Introduction: Rethinking Collaboration in European Research
In an era where scientific challenges increasingly transcend borders, the need for effective international collaboration in research has never been more urgent. From climate change and pandemics to food security and technological sovereignty, addressing today’s pressing issues requires integrated, cooperative approaches. The Horizon Europe programme has provided an essential framework for such collaboration, but implementing it effectively depends on the strength and inclusivity of the partnerships formed. This is where the Crosspaths project stands out. By fostering a deeply collaborative ecosystem among Widening and non-Widening institutions, Crosspaths has emerged as a model for how research cooperation can be built on equity, capacity-building, and shared strategic vision.
Joint Services: Building Shared Infrastructure for Mutual Benefit
One of the cornerstone innovations of the Crosspaths project is the development of a catalogue of joint services. This evolving initiative aims to map, consolidate, and openly share the diverse support services and capacities available across the consortium. Rather than each institution developing tools and services in isolation, the catalogue enables partners to pool their strengths—whether in grant writing support, project management, legal advisory, IP strategy, or communication and dissemination.
For example, if one partner has a well-established grant office with expertise in Horizon Europe applications, other partners can benefit from this experience through consultations, document templates, or even direct support. This shared infrastructure not only avoids duplication of effort but raises the overall level of readiness across all institutions, especially those in Widening countries who often have fewer internal resources.
The catalogue is being developed collaboratively, with input from all partners and a commitment to openness, quality, and replicability. As it expands, it is envisioned as a living resource that will continue beyond the project’s lifetime, accessible to future collaborations within and outside the consortium.
Peer-to-Peer Training: Empowering Institutions Across Borders
Another pillar of Crosspaths’ success is its training programme, which is deliberately structured to ensure mutual learning among all partners. Unlike traditional capacity-building approaches where support flows in one direction (typically from stronger to less experienced institutions), Crosspaths adopts a peer-to-peer model.
Each partner contributes to the training effort by sharing its own expertise, whether in proposal development, stakeholder engagement, scientific communication, or research ethics. This approach acknowledges that all institutions have unique strengths and perspectives to offer, regardless of their size, geography, or funding history. It also fosters a sense of horizontal collaboration, where knowledge exchange becomes a two-way street.
Workshops, webinars, and internal seminars are conducted regularly, often tailored to emerging needs identified collectively by the consortium. The emphasis is on practical application, real-case examples, and follow-up mentoring to ensure that knowledge gained translates into tangible improvements within institutional practices.
Joint Events: From Dialogue to Impact
Crosspaths does not see events as isolated deliverables, but as central tools for shaping the research landscape. Throughout its duration, the project has invested in a robust agenda of joint events that bring researchers, research support staff, policy stakeholders, and international guests into sustained dialogue.
Among the key events in the pipeline are:
- The Crosspaths Summer School (October 2025): A week-long immersive programme aimed at early-stage researchers and research managers. The summer school will focus on internationalisation strategies, research leadership, and the co-creation of collaborative projects. Sessions will blend theory with hands-on project labs and include networking opportunities with senior researchers from across Europe.
- The Crosspaths Brokerage Event (March 2026): Designed as a matchmaking platform, the brokerage event will connect researchers from different institutions with complementary expertise. The goal is to seed new project ideas for Horizon Europe and other international programmes, with a particular focus on involving Widening countries in competitive consortia.
- The Final Conference (April 2026): A high-level event that will share the results of the Crosspaths project, present the joint internationalisation strategy, and invite discussion on how to sustain and scale the model. Representatives from the European Commission, national ministries, and research networks will be invited, making this a flagship moment for the project’s dissemination and policy impact.
These events are planned with strong logistical coordination and strategic intent. They not only build visibility for Crosspaths but also open the project to broader networks, multiplying its relevance and reach.
Towards a Joint Internationalisation Strategy
A defining ambition of Crosspaths is the formulation of a joint internationalisation strategy—a vision document that aligns the global aspirations of all partners while taking into account their local realities. Rather than encouraging individual institutions to compete for the same limited international opportunities, the strategy proposes a collaborative approach.
This joint strategy identifies shared target regions for partnerships outside Europe, outlines mechanisms for joint outreach (such as coordinated participation in international fairs or missions), and sets principles for equitable cooperation with institutions in the Global South. Importantly, the strategy was not drafted by a single entity but co-created through working groups that included representatives from all consortium members.
This inclusive process ensures the strategy is grounded in collective priorities and shared values, while also being flexible enough to adapt to national or institutional policies. It positions Crosspaths as a proactive actor in shaping a more balanced and ethical global research landscape.
Other Milestones and Impacts
Beyond the flagship examples above, Crosspaths is yielding several other noteworthy outcomes. The establishment of thematic working groups (e.g., on digital health, climate resilience, research impact) has enabled partners to explore synergies across research fields, sometimes resulting in joint publications or white papers. Joint participation in proposal calls is also growing: already, several Horizon Europe proposals have been submitted by consortia that first met through Crosspaths activities.
Crosspaths has also provided mentoring opportunities that go beyond technical support. Senior staff from more experienced institutions have served as informal mentors for junior research managers in Widening countries, building long-term relationships that extend beyond the project. This human-level dimension is often what makes or breaks sustained collaboration, and Crosspaths has deliberately nurtured it.
In parallel, the project is exploring the possibility of a joint digital platform where knowledge, tools, and training resources developed during the project can be made available to a wider audience. This platform could become a go-to space for institutions looking to strengthen their international collaboration capacities, even after the end of Crosspaths.
Conclusion: A Scalable, Sustainable Blueprint for the ERA
What makes Crosspaths unique is not just what it does, but how it does it. By aligning institutional development with mutual trust, co-creation, and strategic foresight, it offers a replicable model for international research collaboration.
Its integrated catalogue of services, peer-driven training, shared events, and collective strategy development show that meaningful cooperation is not only possible but highly effective when all voices are heard and valued. For Horizon Europe and beyond, Crosspaths offers a blueprint for how the European Research Area can be made more inclusive, more resilient, and more impactful.
As the project moves toward its final phase, its greatest legacy may well be the partnerships it helped build—partnerships that are likely to last well beyond any funding cycle.
