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	European Research News Centre > European Research Policy > Partners in excellence

			Date published : 03/04/2002
		Partners in excellence

RTD info 33


	With Union support, 34 multidisciplinary centres of excellence in 11 candidate Member States are now fully operational. Together they form an advanced platform for integrating their scientific and technological potential in the European Research Area.

There is much to criticise in the regimes which for decades shackled Central Europe's former people's democracies behind the Iron Curtain. But at least these systems had 'faith' in science, even if it was often used as a tool in the service of their image and politics. The denationalisation in the decade which followed the fall of the Berlin Wall dealt a heavy blow to this scientific know-how and the reputation for scientific excellence in these countries suffered terribly.

Today it is a major European challenge to restore this research potential, particularly in the light of their future Union membership. At a conference in Budapest in March 1997, Jürgen Rüttger, German research minister at the time, suggested that the Fifth Framework Programme should include the creation of a network of centres of excellence covering the candidate countries.

Developing links, increasing attractiveness

Following last year's call for tenders by the Commission as part of its policy on international research cooperation, 34 scientific or technological institutions(1) were selected (out of 184 applicants) to lay the foundations of such a network. Today the Union actively supports this network in developing the scope and range of its activities. The total aid package of €24 million has been allocated to the individual centres according to the actions they propose on developing external links and increasing their attractiveness while, at the same time, meeting the economic and social needs of the regional environment. Examples of actions include the organisation of European conferences and seminars, welcoming scientists from other countries, doctorate and postdoctorate training (including study visits to other institutions) and twinning with other centres.

This address book of excellence in the candidate countries is a valuable tool, opening the door to ensuring their research potential becomes an inherent part of the European Research Area and their participation in the future Framework Programme.

(1) In addition to the ten Central and Eastern European countries, this group also includes the independent state of Cyprus.
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	BULGARIA SOFIA *Bulgarian Information Society for the 21st Century (BIS-21)* Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Central Laboratory for Parallel Processing Activities: information technologies in case of emergency and forecasting of damaging air pollution levels; reliability of nuclear reactors at the Kozloduy plant; multimedia applications for Slavonic languages. Contact: Ivan Dimov ivdimov@bas.bg http://saturn.acad.bg/ http://www.bas.bg/clpp/ VARNA *Centre for sustainable development and management of the Black Sea Region (CESUM-BS)* Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Institute of Oceanology Activities: approach to the environmental, economic and social problems of the basin, which ranked among the most threatened expanses of water in the world. Contact : Snejana Moncheva snejm@mail.varna.techno-link.com http://www.io-bas.bg/cesum-bs/ http://www.io-bas.bg/ KOSTINBROD *Bulgarian Centre of Excellence in Plant Biotechnology (Excellent Plant Biotec)* AgroBioInstitute - Centre for Plant Biotechnology Activities: applied genetic engineering in the field of plant biotechnology in collaboration with plant breeding institutes and stations in Bulgaria. Contact : Atanas Atanassov geneng@mtel.net http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/Garden/9151/

	CYPRUS NICOSIA *Centre of Excellence in Agriculture and Environment* Agricultural Research Institute of Cyprus (ARICY) Activities: viruses in citrus fruits; molecular marker technology; integrated pest management. Contact : Ioannis Papadopoulos papado@arinet.ari.gov.cy http://www.ari.gov.cy/ *Centre of Excellence on Computational Finance and Economics (HERMES)* University of Cyprus - Center for Banking and Financial Research Activities: wide-risk management for large financial institutions; investment valuation and decision-making in a situation of uncertainty; macroeconomic modelling of emerging financial systems; performance of financial institutions; the structure of household portfolios; computational financial modelling. Contact : Stavros Zenios zenioss@yahoo.com http:// www.hermes.ucy.ac.cy/

