extent of cooperation
between researchers, innovators and policy makers within the target countries. 42 relevant literature sources gathered
so far within the website library (water, energy, food, NEXUS).
 Initiated an electronic survey to study the cooperation between higher education institutions and public and private
organizations in Mediterranean countries and report on gathered information (updated every 6 months). 138 replies
gathered so far.
 Initiated the gathering of information to build-up the Inventory on S&T cooperation between EU and MPC region (MO, DZ,
TN, LB, EG, PS, JO, TK) (updated every 6 months)
 42 qualitative interviews performed so far with relevant representatives of the quintuple helix of the value chains of
water, energy and food from at least 10 countries from the partnership. The gathered info derived from the interviews,
survey and inventories let to generate the baseline position and provide relevant information to support science and
innovation policy dialogue in the MPC region.

17. STATUS BY MONTH 10
 Defined the structure of the international experts and civil society board that constitutes the Network of Advisors Board
(NAB), confirmed participation of 5/6 members. In addition to the NAB (including representatives from MEDSPRING
and UfM), the members of the Nexus Thematic Group have been selected (38). The members have signed the
corresponding NDAs and engagement letters.
 Defined all the structure of the Nexus Thin Tank, roles, rules of collaboration, membership, thematic committees, activities
and scheduled meetings. First meeting of the NTT held during the Innovation Week in Casablanca, involved the
participation of 24 members, including relevant members of international initiatives such as WSSTP and Water JPI. As a
result of the thematic committees’ sessions, it has been initially defined potential obstacles and issues to be solved within
water, energy and food sector to bridge the gap between research and policy.

18. STATUS BY MONTH 10
 Organization of the Innovation week held in Casablanca, MO, 23-27/1/17, that included a training event (34 trained
individuals), a Nexus Thin Tank meeting with Thematic Committees meetings, a Regional Innovation workshop, a
brokerage event (included the participation of 36 attendants) and a consortium meeting. Established the guidelines and
procedures for the future Innovation Weeks to be organized in Lebanon (07/18) and Tunisia (04/19).
 Defined the guidelines for the selection of 10 H2020 champions, pending the publication of the call in the website next
month.
 Defined the guidelines for the 10 R&I vouchers and the corresponding call for proposals that will be published in the
call in the coming months.
 Continuous meetings with DG R&I to monitor de progress of the project, define future actions and synergies with
relevant initiatives in the region such as 4PRIMA and MEDSPRING, contribute to the different organized GSO
meetings. In the coming month, different MoUs will be established with relevant projects in the thematic through the
region.
 Full operating web site since 11/16 together with the promotional kit that includes a series of tools for efficient
dissemination and the corresponding communication through social networks.

19. Industrial/commercial involvement and
results exploitation
Chambers of commerce
Involvement of
associated
Research Parks and Venture
capitalist
Stimulation of policies
Innovation support companies
Support and
development of the
industrial and
commercial ecosystem
Business community
Formulation of more
effective policies in the
field of Research
valorization

20. INDICATORS
To support the Science
and Innovation Policy
Dialogue
• 30 science counsellors adhered to the created think tank.
• 3 thematic committee meetings held.
• 9 formal agreements set.
• Set up of a validation table composed by 5 qualitative and 5 quantitative indicators to be
monitored by thematic committee.
• 12 specific issues to be solved by bridging the gap between research and policy within the
water, energy and agriculture sectors (4 per topic).
• 10 identified obstacles and provided solutions to favor strategic priority setting for
international cooperation
To increase the
coordination and
synergies between
policies and
programmes among
both regions
• 3 recommendations per each Nexus theme per country (EU and MPC).
• 50 quantitative interviews and 3000 electronic surveys gathered to structure data
• Feedback from all members of the consortium, researchers and policy makers in target
countries and EC
To establish optimal
framework conditions
for coordinated
international long-term
cooperation
• 80% of participants’ satisfaction rate participating in regional innovation days.
• 8 champions trained at EU partners’ facilities.
• 8 assigned vouchers to MPC institutions end satisfactorily.
• The virtual information system receives more than 200 monthly visits.
• 14 trainings sessions + workshops. 3 brokerage events, 2 in MPC 1 in EU.

