Deliverable D5.6 - Mapping, action plan & strategic collaboration agreements with existing initiatives

This document, titled “Mapping, action plan & strategic collaboration agreements with existing initiatives” presents a consolidated overview of COOPERATE’s efforts to map and demonstrate alignment with existing initiatives, instruments, networks, amongst others, which are relevant for the further development of ERA Hubs as inter- and intra-regional ecosystems for knowledge production. The Deliverable is structured around three main pillars: 1) mapping, 2) an action plan for further development of the COOPERATE Platform and 3) a draft collaboration agreement to facilitate inter- Hub cooperation. The mapping exercise identifies and categorises over 100 relevant European projects, Alliances, programmes and networks, illustrating the rich landscape within which the COOPERATE landscape is embedded. This serves to highlight synergies and complementarities which can be further explored beyond the piloting phase for mutual learning, capacity building and strategic alignment. The action plan outlines a development path to evolve the ERA Hub platform beyond its current prototype state into a more mature, functional and user-friendly tool. Key recommendations are provided for technical improvements, user experience enhancements, organisational governance and monitoring and evaluation metrics. Finally, the deliverable introduces a non-binding collaboration agreement template designed to support structured bilateral (or multilateral) partnerships between ERA Hubs.