Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BOOST (Boosting Smart Regional Innovation Ecosystems)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-06-01 bis 2023-05-31
Project BOOST is a collaborative effort among six organizations from five European countries aimed at boosting collaboration in the fields of Industry 4.0 Cleantech and Green Transition, Health & Well-being, and ICT & Digital Transformation. The project focuses on developing an efficient Interregional Collaboration Framework and Collaboration Corridor to enhance innovation ecosystems. The consortium comprises organizations from both moderate/modest and lead innovator countries, building on existing foundations of collaboration while addressing common regional innovation priorities.
The main objective of project BOOST is to increase the efficiency of interregional collaboration among partners and their respective regional innovation ecosystems. It seeks to achieve this by designing a structural Interregional Collaboration Framework (ICF) and developing tools and mechanisms for operationalizing the Collaboration Corridor. The project aims to consolidate and accelerate the transition towards Green and Digital Regional development models by aligning with existing policies, funding opportunities, and strategies. Furthermore, it aims to enhance the capacities of local innovation ecosystems, particularly for start-ups, SMEs, and the public sector.
BOOST anticipates several impacts. Firstly, it aims to increase the interregional collaboration level among project partners, progressing from informal to more structured collaboration models. This will be achieved through a comprehensive process that maps and engages a critical mass of innovation actors and stakeholders from partner ecosystems. The project also envisions the creation of a common vision, mission, and strategic direction for Smart Regions, scalable at the European level, while aligning with regional, national, and European policies and funding opportunities. By addressing the key thematic areas of Industry 4.0 Cleantech, Health & Well-being, and ICT & Digital Transformation, Project BOOST seeks to contribute to the EU's priorities for the next decade, such as digital transformation, green/sustainable solutions, and a fair and inclusive transition towards a carbon-free economy.
In summary, project BOOST's context revolves around fostering collaboration among European innovation ecosystems, addressing common regional innovation priorities. Its objectives encompass the design of an Interregional Collaboration Framework, increasing collaboration levels, and developing a comprehensive action plan. The project's expected impact includes enhanced efficiency in collaboration, consolidation of Green and Digital Regional development models, and alignment with EU priorities for a sustainable and inclusive future.
The main objective of project BOOST is to increase the efficiency of interregional collaboration among partners and their respective regional innovation ecosystems. It seeks to achieve this by designing a structural Interregional Collaboration Framework (ICF) and developing tools and mechanisms for operationalizing the Collaboration Corridor. The project aims to consolidate and accelerate the transition towards Green and Digital Regional development models by aligning with existing policies, funding opportunities, and strategies. Furthermore, it aims to enhance the capacities of local innovation ecosystems, particularly for start-ups, SMEs, and the public sector.
BOOST anticipates several impacts. Firstly, it aims to increase the interregional collaboration level among project partners, progressing from informal to more structured collaboration models. This will be achieved through a comprehensive process that maps and engages a critical mass of innovation actors and stakeholders from partner ecosystems. The project also envisions the creation of a common vision, mission, and strategic direction for Smart Regions, scalable at the European level, while aligning with regional, national, and European policies and funding opportunities. By addressing the key thematic areas of Industry 4.0 Cleantech, Health & Well-being, and ICT & Digital Transformation, Project BOOST seeks to contribute to the EU's priorities for the next decade, such as digital transformation, green/sustainable solutions, and a fair and inclusive transition towards a carbon-free economy.
In summary, project BOOST's context revolves around fostering collaboration among European innovation ecosystems, addressing common regional innovation priorities. Its objectives encompass the design of an Interregional Collaboration Framework, increasing collaboration levels, and developing a comprehensive action plan. The project's expected impact includes enhanced efficiency in collaboration, consolidation of Green and Digital Regional development models, and alignment with EU priorities for a sustainable and inclusive future.
In the implementation period between M1 and M12, the actions and developments of project BOOST have closely followed the timeline advanced initially in the project application.
Initially we have created the project management, coordination, collaboration, data management and communication (internal and external) mechanisms, as part of WP5 - Project Management and Cooperation and WP6 - Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication.
At the same time, our focus during phase 1 of our implementation period was to develop the key concepts from project BOOST, efforts that covered the 3 tasks pertaining to WP1 - Interregional Collaboration Framework for Smart Regions, from M1 to M6. We revisited and consolidated the core vision and mission of the project, agreed on a strategic approach for the project and adjusted the Interregional Collaboration Framework’s architecture. Eventually we developed BOOST’s Unique Selling Proposition as a “Fast lane collaboration ticket for innovative people, organizations and ecosystems from Europe”.
We have built the USP of project BOOST around the key elements that the stakeholders of the innovation ecosystems value regarding interregional collaboration: Fast and efficient, thematically focused, tailored and in-depth approach, quality and attractiveness of contacts, wide geographic span of innovation orchestrators, focus on practitioners and stories that talk to you.
As of M4 we also started working on WP2 - BOOST Community Building.