	CZECH REPUBLIC PRAGUE *Advanced Research Centre for Cultural Heritage Interdisciplinary Projects (ARCCHIP)* Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy - Associated Research Centre for Historic Structures and Sites Activities: research on the problems of safeguarding European cultural heritage - especially in the EU candidate countries - and their inclusion in social and economic sustainability measures. Contact : Milos Drdacky drdacky@itam.cas.cz http://www.arcchip.cz/#About/ *EU Centre of Excellence (MEDIPRA)* Academy of Sciences - Institute of Experimental Medicine Activities: cell biology and pathology; neuroscience; developmental toxicology and teratology. Contact : Eva Sykova sykova@biomed.cas.cz http://uemweb.biomed.cas.cz/Index.htm *Machine Intelligence Research and Application Centre for Learning Excellence (MIRACLE)* Technical University in Prague - Faculty of Electrical Engineering - Department of Cybernetics Activities: intelligent decision-making and control, computer vision and machine perception; data warehousing; industrial production system integration and production planning information systems. Contact : Vladimir Marik marik@labe.felk.cvut.cz http://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/miracle/html/index.html

	ESTONIA TARTU *Regional Centre of Excellence in New Functional Materials, their Design, Diagnostics and Exploitation (ESTOMATERIALS)* University of Tartu - Institute of Physics Activities: technologies for informatics; photonics; medicine and environmental services. Contact : Kristjan Haller haller@fi.tartu.ee http://www.fi.tartu.ee/ce/introduction.htm *Genetics for the next millennium (GENEMILL)* Estonian Biocentre Activities: molecular and cell biology applied to medicine, genetics and environmental protection. Contact : Richard Villems rvillems@ebc.ee http://www.tymri.ut.ee/index1.html

	HUNGARY SZEGED *Regional Initiative for Improvement of Quality of Life through Research, Education, and Innovation in Molecular Cell Biology (BIOREGION-SZEGED)* Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Biological Research Center (BRC) Activities: leading-edge research on understanding the role of genes and gene products in the cell functions of microbes, plants and animals. Contact : Dénes Dudits dudits@nucleus.szbk.u-szeged.hu http://www.szbk.u-szeged.hu/ BUDAPEST *BRIDGE (scholarship between East and West)* Collegium Budapest - Institute for Advanced Study Activities: humanities, social sciences and theoretical natural sciences. Contact : Gábor Klaniczay collegium.budapest@colbud.hu http://www.colbud.hu/main/index.html *EURO-NEURO-NETWORKS (Serving regional integration, higher education and welfare of society in the field of neuroscience)* Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Institute of Experimental Medicine Activities: networking in neuroscience; creating/establishing the Central European Brain Research Training Centre; bridging the gap between theoretical and applied neuroscience; transferring gene technology from West to East; increasing public awareness. Contact : Sylvester Vizi esvizi@koki.hu http://www.koki.hu/cntrofexc.html http://www.koki.hu/ *Centre of Excellence in Information Technology, Computer Science and Control (HUN-TING)* Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Computer and Automation Research Institute (SZTAKI) Activities: computer science; information technology; applied mathematics; operations research and decision support systems; cellular non-linear networks; signal processing; artificial intelligence; intelligent manufacturing and business processes. Contact : Peter Inzelt inzelt@sztaki.hu http://www.sztaki.hu/sztaki/coe/ *Condensed Matter Research Centre (KFKI-CMRC)* Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics Activities: study of solid and liquid materials including their structure, properties and synthesis. Contact : Agnes Buka ab@power.szfki.kfki.hu http://www.kfki.hu/~cmrc/ *Mathematics in information society (MATHIAS)* Hungarian Academy of Science - Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics Activities: algebra; algebraic logic and geometry; analysis; combinatory and discrete mathematics; convex and computational geometry; information theory; number theory; probability and statistics, etc. Contact : Dezsó Miklós dezso@renyi.hu http:// www.renyi.huçl/

	LATVIA RIGA Centre for advanced material research and technology (CAMART) University of Latvia - Institute of Solid State Physics Activities: computer modelling of advanced materials; semiconductors, insulator materials and thin film structures; advanced dielectrics for multifunctional applications; materials for ophthalmology and vision science; solid-state ionics and devices. Contact : Andris Sternberg stern@latnet.lv http://www.cfi.lu.lv/

