CORDIS Archive
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Michael Busch of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enterprise emphasises the bottom-up nature of the process. "The main aim is to bring the academic and business worlds together, while at the same time involving the public sector and bringing financial institutions on board. So much research and technology developed in the Newly Associated Countries never reaches the market place. This wastage can only be rectified at a regional level, because only there can the different types of innovation actor begin to communicate with each other." New approachesThe EU mentor partners in the RIS-NAC projects have supported the introduction of effective regional structures. Busch explains the various benefits of their experience. "A typical mistake in the past was not to involve the political authorities sufficiently. These authorities then lacked interest in the innovation strategies developed in the project, and so were reluctant to finance the subsequent action plan. Government in the acceding countries was formerly very centralised, but many decentralised regional structures have now been set up, and this helps with the implementation of innovation policy at local level. "Raising public awareness is also important because the projects rely very much on mobilising regional innovation actors. The partners have collaborated with the mass media and promoted RIS-NAC projects through numerous events. Some have held a series of workshops, and others have introduced an annual regional innovation day. "Partner regions in the accession states are not normally aware of the power of networking and co-operative action at regional level, as they are unaccustomed to functioning in that way. They are learning from the experience of mentor regions in current EU Member States, whose achievements encourage them to construct innovation strategies. This demands persistence. From what we have seen, it can take five years for real changes to occur." Added valueParticipating in a RIS-NAC project confers membership of the Innovating Regions in Europe network, now covering over 200 regions. Several associated country regions have started innovation projects without EU funding, with regional partners from both current and future Member States. Familiarity with the mechanisms required to carry through a regional innovation strategy project helps them to prepare innovation strategies, and better prepares them to make use of EU Structural Funds. "The associated country regions learn to apply these techniques in many other domains, not only in the innovation policy area," says Busch. "They learn how to plan in a new way, through consensus among all the main innovation actors. The plan evolves with feedback from the participants, which is completely different from what they are used to. The mentor regions benefit too, by discovering market opportunities in the associated countries. It is astonishing to see how many contacts they have made already." Contact
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ASSOCIATED COUNTRIES
he 16 RIS-NAC projects launched during 2001 by regions in ten Newly Associated Countries - most of which will join the EU later this year - are due for completion in mid-2004. At least one partner from an EU Member State, with experience of developing their own regional innovation strategy, acts as mentor in each project. Mentor regions are able to point out strengths and weaknesses, and identify potential for innovation support within the regions concerned. The RIS-NAC projects are meeting their objectives of developing regional innovation strategies by bringing together the different actors involved in innovation issues. They focus on raising awareness of the importance of an innovation culture, and give regions the confidence to use the support available to them.