Within the European Project Cycle Management (EU PCM), communication, dissemination and exploitation (CDE) aim to leverage all project partners’ and stakeholders’ combined networks to maximise the impact of the project’s activities and results on specific key targeted groups. Special efforts are usually devoted to engaging citizens, participants and stakeholders. All the projects funded by the European Union foresee a great effort to be put on those aspects, that need to be carefully planned, developed, and managed through the elaboration of methodologies and guiding manuals.
EURADA is currently involved in 10 EU projects, funded by Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and EuropeAid, and two tenders of the European Commission. In most of them, the secretariat finds itself being the responsible partner for CDE activities dealing with boosting communication and dissemination activities, the identification of collaboration with stakeholders, institutions and related sister projects, the organisation of events and high-level conferences, the participation in events to reach decision and policymakers at the EU level, the encouragement of exploitation and multiplying, and way more.
In light of this, and in view of future projects, the EURADA secretariat felt the urgency to hold an update session on these issues. In order to do so, we relied on one of our historical members, experts in the sector, META Group. For over 25 years, META Group has driven knowledge from idea to market by coaching researchers, and entrepreneurs, investing in promising opportunities and advising public and private organisations on innovation strategies. They have plenty of experience investing in high-growth companies across Europe and helping Institutions, governments, regions and cities around the world foster more of them.
Andrea Di Anselmo, president of META Group, was the coach of the workshop held on Monday 6 November 2023. Thanks to his professional experience at the international level and his competencies in challenge-based innovation, innovation strategies (S3), financial tools and support to “Knowledge Intensive” entrepreneurs, and exploitation of research results, he was able to hold an all-round training for the 7 members of the EURADA secretariat dealing with CDE in their ordinary tasks.
The session started with a general sharing of the concepts of results, outcomes and impacts, and the path to follow to go from the first to the latter and demonstrate the success of an EU project. “No use, no impact” has been the principle driving the whole sessions: Key Exploitable Results (KER) need to be produced when implementing an EU project, they need to respond to well-defined needs of the target group selected, and they have in turn to be used, exploited, to produce outcomes. Outcomes in turn are the first step needed in order to create impact, a long-term change and benefit in the society.
In order to have the greatest possible impact, the EU project's implementation process must be told to the public; and it is at this juncture that the concept of communication and dissemination become fundamental.
EURADA is committed to continuing to consolidate and expand its expertise, also with the help of competent and helpful members such as META Group. It has been a great opportunity for cooperation between two entities that have been working together for years and will continue to do so in the future. Thanks to META Group and thanks to Andrea!
