Work Packages

Work Package Number	Work Package Title
1	Management
2	Mobility
3	Equipment Upgrade
4	Coaching and Networking
5	Business and Industry Relations
6	Dissemination and Communication Plan
7	Ex-post Evaluation

Work Package 1

Project Management

WP1 aims at ensuring an appropriate coordination and administrative-financial management of the project. Its objectives are to ensure a smooth implementation of project activities, intervene through risk management procedures in the event of deviations from planned work, provide strategic guidance to the project also in terms of liaison with relevant stakeholders or complementary initiatives and manage relations (including complete and timely reporting) with the European Commission.

Work Package 2

Mobility Programme

Mobility is one of the key activities foreseen in the project and has the objective of facilitating resource and knowledge pooling in cooperation with major European research institutions active in areas of interest to the university . The mobility scheme is broken down in three main components:

• Outbound Mobility referred  to the most promising UHI researchers, to whom the project will ensure periods of secondment at other European institutes,
• Inbound Mobility, which aims at integrating, for a given period of time, leading researchers from other institutes into the research work and teams of the university,
• Permanent Recruitment,  which looks at filling research gaps in key positions at the university.

From a strategic point of view, the Mobility Work Package aims at:

- Stepping up within the university the pace of collaborative research and skills activity through the contribution of leading
researchers in areas of interest

- Consolidating strategic cooperation links between the university and major EU research organisations.

- Fostering a research cooperation culture within the university, so as to favour further inclusion in the ERA (European
Research Area)

Work Package 3

Equipment Upgrade

WP3 has the objective of strengthening the research infrastructure at the university, by enabling the acquisition of equipment without which it would not be possible to create the conditions to carry out research work and technical operations that are fundamental in the university's development plans of establishing a marine energy research and innovation hub.

Work Package 4

Coaching and Networking

WP4 aims at raising the overall ability of the university to efficiently operate within FP7 (H2020 since 2014) and to consolidate its position within the international scientific community. This objective requires a combined approach, based on a mix of coaching sessions and the support to networking activities so as to favour, promote and develop relevant contacts with top influencers and decision-makers in EU research programmes. A large spectrum of staff within the university will be involved, from researchers to managers and administrative personnel.

Work Package 5

Business and Industry Relations

Marine sciences have huge innovation potential. The university operates in a context of growing linkages to the industrial world when it comes to the exploitation of marine science-related research activities. While the university has relevant capacities on research cooperation, its ability to channel industrial relationships within a coherent innovation path is still very hindered by a lack of sufficient understanding of markets. This entails that the university's competences in the protection of intellectual property or in the way relations with industry are managed needs to be vigorously stepped up. This is of special importance to develop and deploy long-term strategies and make sure that their achievement does not solely depend on the availability of public funding.

Work Package 6

Dissemination and Communication

Dissemination activities are conceived to support the overall project deployment and help raise the visibility of the university as one of the most promising and leading research institutions in the field of marine energy in Europe. The Dissemination Work Package is strategically connected to the overall project management and will be managed directly by the management and communication office of the university, with the collaboration of the ERI, LCC and SAMS researchers.

Work Package 7

Ex-post Evaluation

In line with the guidelines of the REGPOT programme, the Ex-Post Evaluation Work Package aims at obtaining a final validation of activities and of the research potential of the university, through a panel of independent reviewers appointed by the European Commission. This activity will intervene at the end of project deployment (from M39 to M42) and is expected to provide strategic indications on ways by which the full potential of the marine energy research capabilities the university might be brought to maturity.