Weak Signal's description 
In most cases, the objective is to internationalise domestic research systems with a view on reaching a higher quality and level of excellence. Those criteria are guiding the rules for funding (e.g. selection of mobile researchers under mobility schemes, funding rules for transnational R&D projects, selection of partners for university strategic agreements, etc.). Those criteria prevail over those linked to geographic location. Of course, proximity and research cooperation traditions play a role in the preference that could be given to research partners located in the EU, and in practice the use of initiatives from actors located in the EU Member States is quite high. But there is also a strong sense of a need for openness to research partners in nonEU countries for which it is thought that benefits can be drawn from research collaboration. While the ERA project focuses essentially on EU27 countries, in practice the developments at national and grassroots levels do not point towards the creation of an R&D fortress Europe.