Research and Innovation Supporting Energy Transition: Challenges for Wider Participation of Lagging Countries

The paper uncovers the barriers limiting wider involvement of lagging countries in Research and Innovation (R&I) activities in the smart grid domain. The data have been collected through a dedicated stakeholder survey. The analysis presented in the paper underlines the key challenging issues: proposal preparation and consortium building process, insufficient support, lack of information and bureaucracy. An attempt is made to identify pathways to overcome these barriers based on identified best practices in more advanced countries.