The overall aim of the project entitled ‘Strengthening Research and Innovation Links towards Ukraine (abbr. RI-LINKS2UA) is to further support and enhance the integration of Ukraine to the European Research Area. The following three core objectives will be archived by a consortium of 12 renewed organisations with professional STI policy and policy analysis background from EU MS /AC (including Ukraine of course): • to further support and stimulate the policy dialogue on R&I between EU and Ukraine and therefore to enable the better integration of Ukraine into ERA, by identifying remaining obstacles, drivers and opportunities through analytical evidence and R&I policy advice; • to contribute to the improvement of supportive framework conditions in the field of R&I through a targeted portfolio of activities in order to systematically enhance and stimulate the EU-Ukraine STI cooperation; • to further encourage and facilitate cooperation between research actors from the EU and Ukraine through a set of supportive R&I measures and by promoting EU-Ukrainian participation in joint projects in Horizon 2020 and other EU funded programmes. In particular RI-LINKS2UA will: • Contribute to the improvement of the framework conditions for EU-Ukraine STI cooperation • Provide an operational tailor-made support to policy dialogue • Strengthen innovation capacity and economic competitiveness • Stimulate and promote the R&I cooperation between EU and Ukraine • Contribute to the governance of Ukrainian participation in the Horizon 2020 and assure practical follow up and long-term impacts by applying diligent dissemination and valorisation precautions. RI-LINKS2UA is supported by ministries responsible for research from 7 EU MS as well as by core members of the project’s consortium from Ukraine, namely the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and National Academy of Sciences. The proposed activities build up on the results of previous EU funded support projects with Ukraine.