The first SURE Synergy Workshop aim was twofold: introduction and exploration. First, the workshop aimed to introduce the SURE Facilitation and Synthesis Research Project, the concept of synergy workshops and intended to gather feedback and suggestions. Secondly, the workshop aimed to provide space for project partners to meet, explore each other’s work and exchange about potential synergies.
The first part of the Synergy Workshop consisted of introducing the SURE Facilitation and Synthesis Research Project. The presentation aimed to define the tasks, roles of the project team and a roadmap of project activities. The project’s main objectives are to facilitate collaboration and synergies between the projects, measure funding priority impact and conduct synthesis research, improve visibility of the funding priority and the projects through communication and events, and results transfer. The project is developing several tools and methods to support these objectives, such as a SURE website, an impact framework, a cross-sectional project analysis, a product- and result repository, a toolbox, a collaboration platform, and others. The main format for interaction between the funding priority stakeholders and one of the funding priority’s key activities are the Synergy Workshops. With three to four editions each year, they aim to provide a space for discussion and networking and a platform for exchange and knowledge transfer. To ensure workshop contents are relevant to the SURE stakeholders, a process for suggesting topics and potential topics derived from stakeholder interactions will be introduced.
The introduction part was followed by an interactive »World Café« session, where some of the tools and methods used by the SURE Facilitation and Synthesis Research Project were discussed in more detail. Inputs by programme stakeholders around three primary areas of focus were collected to tailor better the funding priority offers to the needs of the stakeholders:
- Collaboration and Synergies – presented by HafenCity University
- Funding Priority Impact and Synthesis Research – presented by Technical University of Lübeck
- Communication, Events & Transfer – presented by TÜV Rheinland Consulting
Lastly, an interactive session in break-out rooms allowed small groups to exchange common topics collected during the event, such as data management, legal frameworks and regulations, and stakeholder engagement. Some of the break-out room discussions uncovered cross-cutting topics and potential synergies that could be taken up for future workshops and funding priority activities.
During the break, a virtual space for networking and exchange was offered so that participants could also informally get to know each other. Participants highlighted those future events should provide even more space for informal networking.
Takeaways
- Going International – need for finding links and creating synergies beyond the projects and funding priority, and connecting to global research initiatives
- Defining Objectives – based on the discussed and collected information, we adjusted the SURE Facilitation and Synthesis Research offers to the partner’s needs
- Synergy Workshop Topics – due to the facilitated interactions and discussions, relevant issues surfaced, providing a pool of topics for future Synergy Workshops.