UNCST hosted ICT-39 focused IST-Africa H2020 Workshop in Kampala, 20 November

26 November 2014

IST-Africa organised a series of Horizon 2020 Workshops in Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Burundi during November 2014, specifically focused on raising awareness of opportunities under the ICT-39 Call "International partnership building in low and middle-income countries" with a deadline of 14 April 2015.

Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) as the IST-Africa partner in Uganda organised the IST-Africa Horizon 2020 Workshop in Kampala on 20 November 2014. All relevant stakeholders were invited to participate to raise awareness of the opportunity for research cooperation at international level.

The workshop was well attended with 27 participants from Bugema University; Gulu University; Kyambogo University; Makerere University (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; School of Computing and IT; ilabs@Mak project; Centre for Innovation and Professional Skills Development; College of Health Sciences; Medical School; Business School); Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Institute of Computer Science); Ndejje University (Faculty of Basic Sciences and Information Technology); Hive CoLab; Information Communication Technology Association of Uganda; Log'el project; Ministry of Health (Central Public Health Laboratories, Public Health Research Consortia); Uganda Chartered Health net and UNCST.

Each organisation presented their current research capacity and areas of most interest for International Cooperation. This provided all participants with more insight into research that is ongoing at national level.

Areas of thematic interest identified based on the organisational presentations included: Components & Systems (including embedded systems, robotics); Cyber Security; eAgriculture (including Food Security, value chain, drainage); eHealth / mHealth (including indigenous Herbal medicine, diagnostic monitoring, big data analysis and visualisation); eGovernance; Environment (including Climate Change, efficient energy); Entrepreneurship; Future Internet; ICT for development and Technology-enhanced Learning.

Dr Maxwell Otim, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNCST welcomed the participants to the second IST-Africa Horizon 2020 Workshop hosted by UNCST in Kampala, bringing together participants involved in research at national level.

Paul Cunningham (IIMC/IST-Africa) provided an overview of the IST-Africa Initiative and the significant resources that are available to support research cooperation. Paul highlighted that Ugandan organisations had secured more than €7.7 million euro in research funding through participation in 41 projects under FP7 and cooperated with more than 195 European and Associated Country organisations. This provides an important baseline for cooperation under Horizon 2020.

Dr Maxwell Otim (UNCST & NCP Coordinator for H2020) provided a comprehensive overview of Horizon 2020 and the main differences between FP7 and H2020.

Paul Cunningham presented the ICT-39 call followed by interactive brainstorming and group work. Following an interactive discussion, important thematic areas identified in the context of ICT-39 for Uganda include eAgriculture; eHealth / eHealth; Climate Change, Entrepreneurship, eGovernment (Service Delivery) and Technology enhanced Learning.

eAgriculture is an important research area for Uganda. Taking one aspect of eAgriculture as an example the participants undertook a brainstorming and group work to identify research areas to be addressed, key stakeholders to consult with, how to engage end-users and build an implementation team for inclusion within a wider consortia for international cooperation. It was agreed that Makerere University should be the lead University to prepare a proposal focused on eAgriculture and it can then coordinate with the other national universities.

Loi Namugenyi (UNCST & NCP for ICT-H2020) presented the participation rules and instruments under H2020 to provide a clear framework. Paul Cunningham (IIMC/ IST-Africa) presented the steps to consider when preparing a proposal and associated budget. Miriam also outlined the evaluation process and basic IPR rules.

The participants found the workshop to be very stimulating and to provide an important platform for knowledge sharing at national level. They learn a lot about practical issues to consider when preparing a proposal for H2020 and specifically opportunities under ICT-39. Eight of the participants also meet with Paul and UNCST on Friday 21 November to discuss ICT-39 opportunities in more detail.

Dr Maxwell Otim closed the workshop thanking the participants for their active engagement. He encouraged them to share this knowledge with their colleagues and leverage the opportunity provided by the ICT-39 Call.

Click here to download the full workshop report.

ICT-39 Focus

Scope: The aim is to launch a set of targeted collaborative research projects addressing the requirements of end-user communities in developing countries. Specific technological targets could include for example co-design, adaptation, demonstration and validation (e.g. pilots) of ICT related research and innovation in relevant thematic areas addressed by Horizon 2020 including Content Technologies and Societal Challenges.

Activities under this objective should be led by a clearly defined user need/market opportunity for the technology being adapted; they should in particular include requirements of developing countries, and where possible, have the potential for wider impact by involving a number of countries from the same region. Proposals should be submitted by a complementary partnership with a particular focus on the participation of relevant developing country innovation stakeholders and end-user community representatives (e.g. relevant public, private, education and research, and societal sector organisations, Innovation Spaces and Living Labs).

Expected impact

- Development of relevant technology responding to specific needs and conditions of the target country.

- Reinforced international dimension of the ICT and Innovation aspects of Horizon 2020 and a higher level of international cooperation with low and middle income countries in ICT R&D and Innovation, focusing on areas that are beneficial to the target countries/region.