INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION NON COMMERCIAL

Their core work

ICARTI is a Georgian non-profit organization that serves as a bridge between the South Caucasus research community and EU research and innovation programmes. They specialize in supporting National Contact Points (NCPs) for ICT and facilitating the participation of Eastern Partnership countries in Horizon 2020. Their practical work involves networking, policy dialogue, and capacity building to help Georgian and regional researchers access European funding and collaboration opportunities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ICARTI began with a narrow focus on ICT NCP transnational cooperation through the Idealist2018 project (2015-2018), essentially helping coordinate national contact points across borders. Their scope broadened in 2016-2019 with EaP PLUS, which expanded into wider research and innovation policy dialogue, grants for networking, and engagement with clusters and technology platforms across Eastern Partnership countries. By 2019, they returned to ICT NCP coordination with Idealist2020, suggesting a stable core competency in this niche.

ICARTI is a steady NCP support organization with growing interest in broader Eastern Partnership research policy — expect them to continue as a regional gateway for EU-Georgia research cooperation.

How they like to work

ICARTI operates exclusively as a participant in Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs), never as a coordinator. They work in large consortia — 57 unique partners across 36 countries from just 3 projects — indicating they function as a regional node in pan-European NCP networks. This makes them a reliable, low-maintenance partner who understands their role in large multi-country support actions.

Despite having only 3 projects, ICARTI has collaborated with 57 partners across 36 countries, reflecting the broad pan-European nature of NCP coordination networks. Their geographic connections span the EU and Eastern Partnership region extensively.

What sets them apart

ICARTI occupies a specific niche as one of the few Georgian organizations embedded in EU-wide ICT NCP networks. For anyone building a consortium that needs South Caucasus or Eastern Partnership representation — particularly in ICT or research policy topics — ICARTI provides established connections and regional knowledge. Their value lies not in technical research capacity but in their role as a gateway to the Georgian and wider EaP research ecosystem.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EaP PLUS
  Largest funding (EUR 61,250) and broadest scope — covering policy dialogue, networking grants, and research cooperation across all Eastern Partnership countries.
• Idealist2018
  First H2020 project establishing ICARTI's role in the pan-European ICT NCP coordination network.