Georgia, EU candidate country and one of the Widening countries in Horizon Europe Programme, needs urgent improvements in its Research and Innovation (R&I) system to cope with the fast pace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution and to become a valuable contributor to the European AI strategy implementation. The FORGE-AI project aims to significantly improve the innovation potential of the Georgia’s R&I system and provide a sustainable conditions for boosting research careers of young researchers across sectors, especially in the area of AI, by (1) strengthening innovation-related capacities of leading young AI researchers and research managers (“Talents”); (2) introducing and demonstrating the added value of cross-sectoral mobility & knowledge circulation, and (3) modernizing the national innovation supporting funding mechanisms to incorporate career-boosting principles. The innovation training component will involve at least 20% of all AI R&I talents of Georgia plus representative from neighbouring Armenia in the comprehensive blended learning innovation and entrepreneurship programme, thus equipping the young talents with competences for successful cross-sector careers. The secondment programme will allow 25 talents to spend, in total, 234 months on cross-sector cross-border secondments contributing to their employability and career prospects. The experiences collected through the project activities will compose a basis for national practices and policies in the field of research training improvements. The participation of major R&I funders, leading AI research performers, AI startups and NGOs from Georgia plus AI research company from Armenia, as well as leading European AI research centre, German University innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and large European entrepreneurship and innovation network provides the critical mass of expertise.

This is the continuation project of the Ideal-ist network - the network for National Contact Points (NCP) of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The objective of Ideal-ist is to foster trans-national cooperation among National Contact Points (NCP) in the area of Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies (LEIT) Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) under Horizon2020. The project will deliver trans-national services offering tangible benefits to Ideal-ist users; proposers and NCPs, and other projects, by supporting knowledge sharing, networking and proposal development activities. This cooperation will also include collaboration and networking with similar networks in parallel themes (Security, ENV, Transport, Energy, Health, etc.), especially in the context of joint/coordinated or PPP calls. Ideal-ist will be built upon experience gained over more than 20 years from the preceding projects, starting in FP4, and the cooperation of NCPs in the network and those supporting the network.

The Idealist2027 vision is to supply the National Contact Points (NCPs) responsible for digital destinations in Horizon Europe with the tools, knowledge and expertise they need to better serve the digital research community applying for funding from Horizon Europe. Through transnational collaboration, synergies with other digital programs and other cluster 4 NCPs networks, and special network activities Idealist2027 will enhance NCP capacities to facilitate stronger, more impactful European projects. The project focuses on four key objectives: 1.Bringing NCPs to a common understanding of the EU digital landscape, future digital trends, policies, and funding opportunities. 2.Lowering barriers for newcomers, particularly SMEs and widening countries, ensuring broader engagement in digital initiatives and creating better impact on the digital landscape. 3.Connecting digital communities to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders. 4.Integrating the components of Cluster 4 to benefit NCPs, applicants, and stakeholders through synergies across Digital, Industry, and Space. Idealist2027 introduces new services, such as the Horizon Intelligence task, which will analyze Evaluation Summary Reports (ESRs) to provide data-driven insights to NCPs, enabling them to better guide proposers, and will continue to offer very successful services such as Idea check and proposal check. By building on the experience of previous Ideal-ist projects and fostering cooperation within Cluster 4, Idealist2027 will create a more cohesive and supportive environment for NCPs and their stakeholders. The project will ensure compliance with the FAIR principles for data management and will collaborate closely with other Cluster 4 NCP projects. Idealist2027 aims to strengthen the European digital research community, paving the way for successful participation in Horizon Europe and the next Framework Programme.