AQR-IREA heading a new EU FP7 project
The Regional Quantitative Analysis research group of the Research Institute of Applied Economics (AQR-IREA) will head the project Sharing Knowledge Assets: Interegionally Cohesive Neighborhoods, SEARCH, as part of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme. Previously, AQR-IREA had already taken a leading role in the FP7 project Intangible Assets and Regional Economic Growth, IAREG, which has now been completed.
The Regional Quantitative Analysis research group of the Research Institute of Applied Economics (AQR-IREA) will head the project Sharing Knowledge Assets: Interegionally Cohesive Neighborhoods, SEARCH, as part of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme. Previously, AQR-IREA had already taken a leading role in the FP7 project Intangible Assets and Regional Economic Growth, IAREG, which has now been completed.
The SEARCH project brings together 17 institutions, among them the London School of Economics (UK), the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands), the University of Thessaly (Greece), the University of Cagliari (Italy), Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria), Brunel University (UK), the University of Pécs (Hungary), the Moscow State University Higher School of Economics (Russia) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel). Also participating are the European Institute of the Mediterranean, the International Centre for Black Sea Studies and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. The general coordinator of the project, Jordi Suriñach, and the task coordinators, Rosina Moreno and Raül Ramos, are UB lecturers and members of AQR-IREA.
SEARCH focuses on the study of relations between EU countries and their neighbours, with particular attention paid to aspects such as movement of people, goods and knowledge to strengthen the ties between the European Union and surrounding nations, in Eastern Europe, the Near East and the southern Mediterranean region. Special effort will be made to forge stronger links governing the flow of qualified professionals and collaborative research and innovation projects, to stimulate the dissemination of knowledge across borders.
The SEARCH project puts into practice much of the work carried out under the IAREG project, which recently came to an end and was the first FP7 project in the field of economics to be led by a Catalan team. IAREG received very positive feedback and many of its participants are now involved in the SEARCH project in some capacity. The kick-off meeting will be held at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the UB on 29-30 August.