The 2019 edition of COST Academy event on the Sustainability of COST Actions brought together on 4 December the Chairs of 28 ending COST Actions. The aim of the event was to share ideas on how to continue the activities initiated by COST Actions, focusing on how to set up an Association.
Four speakers presented successful continuation cases of Actions. These included the establishment of a Living Lab on renewable materials and sustainable building research and the creation of associations on areas like honey bee research, ground penetrating radars or quality control of bridges and structures. A representative of the Federation of European and International Associations established in Belgium (FAIB) also contributed to the discussion, highlighting some important aspects to be considered when creating an association in Belgium.
According to the participants, in a follow-up initiative there are important challenges such as the financial sustainability and the medium- and long-term commitment of Action participants. However the exchange with the speakers and knowledge gained from the success stories with lessons learnt were very beneficial and provided great inspiration for all. COST will keep stimulating the continuation of COST Actions, thereby adding crucial research infrastructure to the European Research Area.
