university–enterprise cooperation

4.1 Regional and national background
The renewed Lisbon agenda aims to turn
Europe into a modern, dynamic, outwardlooking
knowledge economy. It acknowledges
that this is the most effective means of
delivering the economic growth and jobs
required across Europe. Investment in
education, research and innovation – the
knowledge triangle - lies in the heart of
successful economies and is relevant to all
regions in the EU. It is widely accepted that
there is a positive relationship between
R&D investment, innovation and economic
growth. Countries that invest in education,
research and innovation have higher rates
of economic growth and higher levels of
productivity in the long-run, particularly
where this is embedded in a well-functioning
innovation system. This can be the case for
both the prosperous and less-prosperous
regions of the EU, as well as surrounding
regions. Not all regions have the same
level of capacity to undertake research
and innovation, impeding their long-term
growth prospects and contributing to
disparities in prosperity across the EU.
It should be mentioned that the aims of
Lisbon strategy are also relevant for the
Western Balkan Countries (WBC) which
are expected to incorporate it into their
reform agendas. In the knowledge triangle
of education, research and innovation,
universities play a special role in promoting
European standards in education and
training. WBC have been already included
in the main European processes within
areas of education and vocational training,
research and usage of ICT technologies, at
national as well as regional level. These
countries conduct reforms in accordance
with Bologna and Copenhagen processes,
they have signed regional cooperation
documents, they participate partially or
fully in community programmes or special
programmes of EU in the area of education,
research and technologies (TEMPUS, FP6,
FP7, Youth, Erasmus Mundus, LLL etc.), as
well as in the other forms of the regional
cooperation, such as university and/
or research networks of SEE: CEEUN, CEI
UniNET, SEE-ERA.NET, ERI SEE etc.
4.1.1 Education side
Many WBC universities have not succeeded
in making the transition from educational
to research institutions and remain pure
“colleges” of teaching. With the Bologna
Process, this transition is required in order to
harmonize with the European education area.
Extensive cooperation between academic
institutions from the Western Balkans and
the EU Member States in the field of higher
education is taking place under the Tempus
programme. TEMPUS funds are of respective
size to support the modernization and
restructuring of universities in WBCs.
According to the estimate of EU experts,
links between university and industry must
be strengthened in order to bridge the gap
between business needs and university
services in the area of education and research,
to enable permanent transfer of knowledge,
to increase financing of innovation.
Therefore, it is essential to seek and unlock
“technological brokers” – entities which
deal with vocational education, research,
transfer of knowledge and technologies, and
boosting international cooperation.
Upon an initiative by the Task Force
Education and Youth of the Stability
Pact the ministers of education and higher
education from the SEE region and Moldova
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
in 2004, in compliance with the goals of
the Lisbon strategy and the “Education and
Training 2010” programme. The Education
Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe
(ERI SEE) is the main instrument for the
implementation of activities within the
Memorandum, established as a regional
platform for co-operation in the fields of
education and training, is intended to
serve as an interface between the national
reforms in SEE and current trends in EU.
Through fostering regional co-operation and
facilitating capacity building and know-how
transfer, ERI SEE promotes common European
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Current state in the WBC region 4