	LITHUANIA VILNIUS Cell biology and lasers: towards new technologies CEBIOLA Vilnius University - UNESCO Associated Centre of Excellence for Research and Training in Basic Sciences Activities: biophotonics and quantic light processes applied to biology; science and technology in optics. Contact : Benediktas Juodka benediktas.juodka@cr.vu.lt http://www.mif.vu.lt/unesco/

	POLAND WARSAW Advanced materials and structures (AMAS) Polish Academy of Sciences - Institute of Fundamental Technological Research (Centre of Mechanics and Information Technology) Activities: mechanics of solids, structures, fluids and biomaterials; engineering acoustics including non-destructive testing methods and ultrasonic applications in medicine; information technology; mechatronics; robotics and ecologically oriented construction engineering. Contact : Zenon Mroz zmroz@ippt.gov.pl http://www.ippt.gov.pl/amas/ *Physics and Fabrication of Low Dimensional Structures for Technologies of Future Generations (CELDIS)* Polish Academy of Sciences - Institute of Physics Activities: solid-state physics, and in particular the physics of semiconductors and magnetic materials on the nanometer scale. Contact : Jacek Kossut kossut@ifpan.edu.pl http://info.ifpan.edu.pl/celdis/ *High pressure: a competitive method for the advancement of multi-disciplinary research and industrial applications (HIGH PRESSURE)* Polish Academy of Sciences - High Pressure Research Center Activities: nitrides technology for blue-light optoelectronics; nanocrystalline ultra-hard materials; pressure-induced structural changes in biological materials and food processing; application of pressure-tuned laser diodes in medicine; synthesis of nanopowders under high pressure in the presence of microwaves. Contact : Witlod Lojkowski wl@unipress.waw.pl http://www.unipress.waw.pl/ *Stefan Banach International Mathematical Centre of Excellence (IMPAN-BC)* Polish Academy of Sciences - Institute of Mathematics Activities: public-key cryptography and computational number theory; information theory and its applications to physics, finance and biology; mathematical modelling and analysis of cellular populations; non-linear systems and control; mathematics of finance and stochastic control; approximation structures in Banach spaces; symplectic singularities and applications; visual modelling. Contact : Feliks Przytycki feliksp@impan.gov.pl http://www.impan.gov.pl/Excellence/ *Excellence in molecular biotechnology - getting European dimension (EMBEU)* Polish Academy of Science - Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS Activities: molecular modelling of protein structures and protein-protein interactions; new variants of recombinant proteins; molecular studies on plant development; plant-pathogen interactions; plasmid genomics; applied fungal genetics; mitochondrial diseases, etc. Contact : Wlodzimierz Zagorski-Ostoja cemb@ibb.waw.pl http://www.ibb.waw.pl/Centr-Dosk/C-D-mol.html CRACOW *Molecular Biotechnology - Integration of Education and Research (BIER)* Jagiellonian University - The Jan Zurzycki Institute of Molecular Biology Activities: biochemistry; biophysics; cell biology; plant physiology; microbiology and immunology. Contact : Kazimierz Strzalka strzalka@awe.mol.uj.edu.pl WROCLAW *Centre for advanced manufacturing technologies (CAMT)* Wroclaw University of Technology - Institute of Production Engineering and Automation Activities: machine tools, robotics & assembly; design methodology; production engineering; manufacturing automation; manufacturing and quality. Contact : Jan Koch jankoch@itma.pwr.wroc.pl http://www.camt.pl/ OLSZTYN Food Safety - a challenge for processing food of plant origin (CENEXFOOD) Polish Academy of Sciences - Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research - Division of Food Science Activities: safe plant breeding for food processing (influence of environmental factors, etc.); plant material as a source of functional products and ingredients; benefits and risks of food processing; new methodologies to assess the wholesomeness of food. Contact : Halina Koslowska haka@pan.olsztyn.pl office@pan.olsztyn.pl http://www.pan.olsztyn.pl/cenexfood/ http://www.pan.olsztyn.pl/index0.html LODZ *Designed molecules and macromolecules, their assemblies and biological functions (DESMOL)* Polish Academy of Sciences Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies Activities: asymmetric synthesis of complex organic molecules; NMR techniques of studying molecular structure of biological interest; synthesis of macromolecules with desired topologies leading to materials for high-tech applications ranging from medical diagnostics to electronics; etc. Contact : Przemyslaw Kubisa pkubisa@bilbo.cbmm.lodz.pl http://www.cbmm.lodz.pl/

