Projects and potentialities for Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Mexico and Thailand under the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (FP7: 2007-2013)

The European Union (EU) and Mexico have been cooperating in the field of R&D since the partnership treaty between the EU and Mexico took effect in 2000. With the Lisbon Strategy put into operation that same year, Europe “acknowledged the central role which will be played by knowledge in the economy and society of the future” (Muldur, Corvers, Delanghe, Dratwa, Heimberger, Sloan, Vanslembrouck, 2006, p.62). Accordingly, innovation was emphasized in order to advance mutual efforts for establishing innovative research and development projects with Third Countries¹ through diverse multilateral framework programmes such as the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) with a budget of €50 billion from 2007 to 2013². As currently the world's largest global-scale program promoting research and development with an international focus, FP7 represents an opportunity for Third Countries to participate in global research and innovation projects, even more so under the financial possibilities conceded to “target countries”. A brief evaluation of the existing projects in South East Asia reveal disposition for intraregional cooperation ³  in  spite  of  the  disparities  regarding  the  quantity  and  extension  of  projects.

Moreover, South East Asian participants share with Mexico a similar lack of know-how for coordinating projects, as none of the projects either completed or under current execution were originally coordinated by South East Asian instances. Rather, the organizations that responded to FP7 calls are located almost entirely in Europe, even the projects whose participants are eclusively located in South East Asia.⁴