ENRICH is a global network of centres and hubs that promotes the internationalisation of European science, technology and innovation (STI).
Promoted by the European Commission through Horizon 2020, the ENRICH network currently offers services to connect European research, technology and business organisation with three global frontrunner innovation markets: China, Brazil and the USA.
As the world’s second largest economy and a powerful industrial technology player, China is a vital country for the internationalisation of European STI organisations.
⇨ Media-Echo:
⇨ China Daily
⇨ Europäisches SME Centre
⇨ Former Project Title: European Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence in China
⇨ Client: European Commission
⇨ Partner: A consortium of 13 European and Chinese organisations and a network of 128 stakeholders that act as Regional Innovation Centres (RIC) and Regional Contact Hubs (RCH).
ERICENA responds to the topic ENG-GLOBALLY-9: Centres/Networks of European research and innovation (country specific – China), within the framework of the call H2020-SC6-ENG-GLOBALLY-2016-2017: Engaging Together Globally.
This project intends to set up the European Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence in China (ERICENA), which will include an Initial Set-up Stage (1-12 months), a Pilot Stage (13-24 months), a Full Operational Stage (25-36 months) and a Self-Sustainable Stage (37-48 months), establishing all the necessary mechanisms to ensure its long-term sustainable operation and service provision to enhance and promote European research and innovation excellence in China. ERICENA will connect and support European science, technology and innovation (STI) organisations (including entrepreneurs and the private sector) with the Chinese market, providing a careful selection of STI related services to private and public clients in China, and simultaneously aim to be financially self-sustainable by the end of the project duration.
Connect and support European researchers and entrepreneurs globally
⇨ ERICENA will connect European researchers and entrepreneurs both in China and globally to address strategic needs of countries through the organization of project events, a membership campaign, and networking events with the centres in Brazil and US. A bilingual (EN/CN) system will be enabled to maximise the impact of dissemination as well as the networking services provided by the Centres.
⇨ ERICENA will support European researchers and entrepreneurs through its services (including advice and support to the EU researchers, state-of-the-art technologies and developments in China, promotion, trainings, offices and facilities, and pilot funding mechanisms) and services from external service providers.
Strengthen the position of Europe as a world leader in science, technology and innovation
⇨ ERICENA will strengthen the position of Europe as a world leader in STI by providing advice and supporting services to the European researchers and establish pilot funding mechanisms (private, public and research funding) for joint EU-China projects.
⇨ ERICENA will not only provide support-based services (e.g: network, advice, training…), but also technology-related services, resourcing to the network of Associated Partners across China and of external service providers already created at the proposal stage and to be further expanded. ERICENA will link research and industrial sectors to offer a service portfolio that can stimulate research-to-market collaborative projects, ultimately contributing to the EU industrial competitiveness.
⇨ ERICENA will develop an effective dissemination and communication strategy and organise a series of activities to promote the Centre and its services, to raise the awareness of European capacity in STI, and thus to strengthen the position of Europe as a world leader in this field. ERICENA will advance the EU interests in STI in China.
ERICENA will coordinate and enhance the European STI capability in China by connecting the European researchers with its membership, project events and networking services.
⇨The sustainability of the Centre will ensure the expected impacts persist over time.
These centres/networks will engage in activities such as:
⇨ Networking services
⇨ Advice and support on how to internationalise
⇨ Advocacy towards international partner countries/regions
⇨ Providing work space, infrastructure and secondment opportunities
⇨ Design and piloting of public/private funding mechanisms
⇨ Promotion, awareness raising and training activities
In this context, ERICENA assumed a stakeholder-driven approach and, to materialize it, the consortium ensured the support of more than 100 organisations to ERICENA – both from China and Europe – comprise a wide range of types of entities (universities, research centres, funding agencies, research councils, public bodies, private companies, networks, etc.), which also enables the Centre to assure the broadest possible presence in both Europe and China.