Abstract

The HEU strategic partnerships represent an important element of the Framework programme being expected to manage more that 40% of the Budget allocated to Pillar II.
Many of them (the Co-Programmed and Institutionalised ones) are open to interested stakeholders for active engagement and direct contribution to the definition of the future priorities on which the Budget will be allocated.
Since the beginning of HEU, NTNU have started strategic positioning activities aimed to mobilise its researchers to participate actively in strategic partnerships and other European initiatives of relevance.
The aim is two-fold: contribute to the priorities definition process and increase the level of dialogue and engagement with the EU R&I players active in the same thematic area.
Normally the participation to relevant EU initiatives is granted by a single representative which has to face two challenges:
• Be capable to provide a multidisciplinary contribution and
• Be put in the condition to effectively share internally the information and the opportunities caught in the Strategic Partnerships' environment.

To approach these challenges at NTNU we have created a model defined as "NTNU Forum".
The NTNU Forum is conceived to guarantee an effective hooking between the University’s representative (the NTNU “Ambassador”) in a relevant EU platform/initiative and the internal “system of knowledge” represented by all the researchers interested in the thematic area of reference of the Forum itself (Defined as Group of Reference - GOR).
An effective information exchange guarantees that the GOR receives latest information and opportunities from the Ambassador and that the Ambassador receives multidisciplinary inputs from the GOR when priorities are being defined.
The first NTNU Forum, focused on Food (the NTNU Food Forum) has been presented at the EARMA conference of 2021 made in Digital Format.
Since then, several other fora have been created following specific positionings that NTNU have achieved in other HEU Strategic Partnerships and initiatives.
The proposed presentation will present in detail the NTNU Forum Model concept and definition approaches, will analyse the developments occurred since the launch of the first NTNU Food Forum and will describe challenges and impacts generated at internal level

Learning outcome:
- Importance of a structured approach to HEU
- A possible Way to maximise impact deriving by direct participation in European Initiatives
- Reflection about how European context can impact on local working practices