09.08.2010 [News]

New FP7 NCP structure in Kazakhstan

In accordance to the recommendations of the Stakeholders Conference “EU-EECA S&T cooperation: The way forward” hold in Athens on 16-17 June, 2009 (WP1), and to recommendations developed by the VINNOVA during visit to Kazakhstan in 26-29 March 2008 (WP4) after long negotiations with the relevant Kazakh authorities the Ministry of the Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan has issued on 22 July 2010 the special order #394 “About creation of the National Coordination Board on cooperation with the European Union Framework Programmes on research, technology development and innovation”.

The National Coordination Board on cooperation with the European Union Framework Programmes on research, technology and innovation development is an advisory and deliberative body under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Board is guided by laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other regulatory legal deeds of the Republic of Kazakhstan as well as by the Provisions.

Principal tasks of the Board are to develop recommendations to the government in the fields of improvement of the research and technology development and innovation system in Kazakhstan; to define basic trends of the state policy in RTDI; to manage issues of the international cooperation in RTDI; to analyze RTDI proposals of the state institutions, business entities, and public organizations, and to develop recommendations on improvement of the system of the research and technology development and innovation, including different sectors of economy.

This new structure is headed by the Ministry of Education and Science and includes 15 bodies from the key RTDI stakeholders of Kazakhstan. Now the national thematic NCPS are appointed from the relevant institutions, such as:

  • Almaty Technology University, which is appointed as BIO-NCP in Kazakhstan, and
  • KazAgroInnovation Holding, which is responsible for activity of NCP Agriculture;
  • Scientific-research Institute of Ecology and Climate is appointed as NCP Environment;
  • the Center of Engineering and Technology Transfer is the NCP Competitiveness and Innovation;
  • the National Innovation Fund is the ICT-NCP;
  • the National Research and Technology Holding “Parasat” is NCP for Energy and Transport (including Aeronautics);
  • the Institute of the Economy Research is the NCP for Social and Humanitarian Sciences;
  • the Institute of the Space Research is the NCP for Security and Space; and
  • the National Nuclear Center is NCP Euratom.
  • The People NCP in Kazakhstan is the Academy of the Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
  • InExCB-Kz keeps its role as the FP7 National Coordinator, the INCO-NCP, and the Health NCP.

The first activity of the new NCPs in Kazakhstan is to learn rules of the EU on NCP activities and how to participate at the FP7 calls and events. In accordance to recently launched FP7 calls for proposals, the Kazakh NCPs already planned to give a number of trainings for their clients. First trainings will be organized in Almaty for FAFB priorities at Almaty Technology University on 19-20 August, and second one will be for Health priority in Astana on 25-26 August 2010. Special training for newly appointed NCPs is foreseen for 24th August in Astana. It will not be only training but also first meeting of new NCPs to discuss their daily work to assist their clients.

Source: Dr. Kamila Magzieva, PhD, National Coordinator FP7-NCP-Kz, Director InExCB-Kz