Inter-institutional foresight in Romanian higher education Adrian Curaj, Radu Gheorghiu, Liviu Andreescu
Why foresight for exploring collaboration and concentration
• Future-oriented
grounded in present, but oriented on drivers of change, scenarios, visions
• Participatory broad intelligence gathering, sense of ownership
• Systemic shared understanding of operational, national and international environment
• Systematic procedural – studies, scenario workshops etc
• Action oriented designed as support-decision
Inter-institutional foresight Based on • real interest for collaboration • commitment for participation at different levels • sharing information & knowledge • communication at decision level between the institutions
Project •
Secure the agreement of candidates for 3 foresight exercises – – –
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Agreement of key administrative staff, faculty, stakeholders For a 1-year exercise Facilitated by UEFISCDI and foreign experts
One of the exercises will focus specifically on ELI as an available infrastructure which may catalyze collaboration of academic and non-academic organizations
Phase 1: Agreement for the foresight exercise
University A
University B
University C
Phase 2: Understanding each university a. Analysis of each organization’s structure & culture; organizational self-understanding University A
University B
University C
b. Comparative look at organizational structures and cultures
Phase 3: Operational environment Analysis of overlaps in organizational objectives, operational environments, knowledge and skills University A
University B
University C
Phase 4: The broader picture - Drivers of change
University B
University A
University C
Phase 5: Developing scenarios for collaboration
Magurele Hot-Spot
Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI)
ELI on ESFRI Roadmap ELI-PP 2007-2010 (FP7) ELI-Beamlines (Czech Republic) ELI-Attoseconds (Hungary) ELI-Nuclear Physics (Romania)
Bucharest-Magurele National Physics Institutes BUCHAREST ring rail/road
ELI-NP
Lasers Plasma Optoelectronics Material Physics Theoretical Physics Particle Physics
NUCLEAR Tandem acc. Cyclotron γ – Irradiator Adv. Detectors Life & Env. Radioisotopes Reactor (decomm.) Waste Proc.
ELI-NP project milestones December 2009 - Competitiveness Council: February – April 2010 - “ELI-NP White Book” (100 scientists, 30 institutions) (www.eli-np.ro) approved by ELI-NP International Scientific Advisory Board August 2010 – Feasibility Study according to National regulations: ELI-NP total costs: 280 M€ excl. VAT Buildings: 65 M€ Lasers: 80 M€ Gamma Beam: 60 M€ Exp. equipments: 30 M€ Contingences: 15 M€ Others: 30 M€ December 2010 – Romanian Government: ELI-NP priority project January – March 2011 - JASPERS preliminary review of ELI-NP Application
Objectives of ELI-NP project
construction of a world-class large scale Research Infrastructure
perform high-quality top-level research in science and technology raise S-E European research at the performance level of Western Europe attract the best students/researchers in Romania
technology and knowledge transfer to industries foster the development of an innovation hot-spot in Romania
Magurele with of without Lasers?
• Not only science… • Applications and socio-economic impact; • Who pays the bill; • The way forward.
ELI-NP high-tech industrial clustering potential Fields of applications at ELI-NP (complementary to other ELI pillars): • Materials for extreme conditions tested with radiation induced by high power lasers • Applications of NRF ( Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence) in Nuclear materials and Security • Industrial tomography and gamma radiography • Pharmaceutical radioisotopes • Characterization using the positrons source In operational phase ELI-NP will be very attractive for companies in the fields of: • micro-opto-electronic components • mechanics (including automotive and aeronautics) and micromechanics • radiation resistant materials • cargo inspection and industrial radiography systems • radiopharmaceutical products and radioisotopes production systems • laser and optical components • accelerators and beam transport • IT, control systems, analog and digital electronics Till now, 28 companies expressed interest in ELI-NP of which 11 Romanian companies (Thales, Quantel, Cristal Laser, Continuum, Amplitude, IBM, Gerb, XIA, Anchor, DILO, etc.) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) are interested in some nuclear applications
ELI-NP Socio-Economic Impact •
BI Region/Romania becomes an important scientific attractor for talents and expertise
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Increase of international visibility (no such large RI in new member states before ELI)
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Increase of the interest for science in young generation and society at large
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Decrease of brain-drain effects
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214 new high-qualified jobs created in research and technical support
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The socio-economic CBA for 2011-2030 proves the net positive economic impact of the infrastructure, with an economic rate of return of 10.71%, higher than the discount rate of 5.5%.
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Support for dynamic regional economic sectors : constructions, manufacturing
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Knowledge transfer and services - high density of innovative companies in BI Region
ELI-NP project contributions to European policies The three pillars of ELI project are proposed: - for implementation using European Structural Instruments as individual projects - for operation under the coordination of ELI-ERIC (with members from other European countries).
As the first project on ESFRI Roadmap to be implemented in the new Member States, with a high potential for applications and economical impact, ELI will contribute significantly to : - European economic cohesion - more balance distribution of research capacities in Europe - deeper integration of Europe’s research system - better mobility of researchers and knowledge across Europe ELI-NP is in line with the objectives of 7th Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (FP7) and will increase Romanian participation in projects within future Framework Programmes, especially for thematic areas related to new materials and production technologies, health and security.
ELI-NP integration in national policies National RDI Strategy 2007-2013 - specific objective “development of system resources” • Turning Romania into a destination of interest for scientific excellence • Participation to large international research infrastructures National Roadmap for research infrastructures (2008) •Participation to pan-European RIs is a priority for RO – 9 projects explicitly named, including ELI STRUCTURAL FUNDS Objective PA2 SOP-IEC: Increase of the R&D capacity, stimulation of the cooperation between RDI institutions and enterprises, and increase of enterprises’ access to RDI Scope O221: development of R&D infrastructure in public universities and R&D institutes by - modernization of the existing laboratories, - creation of new infrastructures, - supporting the construction of pan-European research infrastructures Scope O222: development and strengthening of the relationships between universities, research institutes and high-tech SMEs in dynamic economic fields
Visions of a Magurele hotspot Magurele – a high-tech cluster (2011) • Explored conditions for a collaborative network around ELI-NP • Mapped potential participants in and beneficiaries of the future cluster • Identified strengths and weaknesses • Identified uncertainties (e.g., the number of doctoral students in RO, the concentration of research in top universities, investments in infrastructure in the Magurele area, Magurele becoming a part the larger metropolitan Bucharest etc.) Magurele – a regional development hub (KPMG & co., 2011) • Magurele envisaged as a hotspot for science and business • Strengths: e.g., the location in Magurele of half the country’s strategic RI’s; several major research organizations; rich tradition of research in specific fields; existing science and social infrastructure • A phase-based development • The ELI-NP core (<2015) • Expansion of the core and technological upgrading (<2020) • Major expansion (>2020)
Visions of a Magurele hotspot Magurele – a regional development hub (KPMG & co., 2011) • The Magurele Hotspot • National strategic digital archive • A technology park for ICT and life sciences • A center of excellence in research (with support from a major ICT multinational) • A Romanian Institute of Advanced Studies • A regional center for the study of man-made disasters (part of the National Institute for Earth Physics) • An international campus for doctoral students and postdocs • A Science Village (e.g., a Museum of Technology and a museum of the history of Romanian technology) • Etc.
Inter-institutional foresight
University B
University A
University C
ELI as a driver of change + new actors
ELI-NP
University B
University A
University C
Thank you!