Recommendations for an EU-IRQ energy centre from stakeholders and experts network studies: The research component

Results from stakeholders mapping and analysis are used to prepare for an EU-IRQ energy centre (EUIEC). The centre consists of research, training, business, policy and dialogue components. This article focuses on setting up the research centre. EUIEC could be built on good examples taking advantage of EU-IRQ bilateral agreements and ongoing intense developments in Iraq’s energy sector involving top international companies and their large networks. The author advocates actively and mutually facilitating the process particularly in the kick-off and start-up phase (two to five) years. A multi-disciplinary experts’ network setting is recommended that fits best when integrated with the other EUIEC components and services. Recommendations are made to cluster mono-disciplinary research programmes and projects (RP) into multi-disciplinary themes and research areas (RA). The final EUIEC organization, RP and facilities integrating all its components will require further efforts from the consultants, lead stakeholders and experts building up on preliminary results from this study.