Knowledge crossing borders

From scrum to a cross border portal

ITEM is a centre of expertise that focuses on cross-border issues in the EU regional context on the one hand and transnational context on the other. It is the pivot of research, advice, knowledge exchange and training activities regarding cross-border mobility and cooperation. The value and power of ITEM is in the scientific and interdisciplinary approach with which concrete practical solutions are proposed.

Cross-border activities did not always have a voice, Maastricht University saw the opportunity to bundle elements and contribute from science. They started working on that, and here came the wish for a cross border portal: a combination of a file monitoring system and a knowledge base. Extensive research showed that off-the-shelve solutions were not an option. With existing solutions, many concessions had to be made. This would be at the expense of our final goal and we did not want that. Customization turned out to be the only option.

ITEM took the time to fill the knowledge base with anonymous cases on diploma recognition, pensions, social security and taxation in a cross-border perspective. The portal has been open since September 2018 and the reactions have been very positive. Good use is made of the knowledge base and several practical cases have already been submitted for an analysis by ITEM from a scientific perspective.