CORDIS Archive
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"The Regional Innovation Strategy project was designed to increase the competitiveness of our SMEs through structured assistance measures," says project manager Ercole Cauti. "The pilot projects in phase one developed priorities for the region, many of which have been integrated into a new regional development plan (DOCUP). The most recent validation of the initiative has been the decision of the regional government to underline the same priorities in its regional innovation action programme, previously financed by the EU. Our aim in the pilot projects was to help satisfy the requirements of the four provinces and translate them into solutions and tangible results." Funding guaranteeDuring the first phase of the Strategy, the Steering Group, the management unit and the regional government received many requests to adopt additional pilot projects, with wide-ranging objectives. As a result, the regional government realised that it could have exceptional potential for strengthening the local economy. Now it has decided, unusually, to finance itself in full the activities of a second phase. This phase will present innovation to Abruzzo businesses and organisations as a fundamental commercial strategy. It will seek to clarify the region problems in innovation, to evaluate priorities and to support innovation projects. It will also prioritise and implement the actions suggested in phase one. Abruzzo in action
One of the chief objectives of the second phase of the Strategy is to motivate regional economic development actors. A key instrument is the 'projects of excellence' initiative, a competition for ideas also sponsored by the Abruzzo regional government. Proposals have been invited for projects with innovative products or processes in three fields. The first is e-business, looking for projects that use new technology to overcome problems of geographical isolation. Secondly, commercial or joint venture projects with central and eastern European countries will encourage Abruzzo businesses to penetrate these new markets. Finally, they are seeking original ideas – in research, services or industry – that could develop entrepreneurship in the region and be readily developed into commercially successful products. The aim is to reward ideas and encourage new recruits to the innovation scene in the region. Support is in the form of grants that may be used to build a prototype or launch a service. "The response has been excellent," says Cauti, "and we are sure that the second phase of the Strategy will boost the economy of the Abruzzo." The European Commission hopes that this example of local uptake and financial backing will be a model for project implementation in other innovating regions.
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REGIONAL INNOVATION STRATEGY
n both the economic and the geographical sense, the Abruzzo region of central Italy lies between the industrial north and the less-developed south. Thanks to a large proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a growing tourism sector, its employment rate and economic growth are both above the national average.