On 2 April 2026, the Université de La Réunion hosted a full-day ERA (European Research Area) alignment workshop, co-organised by Ruizia and the DRIVE research support team, in the framework of both the ERA-Chair REALISTIC project and the CSA REMORA project. The workshop was opened by Dani Osman, Vice-President for Research at the Université de La Réunion.
The event brought together researchers, research managers, and institutional leaders to work collectively on a shared challenge: how can a research institution located at the geographical edge of Europe align itself with the values, practices, and standards of the European Research Area – and compete on an equal footing with institutions at the centre?
A key insight: symbolic distance matters more than geographical distance
The workshop was grounded in a core finding from Ruizia’s research: geographical distance from European hubs does not, in itself, determine research performance. What shapes outcomes just as powerfully is symbolic distance – the degree to which an institution aligns with ERA values such as open science, responsible research, gender equality, and researcher mobility.
This reframing opens a powerful pathway for outermost region institutions: ERA alignment is not a destination reserved for well-resourced central institutions. It is an active process that peripheral institutions can drive themselves.
Workshop activities
Working with the “Excellence for ERA” methodology – Ruizia’s structured diagnostic and action tool tailored for peripheral and outermost institutions – participants:
- Applied the diagnostic framework to map their institution’s current positioning across all ERA dimensions.
- Identified concrete gaps, institutional priorities, and actionable levers for improvement.
- Explored strategic pathways to strengthen participation in Horizon Europe, including alignment across three interconnected pillars: Responsible Research & Innovation (RRI), the European Charter & Code for Researchers (HRS4R), and strategic R&I investment.
Part of a broader REMORA strategy
This workshop is part of REMORA’s broader approach to building institutional capacity in Europe’s outermost regions. By embedding ERA alignment practices at the institutional level, REMORA aims to create lasting conditions for research excellence that will outlive the project itself.
Contact point : evelyne.tarnus (a) cellule-europe.re
