50 years of science without borders!

On the 22 and 23 November 1971, the European Cooperation for Science and Technology (COST) was established to help answering key challenges that researchers in Europe were facing at the time.

50 years later, COST has become the leading networking instrument in the European Research Area European (ERA) where true pan-European collaborations, namely the COST Actions, are expanding globally, based on the diversity of collaborations of researchers across its 39 COST Members.

Besides the many successes and ideas that flourished throughout this 50 years’ journey, COST also proved to be a key instrument to promote gender equality in research and innovation, fostering further involvement of Inclusiveness Target Countries researchers as well as boosting young researchers’ careers.

Celebrating COST’s 50 years is the occasion to put the spotlight on the key milestones of our history as well as highlighting some of the main achievements resulting from the work performed under COST Actions’ multidisciplinary teams. The new publication “50 years of research networks”, together with this special website offer an extensive overview of the impact of our networks over the last half century.

Every year, more than 45,000 researchers are involved in COST networking activities, regardless of their career stage, country of origin or areas of interest. COST provides structural support to the ERA, widening the Research & Innovation base in Europe.

As COST President, I am very proud of this programme which connects top performers including European Research Council grantees and even Nobel Prize winners. COST maximises the production of new knowledge, breakthrough discoveries and works towards an even better circulation of both ideas and people across Europe and beyond. I hope you will enjoy reading about COST’s successes, which demonstrate that Together we are stronger.”

Prof. Paulo Ferrão , President of COST

Read the full message by the President of COST in the publication here.

Find more information about COST here: www.cost.eu

Discover the “50 Years of Research Networks” here

Discover our 50 stories here