Final Report Summary - REDICT (Regional Economic Development by ICT/New media clusters)
Executive Summary:
Project summary
The REDICT project brings together 6 regions and clusters (18 partners), which share a strong R&D presence in the field of ICT and New media and the sense that this position has to be exploited for maximal economic and social benefit. They see that the factors that influence the transfer of knowledge to SMEs are complex and often badly understood and want to exchange experiences and best practices to better understand these factors and to make use of them to boost competitiveness and economic performance. The results are presented in Joint Action Plans, Business Support Measures Packages, guidelines and recommendations for innovative research-driven clusters. Cities involved in REDICT are: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Dublin and Paris.
The main objectives of REDICT were:
• To map all the critical issues that are relevant for improving the innovation potential of the regions involved in the field of ICT/New Media;
• To design best strategies and concrete actions based on this to strengthen the economic competitiveness of the region, with a clear focus on the role and potential of SME's.
• To assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for boosting innovation and knowledge flow to SME's in the different regions.
• To suggest practical, tailor-made strategies and action plans (JAP) for RTD-related measures, and ways in which these link to relevant economic development policies.
General conclusions of REDICT
SME's
• The digital media are an important and rapidly growing part of the economy. The average size of companies in the ICT/New Media sector is small and their average age is low.
• These companies are particularly dependent on an environment that nurtures new and innovative enterprises. While the regional scale does not seem to be very relevant for bigger ICT/New Media companies, it seems to be the right scale for SME's. Measures to stimulate this sector therefore benefit from a well organized regional support structure.
• A regional cluster can be instrumental in setting up joint projects, commercial or subsidized, in which a number of SME's team up to develop services or solutions for customers that would not be feasible for any of the SME's alone. Regional clusters can also be the interface between SME's and large, international companies or for cross-border contacts. Regional networks have an important role to play in creating an environment in which SME's unlock their potential.
Cluster organization and support policy
• In all regions institutional initiatives exist to promote interaction between the three strands of the helix. Some REDICT cities do have an explicit and coordinated cluster policy for the Digital Media (Paris, Berlin, Dublin). In other REDICT cites (Amsterdam) activities seem more implicit.
• In Work Package 4 a Framework of Reference (FoR) is developed to identify the conditions that make clusters successful.
• Networks and financing programmes are seen by SME's as the most important instruments to stimulate the development of a strong ICT/New Media sector.
Knowledge transfer
• All REDICT regions face a knowledge paradox: an abundance of scientific research of often excellent quality but disappointingly few new products and services brought to the market. Although most regional Knowledge Institutes are ready to collaborate with industry, universities generally participate in large projects with large companies and not with SME's. The reason for larger companies to be more involved in joint research projects with academic institutions is that they have the structure and the capacity to participate in such projects.
• In general companies consider ICT-research at the KIS of a high standard, but at the same time they see a discrepancy between the long term scientific goals of academic institutions and the shorter term R&D needs of industry. SME's in the digital media sector are often very small and lack the capacity to fruitfully enter into open ended collaboration with knowledge institutions.
• There are few examples of SME's that are hatched under the wings of large companies, whereas this could be a potentially effective way of nurturing innovation to the point where it may have a large scale market impact. Although academic institutions these days are open to cooperation with industry and to commercial exploitation of their research results, the transfer of knowledge through start ups remains at a disappointingly low level in all regions.
Project Context and Objectives:
The idea for the REDICT came up in 2007 in Amsterdam and was developed as a Region of Knowledge project in close cooperation between 18 partners (representing the three strands of the triple helix: government, enterprises, knowledge institutions) from 6 regions and clusters. All these regions shared a strong R&D presence in the field of ICT and New media – in the following defined as Digital Media - and the sense that this position has to be exploited for maximum economic and social benefit. They saw that the factors that influence the transfer of knowledge to SMEs are complex and often badly understood and wanted to exchange experiences and best practices to better understand these factors and to make use of them to boost competitiveness and economic performance.
The project results are presented in Joint Action Plans, Business Support Measure Packages, guidelines and recommendations for innovative research-driven clusters in Europe that could benefit from the REDICT experiences. Part of the Action Plan is to use the REDICT network as a tool to support SMEs from the individual regional clusters to develop new partnerships abroad.
The project consisted of 5 workplans, The first three providing the foundation (Statistical Information, Inventory of Strategic Tools, Inventory of Business Community Needs) for WP4, the Framework of Reference and WP5, the Integration, Synthesis and conclusions of the project.
The 6 regions, although all, certainly within their countries, strong in the field of digital media represent the diversity of the European landscape. Bucharest, a typical example of a region in the emerging economies, Dublin capital of a relatively small country having gone through a rapid economic development with a strong emphasis on the ICT-sector, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, relatively prosperous regions in small to medium sized countries, with a strong appeal for the creative class, Paris and Berlin, big urban regions, in two of the largest EU countries, one the dominant urban center in a centrally governed state, the other, one of the important urban centers in a federal state. The characteristics of these six regions in terms of their economic and ICT strengths and the ambitions of the regions regarding an innovative digital media industry and the ways how to facilitate its development, partly reflect the differences in the regional characteristics themselves. But there are also common elements that are useful to consider when defining policies to boost innovation in our digitized societies. There are also best practices in some of the regions that are worthwhile to emulate in other regions.
This final report summarizes the most important results of the REDICT project. It starts with a general chapter that describes:
• the REDICT focus
• the consequences of the financial crisis for the ICT/New Media sector and the reaction of the EU
• the dynamics of cluster developments
• common elements that are useful to consider when defining policies
• general observations on the interaction between sector players.
The second chapter contains a common SWOT of the Digital Media sector of the REDICT regions and this is followed by the general conclusions of the REDICT project in chapter 3. Chapter 4 contains the elements of the Hoint Action Plan. Finally the chapters 5 to 9 give practical information on the participants in the project, the dissemination activities in the REDICT project, the societal implications and the links with other Regions of Knowledge projects.
As target audiences for the report have been identified:
• ICT & Media clusters in Europe
• Associations of SMEs in digital media in Europe
• Targeted SMEs known for their interest in international development.
• Key academic organizations (universities, research centers) working closely with SMEs
• Large industrial groups in digital media
• Innovation and business support organizations (regional chamber of commerce and industry, venture capital companies, …
• Local government, public authorities
Amsterdam region
A vibrant ICT/New Media cluster with high concentration of skills. Amsterdam is the most important Telecom, IT & New Media city in the Netherlands, with approximately 8,000 companies operating in the sector. Together, this cluster employs about 40,000 people, among them many highly skilled IT professionals and creative professionals. Many international ICT companies have chosen for Amsterdam as a European base because of its outstanding communications infrastructure, its strategic location near key markets and logistics networks. In the ICT/New media sector of the Amsterdam region counts for about 10-15% of all jobs and almost 8000 companies and organisations. The networking infrastructure is high-level (AMSIX), there is an ambitious broadband-program, and a strong leading R&D knowledge position (MultimediaN, GRID, VL-e, simulation & gaming).
ICT/New media
The Amsterdam region has the national centre for broadcasting (Hilversum) in its region; a keen interest in digital broadcasting, the best penetrated ADSL-network of Europe (with Iceland). In short, by all measures it is very suited to play a lead role within the ICT/New Media area. In addition to all of this it has leading research centers in this content and technology area as well as the largest Internet exchange of Europe on its grounds.
Challenges in region of Amsterdam
The city of Amsterdam aims to create a productive climate for the creative industry. Given its technological advancement in the two universities of the city and the well-established ICT tradition on the one hand and the creative industry in a narrow sense in the other, it is the purpose to join the two together in ICT & New Media capital of Europe. Amsterdam still has a strong position in knowledge contents, science and infrastructure; however the effective use of this position with reference to new and growing companies and (spin-off) products needs attention: this is known as the Dutch knowledge-paradox.
Paris region
The Paris region is a metropolitan region of 11,3 million inhabitants. It is one of the most innovative and wealth creating economic regions. It represents 4,5 % of the GDP of the European Union. The Paris region is home to 134 550 researchers, with 14,3 billion of euros devoted to R&D every year. ICT related activities account for more than 300 000 jobs, making Paris region Europe's highest concentration of specialist ICT personnel. A remarkably high concentration of actors in Paris region with : a large number of public and private laboratories (CEA, Thalès, France Telecom R&D), telecommunications centres of global blue-chip companies (Motorola, LG Electronics, Orange), internationally renowned training centres and engineering colleges such as GET Telecom Paris, Polytechnique, University of Pierre et Marie Curie.
Challenges in the region of Paris
It is difficult for SMEs to identify and build actual close relationship with reference academics. The difference of size and reactivity between SMEs and large academic actors is a difficulty. A difficult point is to build the good connection between the Academic know how and the ability of a SME to push an innovation on the market. The main question is on the balance between the level of investment (time to set up confidence and close relationship) and the size of accessible market for the SME. SMEs are very sensible on the property of their know how as it is a main valorization measurement for their enterprise when they will call for money, thus they can be afraid to share some confidential information
Copenhagen region
The ICT- and mobile clusters in Copenhagen are part of the Copenhagen region. The city, with the surrounding region, is developing into a Scandinavian hub for ICT/New Media companies. Penetration rates for mobile phones are high (90%) and mobile awareness is good; mobile services are today well advertised and mobile commerce is relatively common. Many of the large ICT companies and telecom operators are represented in Copenhagen. The city is involved in developing a new mobile infrastructure, opening up for much cheaper connection to the Internet via the mobile phone.
