COST Association - European Cooperation in Science and Technology highlights that COST networking is particularly important for countries with smaller research communities.

The COST Association is a not-for-profit international association under Belgian law. It is in charge of funding, organising, managing and promoting COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) activities. COST is an EU-funded programme that enables researchers to set up their interdisciplinary research networks known as COST Actions. We provide funds for organising conferences, meetings, training schools, short scientific exchanges or other networking activities in a wide range of scientific topics. By creating open spaces where people and ideas can grow, we unlock the full potential of science.