From paper to practice implementing regional innovation strategies
13 May 2004 - 14 May 2004
Over 100 regions in western Europe have developed regional innovation strategies, and now 20 regions in the new EU Member States and candidate countries are close to finalising their own. Developing a regional innovation strategy is about raising awareness and involving the widest possible range of actors in a region. The final strategy should be a coherent set of actions agreed and supported by all parties. But in many ways, the elaboration of a regional innovation strategy is the easy part. Translating its intentions into concrete actions on the ground takes much perseverance, along with the sustained commitment and resources of all the regions innovation actors. And to measure its impact and results, tools and methods to monitor and assess its implementation also need to be developed and used.
This workshop, organised by the Innovation Relay Centres and Innovating Regions in Europe Central Unit (IRC-IRE CU) in collaboration with the RIS Cyprus project and the Cypriot Research Promotion Foundation, is designed to help regions that are entering the implementation stage. It will allow regions in the process of completing their own regional innovation strategies to learn from the experiences of several other regions that have successfully developed different types of innovation programmes. The key is to mainstream the regional innovation strategy into the wider policy-making arena. Concrete examples will be given of how the priorities of regional innovation strategies have been integrated into regional and national programmes, as well as into EU Structural Funds actions. Most importantly, experience of securing the resources required for implementation will also be presented.
Presentations from individual regions will include Lower Austria, which has integrated its regional innovation strategy into its Structural Funds programming; Wales, which has devoted regional funding to implementing its regional innovation strategy; Madrid, whose Research and Innovation Strategy has been used to strengthen the regional policy-making process;and Sweden, where the outcomes of several regions innovation strategies have been taken forward in national innovation policies.
Whilst implementation will be covered during the first day, the workshops second day will move on to the subject of monitoring regional innovation activities. As regional innovation policies and actions become more widespread, the need for effective tools to monitor and assess their impact grows.
During this second session, the following regions will present the mechanisms they have established to manage and monitor their innovation activities: the Dutch Limburg region, which has developed a monitoring system covering company, project and regional levels; Lower Austria, where an initiative to measure the impact of the regional innovation strategy has been implemented; and Central Macedonia in Greece, which has established an observatory for innovation and development.
In addition, participants will also hear a presentation from a representative of the European Commissions' Enterprise DG, who will outline the elements in the recent call for proposals for regional innovation actions under the EUs Sixth Research Framework Programme.
This workshop, organised by the Innovation Relay Centres and Innovating Regions in Europe Central Unit (IRC-IRE CU) in collaboration with the RIS Cyprus project and the Cypriot Research Promotion Foundation, is designed to help regions that are entering the implementation stage. It will allow regions in the process of completing their own regional innovation strategies to learn from the experiences of several other regions that have successfully developed different types of innovation programmes. The key is to mainstream the regional innovation strategy into the wider policy-making arena. Concrete examples will be given of how the priorities of regional innovation strategies have been integrated into regional and national programmes, as well as into EU Structural Funds actions. Most importantly, experience of securing the resources required for implementation will also be presented.
Presentations from individual regions will include Lower Austria, which has integrated its regional innovation strategy into its Structural Funds programming; Wales, which has devoted regional funding to implementing its regional innovation strategy; Madrid, whose Research and Innovation Strategy has been used to strengthen the regional policy-making process;and Sweden, where the outcomes of several regions innovation strategies have been taken forward in national innovation policies.
Whilst implementation will be covered during the first day, the workshops second day will move on to the subject of monitoring regional innovation activities. As regional innovation policies and actions become more widespread, the need for effective tools to monitor and assess their impact grows.
During this second session, the following regions will present the mechanisms they have established to manage and monitor their innovation activities: the Dutch Limburg region, which has developed a monitoring system covering company, project and regional levels; Lower Austria, where an initiative to measure the impact of the regional innovation strategy has been implemented; and Central Macedonia in Greece, which has established an observatory for innovation and development.
In addition, participants will also hear a presentation from a representative of the European Commissions' Enterprise DG, who will outline the elements in the recent call for proposals for regional innovation actions under the EUs Sixth Research Framework Programme.