Challenges in the region of Copenhagen:
The Copenhagen region has a low number of entrepreneurs and independent businesses among people with a high education and few successful growth entrepreneurs in total. The number of high educated people in the working force is low compared to other North European metropolises – which are ranked 2 or 3 times higher than the region of Copenhagen and finally the clusters within the ICT and creative industries are growing slower than in other big cities. Within a few years, the creative industries could well be on the way to becoming a significant growth industry
Dublin region
Dublin's success is Ireland's success with the well-known Celtic Tiger attracting attention to what makes Dublin ‘tick', in terms of economic development. A worry for government in this area is that much of the Celtic Tiger success is based upon multinational corporations, and those corporations have little loyalty and are easily inclined to relocate their (Irish) operations to cheaper Asian or East European locations. This threatens the success of Ireland in the area of ICT and so the role of government to work to secure this success we presently enjoy.
Barriers for innovation
Ireland has a small base of R&D and the setup of Science Foundation Ireland was a major step towards growing a research activity in Ireland which is world-class. However, this cannot be done overneight and there is slow but successful growth of a cohort of active, world-rated researchers in Ireland. Most Irish SMEs need to focus on short-term deliverables to operate. Lack of financial resources and of relevant human resources are the main barrier to introduce innovative processes in Irish SMEs. Long development cycles of innovative products and services are also a barrier to overcome for most Irish SMEs
Bucharest region
The Bucharest region is an upcoming region in ICT/New Media and in Romania the most important ICT cluster, because of the political will to develop a knowledge-based economy. A new legislative framework is being prepared, harmonized with the EU (e-signature law, e-commerce law, data protection law, law on scientific and technological parks, law on scientific research and technological development) to foster the fast developing software industry. In the region there is a high qualification level of the working force in big numbers available, among the first in the world as number of certified specialists in informatics according to "Brain-Bench"-Global IT IQ report ; good knowledge of foreign languages; of the total number of faculty's graduates approx. 10% are trained for the IT field. There is governmental commitment for stimulating the development of a fully liberalized telecommunications market on the background of the advanced regulatory framework in the field of both telecommunications and e-commerce, and a National Governmental Strategy for promoting the new economy and information society, as well as for IT implementation in the public administration.
Barriers for innovation in ICT/New media
The main barriers for innovation in the region are lack of experience, skills and means at the regional level for designing and implementing IS policies, strategies and programmes. Furthermore, the legislative, institutional and procedural framework in area of property rights and technology transfer is underdeveloped. The average salary is lower than the one in developed countries, and Romania is faced with a large emigration to USA, Canada, Western Europe of well-trained labour.
In Romania "The Knowledge Economy" is in incipient development phase. The relation between industry (including SMEs) – research – education is poorly developed
Berlin region
The German capital Berlin has around four million inhabitants, the capital region Berlin-Brandenburg around six million. In 2005, the gross domestic product (GDP) in Berlin was Euro 79,482 million. It's investment in R&D is 4% of GDP which is today already higher than the 3% the EU in heading for in 2010 and higher than the German average of 2,5%. The region Berlin-Brandenburg provides Germany's highest concentration of research institutions, more than 100 non-university research institutes in Berlin-Brandenburg, among them 30 in the filed of ICT. 3,300 ICT companies provide jobs to 31,000 people.
ICT/New media
Berlin's ICT/New media cluster consists of 30 research institutions, among them 4 universities and 3 advanced technical colleges. Those and representatives from government, industry and service institutions have developed a joint strategy for the development of the ICT/New Media cluster. The work will be focused on the following fields: security with ICT, e-government, convergent services, e-health, open standards and RFID. Berlin's coherent innovation strategy consists of 5 master plans (strategy papers) written for the main technology fields. Two of them describe clusters, the master plan life science and the master plan ICT. To focus on areas described in the plans allows concentrating money, support and services. The first ICT master plan was written for the period 2005/2006, the updated version provides a strategy for 2007-2009.
Barriers for innovation in ICT/New media
While Berlin is a city with tremendous opportunities and potential, it is also still hampered by structural changes that present difficulties for everyone involved. The challenges associated with this can only be overcome and more growth and employment created if Berlin secures itself a very strong position on the growth markets of the future at both national and international level
Project Results:
1.2 The financial crisis and the ICT/New Media sector
The REDICT project was approved before the collapse of financial markets and the ensuing economic crisis. Much of the information collected in the framework of the different work packages therefore is based on data from before the global downturn in the economy. Although the world economies seem to be slowly recovering the effects of the crisis are still far from gone. In particular employment and financing perspectives both for business and academic R&D, are still negatively affected. In this section we try to give a very brief and a far from profound analysis of the situation in the ICT/New Media sector. We then summarize the measures foreseen by the EU and indicate how they apply to the development of regional clusters and the ICT/New Media clusters of the REDICT metropolitan regions in particular.
The significant reduction of economic activities has also reduced the demand for ICT trained personnel. Since in most countries there was a serious skills shortage this generally has not led to unemployment, but has temporarily relieved the pressure on the labour market in the sector. In the mean time the ICT sector in several countries indicates a recurrence of demand and hints at the possibility that in the not too far distance one is again facing skills shortages. This effect may be amplified, when governments in the process of balancing their budgets, will reduce the number of civil servants, while attempting to keep government (funded) services at a socially and politically acceptable level. ICT is seen as an important enabling technology to make this possible, further straining, however, the demand for ICT-skilled personnel.
The most serious problem is the threat of a stagnating and even collapsing innovation climate as a consequence of lack of investment capital in the business sector and reduced government budgets in the academic R&D sector. The drying up of venture capital and more generally the reluctance of banks to provide loans is in particular hurting young innovative small companies. This is the more serious as innovation and especially innovative SME's may be most effective in helping economies to come out of the present crisis.
In the context of the crisis, challenges amplify and take innovative dimensions when it comes to ICT-clusters :
- Direct support to the diffusion of ICT has a positive impact, as it contributes to efficiency gains throughout the economy. Measures aiming at the further diffusion of broadband, as described in the recovery package, facilitate take-up and contribute directly to short-term employment measures.
- More could be done to stimulate intangible investments in organisational processes. Measures aiming at stimulating ICT-take up by enterprises in general, and investment in software in particular, should be continued as organisational innovation makes them more efficient and resilient to the crisis.
- Structural Funds and Rural Development Funds are available to strengthen investment in ICT.
- The Commission is providing faster avenues for spending, but the economic situation may
make co-funding by Member States more difficult than under ordinary times.
- Companies and governments should not be cutting back on R&D and innovation activities, as R&D effort lays the foundation today to ensure the technological progress on which Europe will capitalise in the future. There is a risk, however, that the current financial crisis may undermine the recent positive development in R&D investment rate by European businesses and that firms in the ICT sector reduce their participation to public/private partnerships.
- The ICT industry operates internationally and many ICT markets are global. ICT both facilitates the single market and globalisation and benefits from it. A coordinated EU policy response is needed to exploit the benefits from increased economies of scale, economies of scope, larger markets and greater competition
As we now move to a new economic cycle, based on recovery and restructuring, clustering has the potential to be a critical instrument for cities in the drive for future competitiveness. Cities across the EU have, because of agglomeration advantages, a unique combination of skills, experiences and resources that allows them to promote clustering more effectively than at any other governance level in the EU. By drawing together human resources, financial support, infrastructure development and partnership promotion cities can develop effective clustering policies based on existing mainstream interventions. The EU has addressed clustering in several significant policy documents, yet often in a rather specialist manner. Given the importance of clustering we may expect to see new general and strategic economic development policies to incorporate clustering as a mainstream tool. Such a move could have an impact on practical support, as well as having an even greater impetus for city based clustering initiatives in the future.
1.3 The dynamics of cluster development
Cluster development is a dynamic process. REDICT makes a distinction between three phases in the development of a company:
• an incubation stage ,
• a launching stage and
• a growth stage.
The role of the regional governments and the support measures that they provide are different for these three stages. A general condition for ICT/New media companies to emerge and a cluster environment to develop, proved, in the REDICT regions, to be the presence of a strong R&D base in the ICT/New Media field and a good general economic climate. In the first stage companies require a cluster environment that provides promotion tools, as well as coaching programmes. Initiatives to stimulate entrepreneurship are also important at this stage.
At the launching stage of companies, networks play an increasingly important role in their further development and implicitly lead to the strengthening of the cluster. That is also the case for content support programmes .
An effective system that assists in getting financial support is needed at all stages of company development and is an extremely important quality of a successful Digital Media cluster. At the growth stage of the cluster initiatives to provide the SME's with the human capital that they need are becoming increasingly important. That is also true for programmes that stimulate and help companies to enter into markets outside their domestic markets.
1.4 Common elements that are useful to consider when defining policies
To boost innovation in our digitized societies, there are common elements that need attention. There are also best practices in some of the regions that are worthwhile to emulate in other regions.
• In all regions there is the strong ambition to nurture the interaction between the strands of the triple helix, knowledge institutions, innovative (digital media) industry and regional authorities. All cite the knowledge paradox: an abundance of scientific research of often excellent quality, much new creative content, an excellent ICT-infrastructure but still disappointingly few new products and services brought to the market.
• In practically all regions therefore institutional initiatives exist to promote the interaction between the three strands of the helix. Special organizations are set up to act as innovation motors, trying to lower the threshold for the flow of research results to industry. Also the establishment of Science Parks is facilitated.
