Support for Thematic Partnerships
The Swedish Institute (SI) annually proclaims the availability of project funding for Thematic Partnerships in the Baltic Sea region. The projects are to be action-oriented and support cooperation between different sectors and participants.
The goal is for the thematic partnerships to stimulate the creation of new, broad networks as well as increased cooperation in the region. The projects should run no longer than three years and can be granted a maximum of SEK 3,000,000 (SEK 1 = EUR 0.11).
Swedish stakeholders will be able to apply for funding in order to initiate cooperation with stakeholders in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, as well as with Georgia and Moldova.
For the 2012 Call for applications, SI requested action-oriented and cross-section cooperation projects within four main themes: clean water and sustainable food production; innovative energy transition; regional challenges; and knowledge-intensive services.
Great diversity among the approved projects
Cooperation to prevent resistance to antibiotics and cooperation for a more innovative-friendly climate in the Baltic region constitute two examples of thematic partnerships approved by SI during 2012. The projects are implemented with support from the Swedish Institute Baltic Sea Cooperation, which has granted a total of SEK 33 million to the thematic partnerships.
Read more about the approved thematic partnerships 2012.
Energy is another important area in which cooperation is needed, and two of the thematic partnerships aim to support networks within energy- and resource efficiency as well as sustainable energy systems. Several projects are active in health questions. Karolinska Institutet runs a project that promotes mental health through life-long education.
Stakeholders from different sectors of society
The Thematic Partnership projects involve different kinds of organisations. The project coordinators include among others Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Stockholm International Water Institute. The County Council of Uppsala, the Biodynamic Research Institute and the Council of Baltic Sea States Secretariat have all received funding.
New proclamation at the end of 2012
During the fall the Swedish Institute will publish another proclamation for thematic partnerships on www.si.se. Current themes for the next proclamation will be posted on the website. Application deadline for the thematic partnerships are expected to be in February/March 2013.