European Research Area-Canada for Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership

ERA-Can Plus promotes cooperation between the European Union and Canada across the science, technology and innovation chain to support and encourage their mutual prosperity, address common societal issues and meet global challenges in the most effective and efficient way possible: together.

It is a 36-month project, led by APRE together with the Government of Canada in concert with sector leaders in the Canadian academic and business communities and leading organizations for research and innovation development across Europe in Austria, France and Germany. The project is structured around three interlocking pillars:

1. Enriching the EU-Canada policy dialogue by identifying areas of mutual interest and targeted opportunities and by developing implementation plans based on the analysis of Canadian and European policies, programs and participation, surveys of researchers and innovators and program level cooperation meetings
2. Stimulating transatlantic cooperation between researchers and innovators by raising awareness of the opportunities available through communications activities as well as international workshops and networking activities
3. Enhancing coordination among Canadian federal and provincial program owners, sector leaders and networks and their counterparts at the European level and in European Member States through the organization of priority setting workshops, symposia on international innovation and research infrastructure and preparation of an action plan for bringing research results to market.

The project will also coordinate Canadian NCP networks and prepare a feasibility study for a joint EU Member State Liaison Office in Ottawa.

The pillars are linked, all focused on a number of global and societal challenges identified through the policy dialogue as areas of mutual interest for Europe and Canada. In this way, ERA-Can Plus offers a strong and sustainable structure for advancing cooperation with tangible benefit for Canadians and Europeans.