Workshop on ENERGY: identifying specific policy objectives

A group of EMEG experts coming from different fields of expertise and countries and representing different points of view gathered together to discuss specific problems, specific policy objectives and impacts in relation to energy.

The discussion in the energy workshop has been really productive. The workshop can be valued for having raised two cross-cutting issues, which the other workshops have not tackled specifically: gender and mobility of researchers. These two issues are key in any discussion on policy dialogue on research and innovation in the Euro-Mediterranean region. How can we improve the quality of research cooperation if the issue of researchers' mobility is not first addressed? How to guarantee the equal participation of stakeholders, without first addressing gender-relations at any level of cooperation?
 

In the preliminary discussion of today, the group decided some key concepts driving the debate:

• addressing the issue of the energy-food-water nexus in its multidisciplinary and cross-cutting aspects;

• moving away from a perception of competition between EU and MPCs (and simultaneously get rid once for all of the locution North-South!)

• exploring the idea of EXNOVATION instead of innovation as the driving force for change. Ex-novation is the examination of what’s working and what doesn’t and the open possibility of discarding existing practices or processes to give space to new and fresh thinking, which may reflect on policies and practice.

• put at the centre the idea of common interests and of mutual benefit.

The section was dedicated to identify variables for policy dialogue:
 

Do you see any other enhancing factors or barriers? Write to us at agora@medspring.eu or write your comments in the box below!