Innovation pathways and knowledge economy
16 April 2008 - 16 April 2008
Belgium
The DISTRICT Regional Framework Operation funded under the Interreg IIIC South Zone programme succeeded in bringing together some 50 local actors involved in 11 subprojects - thereby establishing several networks among the four partner regions.
The partnership included the lead partner Tuscany Region, West Midlands (United Kingdom), Saxony (Germany) and Västra Götaland (Sweden).
DISTRICT focus was to improve the partners’ regional economies that have been - and still largely are - strongly dependant on industry. The mission of the project was to work together to enhance the competitiveness of the regional territories by networking local resources and investing on concrete innovative ideas and pathways leading to the knowledge economy.
The project started in July 2005 to end in June 2008. Its total budget amounts to 7.146.575,00 euros - with a 3.936.343,75 euros ERDF contribution by the European Commission – of which about 2.2 milion euros for Tuscany.
A microwave sensor to save frescos from humidity, a virtual platform of global market where companies make businesses, a ‘pressure measurement’ system to produce high quality riding saddles, and even a dynamic control system of the brine to the cooling counters in food stores which can reduce the energy consumption in the cooling system between 15-20%.
These are only some of the cases of good practice which the DISTRICT project will present in Bruxelles during the final conference “Innovation pathways and knowledge economy” which will be held on 16th April 2008 at the Espace Monte Paschi.
Representatives of European commission, economists and local actors will discuss on technological transfer, innovative clusters and networks.
The event - organised by Tuscany Region, Municipality of Prato and District secretariat - will be opened by Claudio Martini, president of the Tuscany Region and Marco Romagnoli, Mayor of Prato, together with representatives of European Commission - Regional Policy and Interreg IIIC Managing Authority.
Participants will also include Pablo Landecho Campos, Interreg IIIC Managing Authority; Bertil Törsater, CEO Regional Development, Regions Västra Götaland; Albino Caporale, DG Economic Development, Tuscany Region; Graham Ashmore, Cluster Manager, UKTI, Alexander Eickelpasch, DIW Berlin and Jon Bloomfield, European Team, Advantage West Midlands.
The meeting will consist of three sessions during which participants will talk about topics related to the thematic components developed by the eleven DISTRICT subprojects. The first session will focus on how to connect cluster and business networks to innovation, within the global context at best, while SMEs innovation projects in collaboration with universities and research and transfer centres will be the theme of the second session. The third session will discuss about innovation in financial engineering, seed venture capital, start-ups and spin-offs.
A round table - which will center the issue of regions and innovation in the EU 2007-2013 programming period - will conclude the conference and see also the partecipation of Olivier Baudelet, Interreg Unit, DG Regio European Commission and delegates of regions involved in the project.
On the occasion, some video interviews and reportages documenting significant samples of innovative exellence from the DISTRICT partner regions will be shown.
The partnership included the lead partner Tuscany Region, West Midlands (United Kingdom), Saxony (Germany) and Västra Götaland (Sweden).
DISTRICT focus was to improve the partners’ regional economies that have been - and still largely are - strongly dependant on industry. The mission of the project was to work together to enhance the competitiveness of the regional territories by networking local resources and investing on concrete innovative ideas and pathways leading to the knowledge economy.
The project started in July 2005 to end in June 2008. Its total budget amounts to 7.146.575,00 euros - with a 3.936.343,75 euros ERDF contribution by the European Commission – of which about 2.2 milion euros for Tuscany.
A microwave sensor to save frescos from humidity, a virtual platform of global market where companies make businesses, a ‘pressure measurement’ system to produce high quality riding saddles, and even a dynamic control system of the brine to the cooling counters in food stores which can reduce the energy consumption in the cooling system between 15-20%.
These are only some of the cases of good practice which the DISTRICT project will present in Bruxelles during the final conference “Innovation pathways and knowledge economy” which will be held on 16th April 2008 at the Espace Monte Paschi.
Representatives of European commission, economists and local actors will discuss on technological transfer, innovative clusters and networks.
The event - organised by Tuscany Region, Municipality of Prato and District secretariat - will be opened by Claudio Martini, president of the Tuscany Region and Marco Romagnoli, Mayor of Prato, together with representatives of European Commission - Regional Policy and Interreg IIIC Managing Authority.
Participants will also include Pablo Landecho Campos, Interreg IIIC Managing Authority; Bertil Törsater, CEO Regional Development, Regions Västra Götaland; Albino Caporale, DG Economic Development, Tuscany Region; Graham Ashmore, Cluster Manager, UKTI, Alexander Eickelpasch, DIW Berlin and Jon Bloomfield, European Team, Advantage West Midlands.
The meeting will consist of three sessions during which participants will talk about topics related to the thematic components developed by the eleven DISTRICT subprojects. The first session will focus on how to connect cluster and business networks to innovation, within the global context at best, while SMEs innovation projects in collaboration with universities and research and transfer centres will be the theme of the second session. The third session will discuss about innovation in financial engineering, seed venture capital, start-ups and spin-offs.
A round table - which will center the issue of regions and innovation in the EU 2007-2013 programming period - will conclude the conference and see also the partecipation of Olivier Baudelet, Interreg Unit, DG Regio European Commission and delegates of regions involved in the project.
On the occasion, some video interviews and reportages documenting significant samples of innovative exellence from the DISTRICT partner regions will be shown.