	ROMANIA BUCHAREST Function and Dysfunction Of Blood Vessels (BLOOD VESSELS) Romanian Academy - Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology Nicolae Simionescu Activities: transcytosis in normal/pathological states; alterations in atherosclerosis and diabetes: their therapeutic control. Contact : Maya Simionescu simionescum@simionescu.instcellbiopath.ro *European integration of the Romanian mathematical research activity (EURROMMAT)* Romanian Academy - Institute of Mathematics Simion Stoilov Activities: operator theory and functional analysis; operator algebras; differential equations and optimal control; mathematical physics and partial differential equations; algebraic geometry; complex analysis; algebraic and differential topology; continuous media mechanics; potential theory. Contact : Radu Purice purice@imar.ro http://pompeiu.imar.ro/~eurrommat/Programme.php3 http://pompeiu.imar.ro/ *Interdisciplinary research and applications based on nuclear and atomic physics (IDRANAP)* Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering Activities: nuclear methods for studying environmental pollution components; applications of nuclear physics methods to biology and medicine; radioisotopes and radionuclide metrology; nuclear physics methods for study; analysis, and characterisation of materials; nuclei far from stability; decay modes; cosmic rays; and facilities. Contact : Dorin N. Poenaru poenaru@ifin.nipne.ro http://www.nipne.ro/ TULCEA Deltas and Wetlands (DELWET) Ministry of Water and Environment Protection - Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development Activities: biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of deltas and wetlands. Contact : Mircea Staras (Mr.) mstaras@indd.tim.ro http://www.indd.tim.ro/Excelenta/Centru.htm http://www.indd.tim.ro/

	SLOVAKIA ZILINA *Centre for Transportation Research (CETRA)* University of Zilina Activities: operation and economics of transport; transport management; management science and informatics; transport and transport infrastructure design and construction; mechanical engineering in transport; transport electronics; forensic engineering. Contact : Ladislav Skyva cetra@utc.sk (optional : skyva@frtk.fri.utc.sk) http://www.utc.sk/cetra/ http://www.utc.sk/ BRATISLAVA Centre for reduction of negative impact of environmental factors on human health (STRESSNUTS) Slovak Academy of Sciences - Institute of Experimental Endocrinology Activities: resistance to negative consequences of mental and somatic stressors; cardiovascular risk in persons exposed to chronic stress conditions; influence of chronic stress on mental health (drug treatment of depression and reduction of the incidence and severity of anxiety and affective disorders); negative behavioural responses (alcohol and drug abuse) to changes in social environment; diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patients with hypertension, obesity and diabetes; endocrine disturbances induced by nutritional factors and environmental pollution. Contact : Daniela Jezova ueenjezo@savba.savba.sk http://nic.savba.sk/sav/inst/ueen/ce.htm

	SLOVENIA LJUBLJANA NMR spectroscopy in combination with computational methods on systems of biological interest (SLONNMR) National Institute of Chemistry - NMR Centre Activities: structural and theoretical chemistry; analytical chemistry and ecology; organic and inorganic materials; biotechnology and chemical engineering. Contact : Janez Plavec janez.plavec@ki.si http://www.ki.si/

Centres of excellence in the candidate countries

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Jitka Vennekens,
Research DG
E-mail