We started by developing the regional state of the art of the partners’ Regional Innovation Frameworks (D2.1). Deliverable 2.1 brought forward an assessment of the current state of the art of the innovation status of the 6 regions represented in the project: North West in Romania, North East in Bulgaria, Estonia, South Denmark and Catalunya in Spain. Embedded into European context, the analysis first presents briefly the European innovation framework, regarding the innovation status based on main indicators and the main European programmes boosting innovation. Embedded into national context, the deliverable also provides a synthesis of the BOOST countries presented in a benchmarking context and in relation to EU average indicators, highlighting strengths and weaknesses form both country perspective and regional perspective, in referral to the BOOST regions only. The target sectors are the ones defined in the BOOST application form but the approach stays open to be able to include potential innovative sectors in future perspective. The thematic of collaboration that will be primarily addressed have been chosen based on identifying the common priorities from the partners’ regions S3 strategies, being clearly in line with the Green and Digital European priorities: Industry 4.0,Cleantech and Green Transition, Health & Well-being, and ICT & Digital Transformation. National innovation frameworks are described in terms of governance, main players, policies, strategies and programmes both national and regional, to better understand how the research - development and innovation system is functioning in each of the BOOST countries analyzed.
Afterwards we performed a mapping of the main stakeholders boosting innovation in the five BOOST regions (D2.2) that is mirroring both the institutional structure and the capabilities of each regional ecosystem. The main stakeholders acting as the target group, described in the methodological chapter, were structured on four categories, to be easily followed, according to their role in boosting innovation: 1) public authorities 2) collaborative business & innovation support structures 3) business support structures and infrastructure 4) research & technology transfer entities.
The dynamics of the collaboration between the stakeholders from each target region will be further analyzed in the next phase of the BOOST project, to level and explore also the inter-regional collaboration potential, between relevant and willing stakeholders across the BOOST regions from the 5 European countries.
Initially we have created the project management, coordination, collaboration, data management and communication (internal and external) mechanisms, as part of WP5 - Project Management and Cooperation and WP6 - Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication.
At the same time, our focus during phase 1 of our implementation period was to develop the key concepts from project BOOST, efforts that covered the 3 tasks pertaining to WP1 - Interregional Collaboration Framework for Smart Regions, from M1 to M6. We revisited and consolidated the core vision and mission of the project, agreed on a strategic approach for the project and adjusted the Interregional Collaboration Framework’s architecture. Eventually we developed BOOST’s Unique Selling Proposition as a “Fast lane collaboration ticket for innovative people, organizations and ecosystems from Europe”.
We have built the USP of project BOOST around the key elements that the stakeholders of the innovation ecosystems value regarding interregional collaboration: Fast and efficient, thematically focused, tailored and in-depth approach, quality and attractiveness of contacts, wide geographic span of innovation orchestrators, focus on practitioners and stories that talk to you.
As of M4 we also started working on WP2 - BOOST Community Building.
We started by developing the regional state of the art of the partners’ Regional Innovation Frameworks (D2.1). Deliverable 2.1 brought forward an assessment of the current state of the art of the innovation status of the 6 regions represented in the project: North West in Romania, North East in Bulgaria, Estonia, South Denmark and Catalunya in Spain. Embedded into European context, the analysis first presents briefly the European innovation framework, regarding the innovation status based on main indicators and the main European programmes boosting innovation. Embedded into national context, the deliverable also provides a synthesis of the BOOST countries presented in a benchmarking context and in relation to EU average indicators, highlighting strengths and weaknesses form both country perspective and regional perspective, in referral to the BOOST regions only. The target sectors are the ones defined in the BOOST application form but the approach stays open to be able to include potential innovative sectors in future perspective. The thematic of collaboration that will be primarily addressed have been chosen based on identifying the common priorities from the partners’ regions S3 strategies, being clearly in line with the Green and Digital European priorities: Industry 4.0,Cleantech and Green Transition, Health & Well-being, and ICT & Digital Transformation. National innovation frameworks are described in terms of governance, main players, policies, strategies and programmes both national and regional, to better understand how the research - development and innovation system is functioning in each of the BOOST countries analyzed.
Afterwards we performed a mapping of the main stakeholders boosting innovation in the five BOOST regions (D2.2) that is mirroring both the institutional structure and the capabilities of each regional ecosystem. The main stakeholders acting as the target group, described in the methodological chapter, were structured on four categories, to be easily followed, according to their role in boosting innovation: 1) public authorities 2) collaborative business & innovation support structures 3) business support structures and infrastructure 4) research & technology transfer entities.
The dynamics of the collaboration between the stakeholders from each target region will be further analyzed in the next phase of the BOOST project, to level and explore also the inter-regional collaboration potential, between relevant and willing stakeholders across the BOOST regions from the 5 European countries.
The project's current results are rather setting the scene for phase 2 of BOOST, which will consist of the action planning that could generate positive impact and outcomes to main beneficiaries and innovation stakeholders.
Between M1 and M12 we have developed the following:
- a common vision, mission and strategic approach among partners’ innovation ecosystems, and
- a mapping and analysis of innovation actors and relevant stakeholders for the thematic areas of partner regions.
Between M1 and M12 we have developed the following:
- a common vision, mission and strategic approach among partners’ innovation ecosystems, and
- a mapping and analysis of innovation actors and relevant stakeholders for the thematic areas of partner regions.