• These initiatives are particularly aimed at SME's. Larger industries are better positioned to be involved in joint research projects with academic institutions. They have the structure and the capacity to participate in public-private, often nationally funded, research programmes.
• There are few examples of SME's that are hatched under the wings of large companies, whereas this could be a potentially effective way of nurturing innovation to the point where it may have a large scale market impact.
• Entrepreneurial ambitions continue to be underdeveloped in the European academic communities. In some regions courses are organized in entrepreneurship and attempts are made to pair innovative talent with managerial talent. The effect of these initiatives still has to be seen.
• In countries like Romania, which only recently have made the transition towards a market economy, the situation is aggravated by the fact that the academic system has not evolved in a similar way. Old organizational and funding structures still prevail and for many reasons the interaction with industry is poorly developed
1.5 General observations on the interaction between sector players
The following general observations were made concerning the interaction of knowledge institutions with industry in the ICT/New Media sector:
• 52% of the industrial companies and 80 % of the knowledge institutions are involved in joint projects. The most common forms are industry-led and joint research projects. Consultancy is also taking place, in the case of Berlin and Dublin mostly from business to academia, and in Amsterdam and Bucharest mostly from academia to business.
• In all regions industry considers the research of the knowledge institutions of high standard. This conclusion is based on publications as well as information obtained in regional, national or European funded projects. Larger companies are the ones most benefitting from project results as well as academic publications. Generally they are already active on a cross-regional or European level (industry–led research), have access to relevant digital libraries, such as the ACM or IEEE digital library and thus are well aware of the research of the academic community.
• For SMEs the situation is different. For them the access to academic knowledge be it through courses, conferences or publications is often still unknown territory. Between 35 – 50% of the SMEs in all regions have no information at all about what knowledge institutions can offer in terms of knowledge transfer. The problem is not only access to research results but also for instance a simple problem as identifying the right contact person in a knowledge institution for potential collaboration.
• Direct collaboration between SMEs and knowledge institutions in joint projects is rare and if established mainly on a regional or national level. Even in so-called "science parks" where SMEs and knowledge institutions are located in close proximity of each other joint projects are rare. The strongest obstacle from the point of view of SMEs for a collaboration with higher education institutions, however, seems not even to be a lack of communication. It is rather a question of different views on project setup (financially) and expected outcome:
? Academic research is not applied enough to serve the needs of SMEs and often does not fit the short development cycles of smaller companies;
? There is a potential conflict between the objectives with which academia measures its success (publications and good academic evaluation results) and that of SMEs (protect IPR in a rapidly moving market);
? the financial aspects of R&D projects are also seen as a problem. They are too resource demanding and have a too uncertain outcome (23 – 53% of all SMEs). The IPR issue is a concern in this context as well.
• SMEs in all regions complain that, though entrepreneurship should be an important element of the academic competence profile of young academic professionals, knowledge institutions are weak in translating that requirement into their curricula. A consequence of this lack of attention for the requirements of a business career is also that it leads to low numbers of young professionals who start a business. Accordingly there is an insufficient flow of expertise, knowledge and potentially innovative ideas from academic institutions to new innovative companies.
• A more general problem is that in most REDICT regions the number of young people graduating in ICT is too low to satisfy the increasing demands of our digital society. The needs are particularly serious in the fast growing sub-sectors services, mobile technology, gaming, and e-learning (see WP3).Institutions of higher education are thus hard pressed to increase their efforts to recruit more students. This requires attractive curricula as well as better promotion of the social and economic importance of ICT. Both educational institutions and industry have a responsibility in solving this problem.
• The introduction of a European wide system of bachelor and master degrees has not yet provided the necessary cross-regional overlap in curricula, which would allow an easy exchange of students among European regions. More international student mobility would stimulate the desired Europeanization of the workforce and is therefore an important goal to achieve.
2. Concluding common SWOT of the Digital Media sector of the REDICT regions
Strengths
• The regions are all, within their countries, important, if not the most important, centers for an innovative, knowledge based economy.
• Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Amsterdam fill the top ranks of the most competitive metropoles in Europe.
• They are leading centers in their countries in the ICT/Digital media sector, an important position in view of the increasing importance of this sector in our digitized society
• The metropoles offer the kind of cultural and social environment that makes them attractive for young creative talent.
• All REDICT regions are the (cultural) capitals of their countries. As a consequence the creative industry is well developed, is the fastest growing economic sector and is employing an ever increasing fraction of the work force.
• Major companies in the sector have chosen the REDICT regions to set up their (European or national) head quarters.
• The regions have a strong knowledge base and play an important role in the academic ICT-networks in Europe.
• Most regions share the view that ICT is an important driver of wealth and well-being and are active in stimulating the interaction between the knowledge sector, the business sector, and regional authorities. To that purpose they have established dedicated organizations.
• Regions are good focal and rallying points for innovation policies.
Weaknesses
• The translation of academic knowledge into innovative products and services is still far from optimal.
• While there is a reasonable interaction between academic institutions and large companies, that is not the case with SME's. There is often a mismatch between the needs of (the very) small companies in this sector and academic interests.
• There is insufficient entrepreneurship in the academic sector, which is a major factor in the small number of innovative start-ups.
• There is a lack of skilled manpower in the ICT sector and in those sectors in which innovation can take place because of the enabling role of ICT.
• The educational system is poorly preparing for the skills needed in a digitized society.
• The "government" often fails to play a lead role in implementing innovative ICT products and services.
• The enabling role of ICT requires focused interdisciplinary interaction with other disciplines and the parties that represent the demand side. This is often still poorly organized.
• The digital sector is often still considered to have a technological focus, while the role of e.g. the social sciences, the humanities and law are becoming increasingly an important factor in the business models.
• There could be a better focus on the right instruments to stimulate the sector, in particular networks are considered to be important.
• Most companies in this sector are small and young and have difficulties in finding financial support for R&D projects either through venture capital or through subsidies for joint projects.
• There is little focus on the economic importance of introducing (innovative) ICT tools for not-innovative SME's.
• There is no structural network to promote market expansion across borders within the EU. The potential market of SME's accordingly is intrinsically small.
• In the emerging economies of the EU the academic sector still has to go through an evolutionary process that makes it, from the organizational point of view, a strong partner in its interactions with its counterparts of the rich economies and with industry.
• Communication is a bottleneck. There are many scattered initiatives at different levels of institutional organization and as a consequence money and energy are not efficiently used, while results evaporate because of lack of scale and momentum
Opportunities
• The rapidly progressing digitization of our societies provides numerous opportunities for innovative products and services, in health, education, government, sustainability, media etc..
• The innovative process is generally driven by individuals, not necessarily operating in large companies. To thrive a receptive environment is required. (Regional) governments can play an important role to stimulate it through innovation agencies, networks, housing facilities etc. and by acting as lead customers.
• For SME's the European market is often still a fractured market. The EC should help removing the barriers that prevent the use of the open European market. The REDICT network could play a role in this.
• Use the REDICT network as a launching platform for initiatives in fields like e-health, e-sustainability etc. providing, based on mutual trust, the transnational environment, the diversity and the scale by which such initiatives can develop in European successes.
• Initiating at institutions of higher education courses in entrepreneurship in order to educate not just a creative but also an entrepreneurial class.
• Pairing technical, business and management skills as a way to overcome some of the handicaps in successfully setting up a new company.
• Increasing the role of large companies in hatching new companies relevant for their business.
• Developing mechanisms to bridge the gap between ICT, other disciplines and parties that represent the demand side.
• New models as a way to boost the role of SME's in the innovative process e.g. bringing together a large company at the demand side, an SME at the possible supply side and an academic institution as mediator and knowledge provider.
• Modernization of the academic environment in the emerging economies might result in the unchaining of much presently underused talent. The EU has the opportunity to encourage this process.
• Development by academic institutions, in close interaction with branch organizations, courses tailored to the needs of new emerging business sectors.
• Better use of professional colleges in answering the often -limited in scope- problems of SME's.
• Better synchronization between regional, national and European funding schemes
Threats
• Failing to develop the effective, well coordinated environment in which innovation thrives and which exploits to the fullest the enabling role of ICT many sectors of our society.
• Failing to solve the skills shortages and installing more entrepreneurial qualities among young graduates of our educational institutions.
• Failing to modernize the academic system in emerging economies.
• Failing to develop mechanisms by which the European market really becomes an open market also for SME's.
• Failing to grasp all other opportunities mentioned before.
3. General conclusions of REDICT
General context and specialization pattern
• All REDICT regions share the conviction that ICT and new media are important for both economic growth and social well-being and share the ambition to maximally exploit this potential by stimulating innovation in the ICT and new media sector.
• Practically all REDICT regions are ranked high in European competitiveness lists. They are highly connected, with advanced user communities and with the ICT and new media sector a very important sector of the regional economy.
• In most REDICT regions the range of ICT/New Media activities is rather broad and does not show much specialization. Also the policy goals for the sector are not very focussed. The underlying theme is very general and is the connection of ICT and content with the expectation that this will strengthen the economy and/or improve the well-being of the citizens.
• All REDICT regions are confronted with a lack of skilled manpower, even in the present economic circumstances. The number of young people graduating in ICT is too low given the demand of an increasingly digitized society. The teaching of ICT as a core competence in the curricula of professional schools is also still poorly developed.
