(ANSA) - BARI, NOV 16 - Getting a research contract with the European Commission, following the pattern of the Baltic macro-region. This is one of the purposes of the future strategy agreed by the General Assembly of Uniadrion (ongoing in Ancona), the network of the Universities of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, with 40 participating universities of the eight states which are members of the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region. ''We have established a strategy for the future - said Marco Pacetti, outgoing president of Uniadrion - which aims to implement all the actions included in the three traditional missions of universities. The first is, in fact, creating new knowledge and our goal is now developing what the Baltic macro-region has already accomplished, by taking advantage of an opportunity provided by the European Treaty. The Baltic macro-region got 100 million euros but among its partners are big countries such as Germany and Sweden. We have already contacted the headquarters in Finland, in order to understand what we can do to achieve, hopefully, the same result''.

The second mission is ''teaching'', and with regard to this issue ''we have already been developing a fruitful action through Sunbeam, the new project for the mobility of students, professors and university staff. The third mission is ''acting as an economic stakeholder to help the territories develop. In this context, we can count on the relationship we have already established with the Forum of the Chambers of Commerce of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas and the Forum of Adriatic and Ionian Cities. Two years ago, we decided to establish an integrated secretariat bureau to work together on projects''. Uniadrion, then, has also opted for a yearly change in the highest offices of the network, synchronized with that of the Adriatic Ionian macro-region.

Within a few days, the presidency will be handed over to the University of Sarajevo, that will replace the Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina is at the helm of AII (Adriatic-Ionian Initiative). The headquarters of Uniadrion's secretariat is located in Ancona.