21. 5TOI_4EWAS LEGACY
R2i Alliance
• Continuous enlargement of the R2i community
through the involvement of relevant
additional sectors such as ICT, Health
• Complete involvement of all the actors of the
value chain
• Broader mobilization of the STI community
• Enhanced coordination to shape future EU-
MED International cooperation through
increased synergies involving all relevant
holders within NEXUS value chain

22. 5TOI_4EWAS LEGACY
JAP (summary of
project outputs)
• Bottlenecks, barriers, challenges,
recommendations
• Updated road map and convergence to the
NEXUS approach
• Improvement of R&I framework definition and
linkage to local action and policies
• Updated criteria for selection of thematic
priorities
• Validated policy goals
• Novel elements of R&I partnerships

23. 5TOI_4EWAS LEGACY
S&I policy dialogue
(SR&I agenda)
• Assessed relevance of future SR&I Agenda and
definition of targets
• Validated specific research project ideas once
identified and designed after consultation with
stakeholders in the region
• Expected and scalable impact of STI and
likelihood of outputs uptake through 5HA and
involvement of all stakeholders
• Indicators to monitor and evaluate the impact
assessment of developed SR&I Agenda

24. 5TOI_4EWAS LEGACY
Cross cutting issues for
increased coordination &
synergies
• Framework for improved coordination and
added value
• Support of innovation processes,
• Strengthened capacities for EU-MPC
cooperation,
• Understanding the social and cultural contexts
of NEXUS system that impact MPC,
• Research infrastructure and innovation
platforms)

25. 1
6. The impacts

26. IMPACTS
More strategic priority
setting for cooperation
with the Union's
international partners
Definition and update
of baseline for S&T
Cooperation in the
Euro-Mediterranean
basin
Platform to transfer
the benefits of
research cooperation
to policy and private
stakeholders
Widely spread out of
project’s outcomes
Stronger interaction
between the Union's
researchers and those of
its international partners
Platform allows
transfer of knowledge
as powerful tool for
the involved members
of value chains
Capacity building
activities. Stronger
interaction between
members of value
chains
Networking links
among value chains
and of the civil society
Reinforcement of the
cross border, cross
Mediterranean
researcher’s
interaction
Establishment of optimal
framework conditions for
international cooperation
Increase of mutual
understanding
concerning the
problems arising in
this area and to
establish a Joint
Action Plan
To identify how to
overcome the
bottlenecks and how
to take advantage of
opportunities related
to cooperation and
knowledge transfer
between
Increased coordination
and synergies between
policies and programmes
To satisfy the need
and instances
expressed by the
ground/operators
through the
Stakeholder
Feedback
Consultation
Pave the ground for
the development of
coordinating
measures and
synergies between
the policies and
programmes of target
countries
Ensuring close synergies
with the international
dimension of calls
launched across H2020
By matchmaking
technology needs,
expertise and
research results
between different
members of target
value chains
Support to develop
partnerships and
uptake of their
research and
innovation efforts
Facilitate the access
to scientific
knowledge generated
by running projects

27. 1
7. The timeline.

28. TIMELINE
2016-2017 2018
MS4 & 9
Outreach campaigns
Cooperation with
other programmes
MS5 & 11
Inventory of Joint
promoting measures
for int. coop.
R&I vouchers
MS7
Thematic sub-comm.
for societal challenges
D3,5; 3,6; 3,8; 6,3
Process evaluation
Mid-term impact
review
Policy review
R&I Voucher
D3,4; 4,4; 6,2
JAP, Sub-comm.
Meetings, brok.
Event.
12 18 240 2017 2019 36
MS6, 10 & 12
Policy stakeholder
consultation
Coordination with
other R&I clusters,
Final conference
Project impact
evaluation
RI days
Policy conference
report
Events reporting
D3,7;
4,6;
5,1-5,3;
6,1; 6,5

29. ANY QUESTIONS?
Thank you!
Raniero Chelli
UNIMED EU projects coordinator