• Emerging regions, like Romania, which only recently have made the transition towards a market economy, are not only ranked low in the competitiveness lists they have also serious problems to bridge the gap with the advanced economies in the EU. They are often faced with a knowledge sector in which old organizational and funding structures still prevail and where for many reasons the interaction with industry is poorly developed. Also their innovation policies are still in their infancy.
• Financial support through European funds is for competent academic groups in these countries is a crucial condition for their survival . These funds, however, are rarely used to stimulate public-private projects.
SME's
• SME's represent a very big slice of our economies and are responsible for most of its employment. In the REDICT regions the digital media and linked to that the creative sector are an important and rapidly growing part of the economy. The average size of companies in the ICT/New Media sector in the REDICT regions is small and their average age is low. A large fraction is even very small and run by just one or two people.
• These companies therefore are particularly dependent on an environment that nurtures new and innovative enterprises. Provided measures are tuned to the specific needs of these small and micro-enterprises, they may benefit most from national or regional policies that stimulate and support R&D.
• While the regional scale does not seem to be very relevant for bigger ICT/New Media companies, it seems to be the right scale for SME's. Measures to stimulate this sector therefore benefit from a well organized regional support structure.
• The web and the rapidly developing mobile sector are creating new possibilities for small companies to operate in consumer markets that once were only accessible for global companies. Even very small companies for instance can produce applet's for Apple's i-Phone store. A cluster can help small companies finding their way in new emerging markets.
• A regional cluster can be instrumental in setting up joint projects, commercial or subsidized, in which a number of SME's team up to develop services or solutions for customers that would not be feasible for any of the SME's alone.
• Regional clusters can also be the interface between SME's and large, internationally operating companies or for cross-border contacts.
• Regional networks have an important role to play in creating an environment in which SME's unlock their potential
Cluster organization and support policy
• In all regions institutional initiatives exist to promote the interaction between the three strands of the helix. Special organizations are set up to act as innovation motors, trying to lower the threshold for the flow of research results to industry. Also the establishment of Science Parks is facilitated. Some REDICT cities do have an explicit and coordinated cluster policy for the Digital Media (Paris, Berlin, Dublin). In other REDICT cites (Amsterdam) activities seem more implicit and less coordinated.
• The level of cluster organization differs per REDICT cities. In some REDICT regions (Paris, Berlin) there are highly organized structures, in others (Bucharest, Amsterdam) those structures are more low key.
• In Work Package 4 a Framework of Reference (FoR) is developed to identify the conditions that make clusters successful. This question is particularly relevant in the, new and rapidly changing, ICT and New Media sector. The FoR distinguishes the following four kinds of conditions:
o Resource conditions: workforce, capital, infrastructure (physical and knowledge);
o Business context for companies: strategy to encourage investment and innovation, competitive climate; an innovation prone government;
o Demand conditions: existence of an advanced consumer community that creates the demand that drives innovation; other business sectors that are open to and receptive for new developments;
o The presence of a stimulating business environment: a creative and diverse community of companies making a strong ICT/New Media sector and more general a strong, open and innovative business community
• ICT and New Media clusters are innovative research driven clusters. To make them effective there have to be excellent links between public research and private companies.
• The members of the clusters have to be aware of and know the access to the full range of opportunities and competences in their environment. Regional cluster organizations can play an important role, especially for SME's, in achieving this: helping them to build up networks, organizing financing schemes, brokering contacts with big industry and KIS and helping them build up cross-boundary contacts.
• Networks and financing programmes are seen by SME's as the most important instruments to stimulate the development of a strong ICT/New Media sector.
Knowledge transfer
• All REDICT regions state that they are confronted with a knowledge paradox: an abundance of scientific research of often excellent quality, much new creative content, an excellent ICT-infrastructure but still disappointingly few new products and services brought to the market. Although most regional Knowledge Institutes (KIS) are ready to collaborate with industry, universities generally participate in large projects with large companies and not with SME's.
• The reason for larger companies to be more involved in joint research projects with academic institutions is that they have the structure and the capacity to participate in public-private, often nationally funded, research programmes.
• In general companies consider the ICT-research at the KIS in the REDICT regions of a high standard, though there often remains an intrinsic discrepancy between the long term scientific goals of academic institutions and the shorter term R&D needs of industry.
• SME's, especially in the digital media sector, are often very small and lack the capacity to fruitfully enter into open ended collaboration with knowledge institutions. As a consequence KIS play a role as a source of knowledge for SME's, but less so than their own employees or other companies in the cluster.
• There are few examples of SME's that are hatched under the wings of large companies, whereas this could be a potentially effective way of nurturing innovation to the point where it may have a large scale market impact.
• Although academic institutions these days are open to cooperation with industry and to commercial exploitation of their research results, the transfer of knowledge through start ups remains at a disappointingly low level in all regions.
• Entrepreneurial ambitions continue to be underdeveloped in the European academic communities. It is one of the key reasons why the translation of knowledge to the market remains a serious point of concern in the EU. In some regions courses are organized in entrepreneurship and attempts are made to pair innovative talent with managerial talent. The effect of these initiatives still has to be seen.
4. Joint Action Plan
General actions
• Not all REDICT regions proved to be able to provide basic information about the platforms, coaching programmes, financing tools, job posting facilities etc., relevant for ICT/New Media companies. A serious effort therefore should be made to provide, at the regional level, such a compact overview as an important starting point for the formulation of cluster policies.
• There should be a greater effort, in all REDICT regions, to stimulate cross-disciplinary interactions, both at the knowledge level and in terms of supply and demand, in order to create and exploit opportunities in fields like e-health, e-sustainability, e-learning. Some interesting attempts, though are found in several of the REDICT regions.
• The REDICT project shows the importance of trust and open communication between all actors within the ICT/New Media clusters (the private sector, the knowledge institutions and the public sector). REDICT regions should draw up a common and coordinated action plan by which the goal of an innovative cluster can be achieved.
• Regional clusters should help its members to be better aware of and know the access to the broad range of knowledge and competences that is available for them, even within their own direct environment, be it local or institutional. Very often the one hand does not know what the other is doing, leading to missed opportunities or wasted resources. Better and more effective communication is needed in order to avoid this. A possible mechanism might be the appointment of ‘free agents' with the right qualifications to mediate interdisciplinary and triple helix collaboration. It is anyhow important that the cluster sets up a dedicated team for the effective coordination of the network.
• Effective networks of SME's, large companies and academic research centres are crucial for a successful innovative knowledge economy. Regional and local authorities therefore should continue to make this an important point of attention in their policies to shape the knowledge society. Regional cluster organizations are the vehicles through which this can be achieved, provided these are flexible, take initiatives and have good connections with all stakeholders. New models for involving SME's are particularly important. Examples are:
o Using research as a business tool i.e. bringing together a large company with a particular need, an SME and a research organization to develop new innovative solutions;
o Hatching SME's under the umbrella of large companies;
o Have governments play a more active role as lead customers.
• Look for the right balance between a "let 1000 flowers blossom"-approach and coordination. Scale is needed but creativity as well. The regional level is possibly the right scale for incubation.
• The REDICT regions should be aware of the fact that successful innovation, certainly in the ICT/New Media sector, requires more than just technology and develop instruments that effectively link technological knowledge to expertise in e.g. economics, the social sciences and law. Tthis is becoming increasingly important as, in particular with the further opening up of the European market, business development depends more and more on regulatory frameworks, understanding of social aspects in the adaptation of products etc.. The instruments to facilitate such interaction, however, are largely missing.
Manpower planning
• Invest in measures that increase the number of graduates with the skills that are required in our digitized society in general and the Digital Media sector in particular. Both ICT experts and professionals with a proper understanding of the role of ICT as an enabling technology are needed. Apart from that policies should be developed to attract talented foreign workers to work in the cluster.
• The leading knowledge institutions in the different REDICT regions should define a common set of skills for the sectors Mobile Services, eLearning, eHealth and gaming and develop BSc and MSc curricula that teach these skills. The REDICT regions should use their cross-boundary network also to promote more international exchange.
Stimulate knowledge transfer
• Introduce incentives to encourage cooperation between the academic R&D sector and SMEs.
• Develop mechanisms to increase the number of spin-offs, such as entrepreneurship as part of the curriculum or nurturing spin-offs by linking business with technical experiences. In general there should be more generic initiatives to promote the creation of spin-offs.
• Targeted and specific initiatives to stimulate knowledge transfer from KIS to the private sector are mainly used by bigger companies. SME's hardly benefit from those instruments, because most SMEs are looking for short term practical solutions, while KIS are focused on developing long term knowledge. The role of professional colleges in helping SMEs to find solutions for practical problems, should get more attention.
• When considering tools to facilitate knowledge transfer to SMEs there is a tendency to focus on young innovative SMEs. The economy might benefit a lot from introducing new ICT solutions in the business activities of traditional non-innovative SMEs. Cluster organizations should pay attention to this.
Business support for SME's
• Because of the importance of SME's for the economy and the fact that government support for this sector is best provided at the regional scale, local governments should mainly focus on the support of SME's.
• More should be done to improve the profile and credibility of small companies. Of course, a nice website can ensure that a company is found by customers from all over the world. But it is one thing to get on a short -or even long - list of potential suppliers of a product or service, it is quite another thing to actually land the order. Being part of a network or cluster improves credibility, and may help in providing references.
• Giving local players access to global customers is one of the most important roles of clusters. This may particularly be facilitated when personal relations exist between members of clusters in different countries, as is the case in REDICT.
