Regional innovation programmes to boost local development
Regional Policy Commissioner Michel Barnier has announced that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will give a total of 116.6 million euro to back innovative regional programmes in 10 EU Member States. While the programmes will each have different priorities, they will generally focus on boosting regional and local development through innovation in the fields of new technologies, the information society, sustainable development and regional identity. Pilot projects will involve networks of regional partners such as small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), universities and public authorities. Notable projects include a programme to create a seed capital fund and support the establishment of cluster structures in the biotech sector in the Austrian capital Vienna, action to create a regional strategy for the enhancement of regional enterprises based on knowledge and technological innovation in Thessalia, Greece, and a project to strengthen links between regional enterprises and the research and innovation community in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Austria will receive 8.7 million euro of EU funding for innovative actions, Finland 5 million euro, Greece 5.5 million euro, Ireland 2.6 million euro, the Netherlands 5.5 million euro, Portugal 11.5 million euro, Sweden 11.8 million euro and the UK 11 million euro, while Italy will receive 20 million euro and Spain 35 million euro. Announcing the decisions, Commissioner Barnier said the regional projects would give an extra boost to mainstream regional development programmes in areas which are lagging behind or suffering from structural change. 'Innovative actions are a laboratory for experimentation for finding answers to the new challenges in regional development. I am convinced that these programmes will strengthen the capacity of innovation in these regions,' he said.