15 partners from 8 European countries (Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina) have launched D-STIR project in Košice, Slovakia. On 22nd and 23rd February 2017 kick off meeting has commemorated the co-working process of the project that began on 1st January 2017, and will last till 30th June 2019. The partnership is led by South-East Regional Development Agency from Romania.

D-STIR PROJECT PARTNERS

The main goal of this Programme is to develop coordinated policies and actions in the programme area reinforcing the commitments of the Europe 2020 strategy towards the three dimensions of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. D-STIR project is also important for Danube innovation framework conditions, as innovation does account for socio-economic impact and this project is implementing Socio-Technical Integration Research (STIR) method of research. D-STIR project connects technical experts with humanists in order to leverage maximal societal and business potential – i.e. implement Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). 

RRI implies that societal actors (researchers, citizens, policy makers, business, third sector organisations, etc.) work together during the whole research and innovation process in order to better align both the process and its outcomes with the values, needs and expectations of society. D-STIR will establish stakeholder groups that will contribute in the process of adjusting of RRI method.

Kick off meeting in Košice, Slovakia, hosted by Cassovia Life Science, has shown that all partners are eager to reach and achieve project’s goals and objectives. Later on in launching event on 23rd February, partners and participants were getting acquainted with STIR method and how to make our research responsible (input from Miklós Lukovics – First Hungarian Responsible Innovation Association). The event also served as a platform for presenting objectives, methods, main steps and the structure of D-STIR project with answering the question about how D-STIR project can actually help (input from Nina Irimia – South-East Regional Development Agency). This event was rounded with round table discussion about implementation of RRI in Slovakia, with highlighted questions about challenges and expectations (input from Martin Haranta - Cassovia Life Science).

Two more public events are planned in the projects duration time: Mid-term event in April 2018, Bucharest and Final event, June 2019, also in Romania. 

Miklos Lukovics from First Hungarian Responsible Innovation Association about D-STIR history

 
Ana Savšek from Development Centre of the Heart of Slovenia about communication obligations

Luiza Tiganus from ADRS Sud-Est Romania as the lead partner of D-STIR project making the first presentation