• Government agencies should more often play an active role as launching customers for innovative SME's, particularly if these are members of the regional cluster. In this context it is relevant to observe that the cumbersome and labor intensive process for European Tendering Procedures makes it very difficult for SME's to compete with large established companies, even if they possess innovative and superior technologies.
• It is important to realize that each phase in the development of an innovative company requires its own mix of business support.
• REDICT countries should learn from each other's best practices. See the Business Support Measure Package in appendix 1 for some best practices.
• Financial support schemes have to be developed that are properly tuned to the needs of this sector. This includes the venture capital industry.
Potential Impact:
7. Use and dissemination of foreground
Target Audiences
In order to make the dissemination effective, a first step is to identify the target audiences for raising awareness. These target audiences are identified according to the different subtopics of REDICT and the workshops organised in each city of REDICT.
The following target audiences have been identified so far:
• ICT & Media clusters in Europe
• Associations of SMEs in digital media in Europe
• Targeted SMEs known for their interest in international development.
• Key academic organisations (universities, research centres) working closely with SMEs
• Large industrial groups in digital media
• Innovation and business support organisations (regional chamber of commerce and industry, venture capital companies, …
• Local government, public authorities
Continuous and specific dissemination
We distinguish between continuous dissemination and specific dissemination. The project makes use of both types . Continuous dissemination should raise general awareness about the REDICT project, about the services that we offer, about the network that we are building, etc. It makes use of various communication channels, such as e-mail, web pages, etc. Specific dissemination refers to dissemination that is tied to a particular REDICT event. Here the dissemination has to be targeted to specific audiences. Today most people and certainly the digital media community are flooded by (often unwanted) mail. It is therefore important to think carefully about whom to address and in what way. Only those should be addressed who might have a real interest in the events and are interested in the possibilities of cooperation in the framework of the digital media clusters.
Most partners are using their own newsletters to announce REDICT events. In addition individual partners may distribute information on REDICT events that they will attend. Personal contact with people remains very important and is often more effective than just an e-mail. This is especially true for SMEs that we want to invite to REDICT events.
International and national conferences and workshops
Project results are published through presentations and papers at various European and national conferences and workshops. There are a large number of such conferences on regions of knowledge, digital media and innovation in Europe – thus the Coordinator, with the support of the REDICT partners, is keeping a critical eye on the quality of these and makes a qualified selection of appropriate conferences to participate in. Several high profile conferences have been identified at the beginning of the project, among which the PRIT (Paris Region Innovation Tour), ICT FP7 conference in Lyon (Experts Group Meetings) as primarily targeted. REDICT organised networking sessions during these events.
REDICT workshops
The REDICT clusters have organized meetings in each city of REDICT. Those workshops are also targeting SMEs, large industrial groups and academic organizations. The REDICT partners in the individual city are in charge of organizing the event and disseminating information to interested organizations in their region.
The meetings took 2 days:
• The first day was used for visits and presentations of the innovation & research organisations and structures in each city and,
• During the second day the Consortium met to discuss the progress of the project.
The partners in each individual city were in charge of organising the programme and the logistics of the workshop in their city. A special focus was the selection of a representative number of innovative SMEs in each region. Those SMEs had the opportunity to introduce themselves to REDICT partners with the aim of developing new contacts and starting new business and research collaborations with partners (academic, SMEs, Industial) in other clusters. These REDICT events also gave REDICT partners the opportunity to visit large industrial groups and public research organisations in each region.
Our dissemination and communication strategies are not only meant to create awareness on the REDICT project, they are also intended to create synergies and initiate new collaborations between key actors in digital media clusters. REDICT offers indeed a platform for setting-up new partnerships between complementary actors (triptych approach: industry, SME, academic) in different regions (city) of the REDICT consortium.
Therefore representatives from each type of organisation were invited in the various REDICT events.
The regular REDICT meetings took place every three months in the following cities
• Amsterdam (2008)
• Copenhagen (2008)
• Berlin (2008)
• Dublin (2008)
• Paris (2009)
• And Bucharest (2009)
In the next paragraphs REDICT partners describe their individual strategies for dissemination in the context of the REDICT event that took place in their city.
Partner internal dissemination
All partners in the project disseminate project results within and outside their organisations. This is considered a very important element of the project and is therefore included in the individual dissemination plans. Partners disseminate REDICT information on their Web sites, intranet, internal journals and newsletter. They also disseminate information to targeted SMEs interested in international collaboration with new clusters (mail shots from cluster representatives to their network of SMEs).
Dissemination to other relevant projects
It was considered of strategic importance to interact, in the course of the project, with other projects funded by the FP7 Capacities programme "Regions of Knowledge" and by FP7 ICT (projects on SMEs). Projects that have been identified as key targets are:
• The "Centrope ICT technology transfer" project (CITT) for the links with clusters and SMEs in Central Europe.
• The "FP7 SMES EA SCHEME" (Development of the implementation modalities for the establishment of a new externalised exploratory awards scheme for SMEs) for the access to SMEs in Europe interested in FP7 research.
• The "BRIDGE-BSR" (Bridging life science research and SMEs in the Baltic Sea region putting cluster policies into practise for the benefit of SMEs) project for the access to Baltic Region.
• The "IRegions" Project (Internet-based and mobile technologies for regions in the net economy) which aims at maximising the benefits of research infrastructures for regional economic development within the following ICT-based clusters: CyberForum (Germany) Kista Science City (Sweden) Tartu Science Park (Estonia)
• The "Create" Project (Creating a joint research agenda for ICT innovation in the creative industries across Europe) with the objective to bring the benefits of research to SMEs in create industries.
Publications, magazines etc
Through relevant publications as well as newspapers project visions and results are disseminated. We focus on EU policies and National cluster publications.
Project Web site
An effective way dissemination channel is the Web site. It facilitates contacts and exchanges with other research and cluster initiatives on relevant topics. The web site is continuously updated with project information, public deliverables and other results that may be of public interest.
The goal of the Web site can be summarised as follows:
• to inform (general information about the project)
• to disseminate information to specific people/groups/organisations/clusters
• to offer resources
• to allow follow-ups (contacts established during the REDICT events)
• To share key documents between REDICT partners (intranet) and interested organisations (public Web site)
The address of the REDICT Web Site is: http://www.redict.eu/
REDICT Documents: logo, brochures, powerpoint model, etc
The objective is to have specific documents and brochures with a standard format adopted by REDICT partners. Those documents are distributed during the workshops organized by REDICT partners, or during conferences REDICT aims to participate in. The different events need specific and targeted dissemination. Therefore additional material could be printed (specific poster for conferences and booth presentation).
Individual strategies of partners
The partners adopt individual strategies to create awareness on REDICT as described as followed:
Amsterdam
AIM NL
To stimulate innovation and knowledge transfer between knowledge institutions and SME's, the Amsterdam region has set up an organisation, the Amsterdam Innovation Motor (AIM). ICT and New Media is one of focal points in the Amsterdam area. Because of this organized approach it has been decided to present in the context of this REDICT project an over-all dissemination strategy for the cluster and not separate ones for the individual partners. All individual partners will contribute to the execution of this strategy using their own dissemination services and mechanisms.
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SME's in the field of ICT, digital media and more general, creative industries
• Large companies both in the ICT sector as in the Media sector or otherwise potential customers of ICT and Digital Media developments
• Academic research institutions working in the ICT and Digital Media field
• Public, governmental, authorities, both local and national and their relevant agencies
• National research organisations
• The general public
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Consolidate the network of companies (SME's, large, ICT, Media, Creative sector in general), knowledge institutions and possibly advanced users.
• Set up a cluster platform focussed on ICT and Digital media. The platform will organize network activities, special events and workshops, stimulating discussion among a selected group of targeted participants and stimulate exchange of ideas in the triangle of public (local and regional) authorities, knowledge institutions and companies (both SME's and large ones). The platform will be instrumental in:
o Starting common innovative projects and thus implement the innovation agenda;
o Developing common markets.
o Positioning the Amsterdam region in the international context.
• Stimulating cross-disciplinary innovative developments, with ICT as a common thread.
• Increase the awareness of politicians and administrators, CEO's of large companies and members of the governing boards of knowledge institutions of the important role that ICT and Digital Media have in improving the well being and prosperity of our society.
• Establish an international network that can serve as a framework for realizing the European ambition of more cross-national interaction at the level of SME's and thus assist in providing a European space for innovative products and services.
• Use this network also to set up joint projects in the context of European innovation programmes.
Dissemination activities during year 1 and 2
• Tour of REDICT Partners in Amsterdam with visits of different actors in the Digital Media field (SME's, knowledge institutions etc.)Tours in Copenhagen, Berlin, Dublin, Paris and, Bucarest with visits of relevant players in the Digital Media field.
• Information on REDICT on the website of AIM and the Economic Development Department of Amsterdam
• Dissemination of REDICT results in the IT cluster that has been set up by AIM and the City of Amsterdam
• Presentation for SME's in Paris region during PRIT (Paris Region Innovation Tour)
• Presentation in Experts Group Meetings at ICT FP7 conference in Lyon.
• REDICT Website
• Interaction with and survey of SME's in framework of WP2 and WP3.
• Dissemination of information on the REDICT project to relevant stakeholders.
• Presentation of REDICT at meeting of ROK and REGPOT projects in Brussels.
• First contacts between SME's in Amsterdam and partners in other REDICT regions.
