Differentiation: Clustering Excellence (DiCE)

1 January 2020 - 31 December 2022

About the research

DiCE’s overarching objective is to ensure that state-of-the-art research on differentiation in the EU is properly translated into policy-relevant advice and made readily accessible to policy-makers at European, national and regional levels of governance and society, better preparing the EU for future differentiation scenarios.

To do so, DiCE is: (a) creating a network of experts on differentiation; (b) undertaking a comprehensive stock-taking and synthesis of research including the production of a differentiation manual and portal; and (c) mapping, synthesizing and developing future scenarios on differentiation and test them at a scenario marathon. To achieve these aims, DiCE draws on the research on differentiated integration and differentiation currently being under way in three Horizon2020-funded EU-wide consortiums.

Exeter contributes to these efforts by designing, conducting and analysing two expert surveys that exploit the results of the running projects and elicit experts’ views on the broader question of European integration, Europe’s options, the costs and benefits of differentiation, and different scenarios for future differentiation. The focus in this project is very much on generating policy-relevant information and links.