INARMERA-ICT · INTEGRATING ARMENIA INTO ERA: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

The INARMERA-ICT Project aims at reinforcing the cooperation capacity of the Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems (IIAP) of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia by providing the possibilities to improve its research activities in the areas of thematic priorities of the Framework Programme. Participation of IIAP in ERA-WIDE Call was endorsed by the Armenian Government due to the important role it assigned to the institute in the transition of the country to innovative knowledge based economy, due to active participation in FP5, FP6 and FP7 projects, and the responsibility the institute bears in the development of ICT in Armenia and the region.To reach this objective, the Project consortium consisting of IIAP and three partners from Belgium, France and Hungary will carry out research assessment of IIAP, will organise training in FP7 and FP8 for IIAP scientists, and their research training in the latest methods in Information Technology, Cybernetics, etc. For networking and dissemination purposes workshops and summer schools will be organised in Armenia, while Armenian scientists will be able to attend events in Europe. Meantime from the start of INARMERA-ICT, four pilot projects will be organised between IIAP scientists and their colleagues in Europe, but also in Georgia, highlighting the regional aspect of the Project. The pilot projects will help Participants to identify bottlenecks of cooperation and find remedies; they will lay grounds for larger FP project proposals.The Strategy Experts Group will develop strategy for IIAP aiming at confirming its reputation as the leading regional ICT centre and turning it into a committed partner for European institutions in Framework Programmes. Project results and achievements will be analysed and recommendations will be drawn to the authorities on strengthening EU-Armenia R&I cooperation leading to the successful integration of Armenia into ERA.