Dissemination plan for the coming period
• Closing conference REDICT with invitation of representatives of other ROK projects and possibly linked to follow-up of Brussels meeting of all ROK projects.
• Meeting of REDICT members with other clusters in framework of an I(CT)I(nnovative)P(latform) Create (Large Dutch Creative Industry collaborative programme) initiative on the occasion of Picnic to discuss common strategies.
• Initiative to set up, by AIM and City of Amsterdam, a cluster platform in the Amsterdam region directed to a broad spectrum of ICT, Digital Media and Creative Industries bringing together SME's, established companies, knowledge institutions and regional authorities.
• Putting the REDICT results on the agenda of te IT cluster of the above cluster platform.
• Presenting the REDICT results on the websites of all Amsterdam Redict partners.
• Initiatives to launch on basis of REDICT a network of nodes to facilitate contacts between SME's in the different regions and between SME's and large companies.
• Initiatives to launch on basis of REDICT network new projects in framework of e.g. FP7.
• Presenting REDICT results to PRES [other governmental organisations such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the municipalities within the Amsterdam region (that are relevant as partners in program development)]
• Presenting of REDICT results to and discussing those results with relevant SME's, and company networks (such as IPAN) in the Amsterdam Region.
• Presenting of REDICT results to and discussing those results with coordinators of other clusters within the AIM (Life Sciences, sustainability, creative industry)
TSB DE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs, within spheres of activity
• Research institutions in the field of ICT
• Academic partners from TSB
• Partners in the Quadriga Process:
o TSB Technologiestiftung Innovation Center Berlin,
o Berlin Partner GmbH,
o Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB),
o Chamber of Commerce Berlin (IHK)
o Local authorities working with knowledge transfer
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
The funding programs of the country, investment grants from the joint task
• "Improving regional economic structure" (GA), program to promote research,
• Innovation and technology (ProFIT),
• Innovation Assistant Future Fund Berlin and venture capital funds (VC funds)
• Consulting Services of Technology Coaching Center (TCC) and TSB Technology
• Foundation Innovation Agency (TSB GmbH) including the programs of the IBB
Partnership with international Redict-Partners for follow-up Projects (FP7, Eureka, Eurostars,)
Boost collaborations between regions by organizing matchmakings and trade fair stalls
Individual meetings with potential partners about their possible role in collaborative projects
Intensifying strong networks in Berlin
Dissemination during the first year
• Visiting Tour: Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen
• Visiting tour through Berlin June 2008 and presentations of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• ICT Conference 08
• Prit
• Cebit
• Newsletter to keep the industry informed about Redict
• Internal Reports / Jour fixe
• Online information on REDICT on TSB Homepage (www.tsb-berlin.de/de/tsb-gruppe/kompetenzfelder/ikt/ikt-projekte)
• Dissemination to relevant stakeholders about the existence of the REDICT project
• Bulkmailing for survey WP2 / WP3
• VDI distributor (http://www.vdi.de) to promote the REDICT Project
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Cebit 2009 presenting partnering SME's and Competence of Berlin Region
• Eurodigimeet
• Visiting Tour Bukarest
• Linux Tage
• introducing Berlin Region especially Academia and SME focus on matchmaking
• informal networking service between Paris (Ubifrance is the French Agency for International Business Development. The Agency offers to French companies a full range of services to support them and improve their competitiveness in the international environment. Ubifrance is the ICT National Contact Point) and Berlin TSB ( EEN)
• 24.2.2009 Delegation of the Chamber of Commerce Essonne / Irene Faure (Department Manager, who is in contact with Cap Digital) Subject: SME Funding, Network Initiatives ICT, Microsystem Technologies and Optical Technologies
• 13.2.2009 Delegation of the French Embassy in Berlin - with deputies of the French treasury. Subject: Development and conveyance of Cluster and Network Initiatives followed by a matchmaking workshop together with the French Embassy – in fall 2009 tbc
TUB DE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SME's in ICT
• Academic and research institutes
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
Using results of REDICT in pushing joint projects:
• EU level
• REDICT regional level
We consider SME's as the major sources of innovation. Our main strategy is to push Industry lead research activities with SME involvements to improve innovation.
Dissemination during the first year
• REDICT Meetings in Copenhagen: Understanding Copenhagen Region, transferring experiences between the regions especially on Academia and SME relations.
• REDICT Meetings in Berlin: Presenting Berlin SME and Research Institutes to other regions.
• ICT Conference 08, LYON: Introduction of REDICT project and regions.
• Networking: Introducing Berlin Region especially Academia and SME to individual contacts for possible projects.
o FIREWORKS 2008, Paris
o SRC 2008, Paris
• Cebit 2008: Presenting partnering SME's, Competence of Berlin Region, and REDICT project to the visitors.
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Cebit 2009: Presenting partnering SME's and Competence of Berlin Region to the visitors.
• Networking: Introducing Berlin Region especially Academia and SME to individual contacts for possible projects consortiums.
o ICT Proposers' Day 2009, Budapest
o Information Day 2009: 1.4 Trustworthy ICT
o ICT Call 5 Information and Networking Event 2009
o ICT-Mobile Summit 2009
o International ICT Challenge 3: Face2Face Meeting 2009
• FIREWeek 2009
City of Berlin DE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs, large companies and research institutions in the field of ICT and digital media
• Innovation and business development agencies
• Public authorities working with knowledge transfer
• Steering committee of the Coherent ICT Innovation Strategy Berlin
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Develop tighter networks in Berlin:
o along the value chain of sub-clusters
o between the sub-clusters
o between content industry and technology industry
o to European regions
• Raise awareness in business (and science) community for the necessity:
o of joint projects and triptych cooperation
o of internationalisation and European cooperation
• Raise trust in public authorities as competent partners in helping to find support
• Going beyond talking about the services and results of REDICT by:
o pushing joint projects
o pushing European projects
o implementing the results of REDICT into support instruments and mechanisms
Dissemination during the first year
• Public and individual presentations to inform relevant stakeholders about the existence of REDICT project, the involvement in European projects and it's function as European contact point
• E-Mail newsletter to keep networks, business and science community informed about REDICT events
• Internal Reports to political stakeholders:
o Quarterly to State Secretary Conference and Senator for Economics and Technology
o Monthly to Steering Committee of Coherent ICT Innovation Strategy Berlin
• Online information on REDICT www.berlin.de/projektzukunft/english/
• REDICT workshop, June 2008:
• Visiting tour through Berlin and presentations of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Report "Creative Industries in Berlin 2008 – Development and Potentials", March 2009
o Focussing also on digital media branches (software, games, film, e-culture etc.)
o Reports also analysis and results of REDICT
• Serious Games Call to support development and research projects, March – May 2009:
o Raising the awareness to combine content and technology development
o Calling especially for joint and triptych projects
o Combining digital media with health, culture, education and industry
• Serious Games Get-together, 11 March 2009
o Networking for SMEs, large industrial companies and research institutions to find partners for the Serious Games Call,
• Quo Vadis / German Game Days: Roundtable "Industry Meets Games", 22 April 2009:
o Networking for SMEs, large industrial companies and research institutions
• European Creative Metropoles Conference "Innovation @ Creative Industries", 29 June 2009:
o Focussing also on digital media branches (games, film, animation, e-culture)
o European collaboration roundtable to support internationalisation and partner search
o Raise awareness and discussing best practises for combining creative industries and IT industry for innovation development
o Expert panel on urban spaces for innovation (incubators, living labs, urban strategies) in digital media and creative industries
• Presenting REDICT at EU project "CREATIVE METROPOLES: Public Policies and Instruments in Support of Creative Industries"
o Linking with other digital media clusters
o Bringing the benefits of research to SMEs in create industries
• "Future Talk" about Serious Games, Sep 2009
o Expert Panel broadcasted on radio
o Raising awareness and present best practises for joint projects and industry-academia collaboration
• Xinnovations "better by networking", Sept 2009
PREDA FR
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
Foreign investors (SMEs or large companies in ICT/multimedia sector) and local authorities (Regional Council and particularly the departments involved in CapDigital: Paris (75), Seine-et-Marne (77), Yvelines (78), Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94) and Val d'Oise (95) and knowledge transfer actors (Centre Francilien de l'Innovation).
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Organisation of networking event
• Diffusion on the website of PREDA
• Development of the map Econovista in partnership with CapDigital Paris Region. This map highlights the exceptional dynamism and the density of the digital industry in Paris region and facilitates the access of international partners to these companies and research centers.
Dissemination during the first year
• Web site of Preda (11 400 visitors per month) with information on REDICT project (launch) and Paris REDICT workshop,
• Organisation of the Paris Region innovation Tour 2008. During the Paris Region Innovation tour 2008 (PRIt), a conference was organized by the REDICT partners. During the PRIt, the REDICT partners were in Paris to present their project and their European network to large companies (Orange, Microsoft, Thalès… and to ICT/multimedia SMEs of the cluster Cap Digital Paris Region. More than 30 SMEs of Cap Digital Paris Region participated to theses conferences to better understand the interaction between the different European partners and to know how to take advantage of this network.
• Participation of Brigitte Deliry, Telecom, Internet, Multimedia Senior Director at the 1st meeting in Amsterdam. It enabled her to identify the actors of the Redict European network and to be contacted about business projects wishing to expand into the French market.
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Development of the map Econovista dedicated to digital content and developed in partnership with CapDigital Paris Region.
• On www.econovista.com we developed a map dedicated to Cap Digital Paris Region Digital content competitiveness cluster. Econovista is the Paris Region Economic map, available online for free.
• Econovista and Cap Digital present a map dedicated to digital content activities, highlighting the exceptional dynamism and density of the digital industry in Paris Region.
• This map includes:
o Member companies and SMEs operating in the cluster's 9 strategic sectors: Design ; e-Education and e-learning; Image, Sound and Interactivity; Knowledge Engineering ; Video Games; Digital Heritage; Robotics; Digital lifestyle & Services; Collaborative Technology and Intelligence (EMI Music-France, Alcaltel Lucent, Xerox…
o Higher education and research institutions which are members of Cap Digital (Supelec, Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (SciencesPo Paris), Laboratoires de l'université Paris-Dauphine)
o Facilities (design and exhibition facilities, key players in the sector) (Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, Le Cube, Silicon Sentier).
• This map is the best way to discover high and new technologies in Paris Region and to access the French market for european partners.
• Click here to discover the Cap Digital – digital content map
http://www.lacarteeconovista.com/econovistaV3/index_v3.php?l=ENG
• Networking event during the Paris REDICT Workshop. During the workshop organized in Paris on 29th and 30th January, PREDA, Institut Telecom and Cap Digital hosted the European partners of the REDICT project to a networking event. The objective of this event is to connect REDICT partners to the Paris region ecosystem, to promote the REDICT project and to allow Business to Business contacts between REDICT Partners and our Parisian network (SMEs, ICT cluster, ICT experts…. PREDA organized the 29th of January a networking party (from 7 pm to 10 pm) at la "Cantine". This event had provided the opportunity to present the new version of the interactive Paris Region economic map Econovista dedicated to digital content
(http://www.econovista.com/econovistaV3/index.asp?m=cap_digital&c=011111111111111&h=00000000000000&z=0&x=100295&y=100144&l=ENG).
• This map that has been developed in partnership with Cap Digital shows you all that Paris Region has to offer, including its transport infrastructure, business and industrial parks, competitiveness clusters, and tourist sites. Moreover, the main actors of the digital content industry are localized (research centers, companies, equipment, business incubators…. About 60 participants were present at this evening: CEO of start up, International Investment Business Development Director, Project Coordinator, and Researcher...
• Preda Newletters (3000 French and Anglo-Saxons organizations in the database) – report on Paris REDICT Workshop
CAP Digital FR
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• Members: 400 SMEs, 20 major companies, 150 research labs from 30 different universities
• Institutional Partners: the French Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Research and Education, the Paris Region Council, the Paris Town Hall, Oséo, the French Organization for Innovation (le Centre Français de l'Innovation) and private sector industry groups (Capital Games, Silicon Sentier, etc….)
• Cluster Networks:
o In France: other clusters like Cap Digital.
o In Europe: clusters working with Cap Digital throughout Europe but not part of the REDICT consortium.
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Build a sustainable partner network for each city implicated in REDICT.
• Use REDICT as a tool to support Cap Digital SMEs' international partnerships for R&D and business projects.
• Share knowledge from experiences and best practices to better understand what influences the transfer of knowledge to SMEs.
• Identify the strengths of each REDICT city and map out geographical competences.
Dissemination during the first year
• Communication of key information on REDICT via the Cap Digital website (www.capdigital.com)
• Newsletter highlighting REDICT news. Cap Digital's newsletter is sent monthly to 1000 recipients.
• Individual meetings presenting REDICT to SMEs and academic institutions. (Around 100 meetings completed)
• Presentation of REDICT at the "Rencontres Cap Digital," May 2008. Every year Cap Digital organizes an all-day meeting for all of its members. About 400 people participated.
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 2008, the Market Place for Digital Europe. June 9th 2008, Paris.
• Presentation of REDICT at a meeting organized by the French Ministry of Industry to present French clusters to European governments (Germany, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Hungary, England and Belgium). July 7th 2008, Nice.
• Presentation of REDICT at the Open Source Software Workshop for National ICT Clusters organized by the ITEA2 office. July 10th 2008, Brussels.
• Presentation of REDICT at the Audiovisual and Networks meeting. Over 30 organizations were present. September 25th 2008, Brussels.
• Presentation of REDICT to all the Chambers of Commerce in the Paris Region.
• Presentation of REDICT at PICNIC. September 2008, Amsterdam.
• Presentation of REDICT to a group of European clusters working in a Think Tank aimed at developing new polices to foster innovation in the Digital Content sector. (8 European clusters).
• Dissemination at PRIT (Paris Region Innovation Tour). November 17th and 18th 2008, Paris.
• Organization of a REDICT networking event at the ICT conference (see: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/cf/item-display.cfm?id=530 SME International Development: Research as a business development tool). November 27th 2008, Lyon.
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Communication of key information on REDICT via the Cap Digital website (www.capdigital.com)
• Newsletter highlighting REDICT news. Cap Digital's newsletter is sent out to 1000 recipients each month.
• Presentation of REDICT through individual meetings with SMEs and academic institutions. (Around 70 meetings)
• Organization of the Paris REDICT meeting with all of the partners: Organization of meetings with a selection of French innovative SMEs (Prologue, Outwit, Pertimm, Aldebarran….
• Organization of a networking cocktail with more than 30 SMEs during the Paris REDICT meeting.
• Presentation of REDICT to all French Living Labs (11). April 2009, Nice.
• Presentation of REDICT to representatives from INNET (a cluster-driven EC program) in France. April 2009.
• Presentation of REDICT at the New Media meeting between France and Israel. May 18th 2009, Tel Aviv.
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 2009, the Market Place for Digital Europe. June 4th 2009, Paris.
• Dissemination of REDICT at LinuxTag. June 2009, Berlin.
• Presentation of REDICT to Cap Digital's new members (120 people) at the Welcome Day. July 9th 2009.
• Presentation of REDICT at PICNIC. September 2009. Amsterdam.
• Presentation of REDICT at the « Coopérations Interclusters aux plans Européen » day. September 30th 2009.
• Dissemination at the PRIT event (Paris Region Innovation Tour.) November 30th 2009, Paris.
Institut Telecom FR
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• Our research labs: our researchers (around 1200 people, including PhD students)
• Our network of industrial partners:
o Our industrial partner: Fondation Telecom with Alcatel-Lucent, France Telecom/Orange/BNP Parisbas
o Our network of SMEs, close to Institut Telecom: Streamezzo, Teamcast, Baracoda….
• Our institutional partners at the Ministry level: Ministry of Industry, Ministry or research and education in France.
Strategies/Communication aims
• Promote a methodology of partnership building based on a triptych approach (academy + industrial group + SME) in each city
• Build a sustainable networks of partners in each city of REDICT
• Use REDICT as a tool to support international partnerships for R&D and Business projects.
Dissemination during the first year
• External and internal web site (www.institut-telecom.fr): key information on REDICT + news on REDICT activities
• Internal newsletter (electronic email) with news on REDICT. 6000 people receive this newsletter at Institut Telecom
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 08, the market place for Digital Europe, in Paris on June 9th, 2008
• Dissemination during the Eunice 08 conference in Brest, on September 7th, 2008
• Presentation of REDICT at the networking day on SMEs organized at Institut Telecom: Triptyque 2008 (Le rendez-vous PME-chercheurs-Grands groups de l'Institut TELECOM et de la Fondation TELECOM) on September 28th, 2008 in Paris
• Dissemination at the PRIt event (Paris Region Innovation tour, on November 17th and 18th, 2008 in Paris)
• Organisation of the REDICT networking event at the ICT conference in Lyon (November 27th, 2008, see: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/cf/item-display.cfm?id=530 SME International Development: Research as a business development tool)
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Organisation of the Paris REDICT workshop with all partners: promotion of REDICT to SMEs from "Club SMEs from Institut Telecom" and to French industrial partners from our Telecom Foundation; organisation of visits at France Telecom/Orange labs in Paris, on January 20th, 2009. Organisation of meetings with a selection of French innovative SMEs (Prologue, Outwit, Pertimm, Aldebarran….
• Presentation of REDICT approach at ITEA office by Philippe Letellier (Vice-Charmain of ITEA, member of REDICT project)
• Presentation of REDICT at the workshop on networking initiative for ICT related projects funded under the initiatives of "Regions of Knowledge and Research Potential" on May 6th, 2009, in Brussels
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 09, the market place for Digital Europe, in Paris on June 5th, 2008
• Presentation of REDICT at the networking day on SMEs organized at Institut Telecom: Triptyque 2008 (Le rendez-vous PME-chercheurs-Grands groups de l'Institut TELECOM et de la Fondation TELECOM). Date to be confirmed
Crossroads DK
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
SMEs, within spheres of activity
• Research institutions in the field of ICT, Social Studies and Business models
• Academic partners from Crossroads Copenhagen
Strategies/Communications aims
• The funding programs of the country,
• The funding programs for the regions for instance "Improving Regional Economic Structure" (Strukturfondsmidler)
• Program to promote research, Innovation and technology (Forskning- og Innovationsstyrelsen)
• Various Venture capital funds (VC funds)
• Partnership with international Redict-Partners for follow-up Projects (FP7, Eureka)
• Boost collaboration between regions by organizing matchmakings and trade fair stalls
• Individual meetings with potential partners about their possible role in collaborative projects
• Intensifying strong networks in Copenhagen
Dissemination during the first year
• Visiting Tour: Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin
• Visiting tour through Copenhagen April 2008 and presentations of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• ICT Conference 08 in Lyon
• Prit conference in Paris
• Mobile Monday events in Copenhagen and Malmø
• ISTAG meetings Bruxelles, Paris and Prague
• Reboot festival, Copenhagen
Newsletter to keep the industry informed about Redict
Internal Reports
Online information on REDICT on Crossroads Copenhagens Homepage, see: http://crossroadscopenhagen.dk/Nyheder
Dissemination to relevant stakeholders about the existence of the REDICT project
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Visiting Tour: Paris
• ISTAG meetings in Bruxelles, Paris and Prague
• April: Future Emerging Technologies Conference, Prague
• June: Eurodigimeet in Paris
• Mobile Monday events in Copenhagen and Malmø
• May: OECD Conference on ICT and Sustainability
• Reboot festival
• ICT Council meetings
• Ørestad events
• Various conferences on Private public partnerships
Newsletter to keep the industry informed about Redict
Internal Reports
Online information on REDICT on Crossroads Copenhagens Homepage, see: http://crossroadscopenhagen.dk/Nyheder
Dissemination to relevant stakeholders about the existence of the REDICT project
AIC Dublin and NDRC IE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs in the ICT/games sector based in Dublin
• Innovation centres and clusters with focus on ICT and new media, including the Digitalhub in Dublin
• Academic research groups in the ICT/new media area
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Raise awareness of importance and the needs of the ICT/new media area
Dissemination during the first year
• Co-organise (with NDRC) Dublin region innovation tour (29-30 September 2008)
• Visiting innovation tours in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Writing and publication of report extracted from WP3 (with NDRC) on specific requirements of ICT/new media sector for Dublin, entitled "The needs of the Business Community and Other Actors in the New Media Sector: a Report on the Dublin Region". This is available at http://www.clarity-centre.org/content/external-reports and generated media reporting (Feb 2009) in places like siliconrepublic.ie and science.ie
• Visiting innovation tours in Paris, Bucharest and Amsterdam
• Information on REDICT to appear on website and promotional brochures of Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government agency responsible for the development and promotion of the indigenous business sector
CNMP RO
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
The purpose of the dissemination is to raise awareness of the REDICT project and its outcomes. The key target groups for the dissemination are:
• SMEs and other companies in the IT&C&New Media
• Academic partners – Universities
• Research institutions in the field of ICT and digital media
• Innovation and business development agencies
• Public authorities working with knowledge transfer – AMCSIT- Managerial Agency for Technological Transfer and Innovation
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
The promotion strategy may be compared to a bridge made of bricks. The promoter (NCPM) has to inform the target group periodically in order to keep the attention alive and to pass on the idea that the project is still alive and that you are thinking of them continuously.
The promoter ((NCPM) shall use the tools the project provides and the usual channels that should use daily within NCPM's activity:
• national events: in order to facilitate the transfer of related knowledge between research community, private companies and end users;
• press articles;
• national web-site: the web-site will contain the information about the state of art of the project in every stage, the partial results and the contact persons; the site will have a multilingual interface so that everyone interested in the project from the participant countries will have the opportunity to be informed, to learn and communicate through interactive web.
• Through mass-media channels: communication and presentation of the project in all kinds: articles; press-releases, dissemination of information about the other clusters.
• Mailing Lists / e-newsletter: creating new and using existing mailing lists is important for a fast and easy distribution of information sent out to a great number of interested partners.
• Events & Networking: Events and Networking is an important component which gives REDICT project partners the opportunity to meet and network with one another and experts and stakeholders (including Associates) who are not project partners to promote REDICT and exchange information.
• Other: through the appearance of the description of the project and its results on World Wide Web: on different websites; through the dissemination of information and communication papers: short brochures, flyers at commercial and scientific national and international conferences and workshops.
Dissemination during the first year
• TIB 2008 and Conference: the main Romanian international technical Fair: contacting SMEs and preparing for interviews
• "Partnership in priorities areas – reporting and evaluating procedures" Symposium, Sinaia, April 2008
• "Partnership in priorities areas" Symposium, Brasov , May 2008
• Network "Black sea – ERA NET" Project
• International Conference on Computing and Solutions in Manufacturing Engineering
• CoSME '08 September 25 – 27, 2008 Brasov, Romania
• Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation REV 2004 - REV 2008 - 10 March 2008
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Network "Black sea – ERA NET" Project
• Symposium " Partnership in ICT areas" – October 2009
• National ICT INFO DAY
• ICT NCP Network
• SIS NCP Network
• TIB 2009 and Conference: the main Romanian international technical Fair: contacting
• Promotion of the project to the national ICT and New Media entities in order to achieve cooperation with possible partners from REDICT Clusters.
UPB RO
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs and other companies in the IT&C&New Media
• Academic and research institutes
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
Using results of REDICT in pushing joint projects:
• EU level (FP7, Eureka, CIP, SCOPES, etc)
• Regional level (Initiative for Cooperation in the Black Sea Region)
• REDICT regional level
• National level (PNCDI 2, Structural Funds-based projects, etc)
Dissemination during the first year
• REDICT Meetings in Copenhagen: Understanding Copenhagen Region, transferring experiences between the regions especially on Academia and SME relations.
• REDICT Meetings in Berlin: knowledge of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions.
• ICT Conference 08, LYON: Introduction of REDICT project and regions.
• REDICT Meetings in Dublin: Understanding Dublin Region, transferring experiences between the Academia and SME research entities
• Presentation of REDICT project into PRIT2008 Conference in Paris.
• Presentation of REDICT project and its scopes into meetings organized periodically with Romanian partners of UPB (knowledge institutions, SMEs, operators in telecommunication fields, industry).
Dissemination plan for year 2
• REDICT Meetings in Paris: Understanding Paris Region, transferring experiences between the Academia and SME research entities
• REDICT Meetings in Bucharest: Presenting Bucharest Region, SMEs and knowledge institutions representative for Bucharest region
• Promote the REDICT project in neighbouring regions (Ruse region, Bulgaria, Constanta region, Romania, etc)
• Networking: Introducing Bucharest Region especially Academia and SME to individual contacts for possible projects consortiums.
o ICT Proposers' Day 2009, Budapest
o ICT Call 5 Information and Networking Event 2009
o ICT-Mobile Summit 2009
• Presentation of REDICT project and its scopes into meetings organized periodically with Romanian and European partners of UPB (knowledge institutions, SMEs, operators in telecommunication fields, industry).
BEIA RO
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs and other companies in the IT&C&New Media
• Academic partners ( University "Polytechnic, Academy of Economic Studies,etc)
• Research institutions in the field of ICT and digital media (ARIES -Romanian Association for Electronic and Software Industry, AMCSIT - POLITEHNICA)
• Innovation and business development agencies (ANCS-National Authority for Scientific Research, Knowledge Management Institute )
• Public authorities working with knowledge transfer (ANIMMC -National Agency for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Co-operatives)
• Local authorities working with knowledge transfer(ADR -National Agency for Regional Development)
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Network and collaborations development
• Individual meetings with potential SME partners about their possible role in collaborative projects
• Intensifying SME's innovative networks in Bucharest
• Partnership with international Redict-Partners for follow-up Projects (FP7, Eureka,
o Eurostars, CIP)
• Raise awareness of innovative in telecommunication business community for the necessity: of joint projects and cooperation and of internationalisation and European cooperation
• Promotion of the services and results of REDICT project, by:
o pushing local joint projects
o pushing European consortium and projects
o implementing the results of REDICT into accessible support instruments and mechanisms
• Raising awareness and present best practises of REDICT for joint projects and industry-academia collaboration
• Follows the rules of promotion materials: visual identity manual:
• http://www.fseromania.ro/images/downdocs/identitate_1502.pdf
Dissemination during the first year
• CERF 2008-National Exhibition and Conference of products and IT equipment
• Visiting Tour: Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen
• REDICT Meetings in Copenhagen: Understanding Copenhagen Region, transferring experiences between the regions especially on Academia and SME relations.
• REDICT Meetings in Berlin: knowledge of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• Cebit 2008: Presenting partnering SME's, Competence of Bucharest cluster (Beia,CNMP, UPB ) and REDICT project objectives to the visitors
• ICT Conference 08, LYON: Introduction of REDICT project and regions.
• Networking: Introducing Beia Consult International to individual contacts for possible future consortiums and projects.
• E-Mail newsletter to keep networks, business and science community informed about REDICT events
• Newsletter to keep the ITC industry informed about Redict Project
• Beia site - Online information on REDICT : http://www.beiaro.eu/redict.htm
• TIB 2008 and Conference: the main Romanian international technical Fair: contacting SMEs and preparing for interviews
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Cebit 2009: Presenting partnering SME's Competence of Bucharest cluster (Beia, CNMP, UPB ) and REDICT project objectives to the visitors.
• REDICT Meetings in Paris: Understanding Paris Region, transferring experiences between the Academia and SME research entities
• Networking: Introducing Beia Consult International to especially other european and international SMEs and to individual contacts for possible projects consortiums
• Participating to the National Contact Center Expo 2009, March 2009 :contacting SMEs and promotion of Redict ideas and objectives
• Visiting tour through Buchrest, May 2009 - presentations Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• Visiting tour through Bucharest, May 2009 - presentations of Beia company and other SMEs (Total Soft, Unilux) and Univrersity of Russe - Bulgaria)
• CERF 2009-National Exhibition and Conference of products and IT equipment
• "Telecommunication Day" event, