The first pilots showcased by Together4RD came about from an open call launched by the Together4RD secretariat in the summer of 2022. All ERNs were invited to submit an expression of interest through a survey, which asked Networks to outline the nature of the proposed collaboration with Industry, the added-value of the activity suggested, readiness to begin, how many ERN centres might need to be involved, any existing assets, data, or infrastructure the pilot might build upon (and who owns these), etc.
This survey has been further developed to form Tool 11, a List of Questions people could ask themselves when considering a collaboration between ERNs and Industry.
The Industry sponsors of Together4RD were also encouraged to submit the same survey, to outline their proposals for a pilot. The Together4RD Secretariat initiated discussions with all parties submitting a proposal, wherever possible matchmaking ERN ideas with an appropriate Industry partner, along with other actors deemed essential to the project proposals. These discussions led to the identification of three pilots deemed feasible for launch in 2023.
The negotiations to evolve the initial ideas for a collaborative project have been, in all three cases, quite lengthy, unsurprisingly as these were the first pilots in this space. Important learning lessons have been captured, to streamline this process in future.
For a list of all tools, please click here.