This Project is funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development in the ‘Socio-economic sciences and the humanities’ area (2011-2014)

The main objective of this project is to strengthen the integration process between the EU and the Neighbourhood Countries (NCs), by improving the understanding of the institutional framework of NCs and their economic interactions with the EU in terms of people, capital, trade, knowledge and innovation. The SEARCH project is coordinated by the Regional Quantitative Analysis Group of the University of Barcelona (UB-AQR).

The CIPPM team investigates the legal and regulatory framework for transfer of knowledge between EU and NCs. Subject to investigation is the institutional framework (formal and informal rules) for the mobility of tangible and especially intangible assets between the EU and the NCs, with particular emphasis on intellectual property rights.

Investigators in this project are Maurizio Borghi and Marcella Favale.

The Report on Harmonization of Intellectual Property Rights within and beyond the European Union is now available.

For more details and publications please visit the SEARCH website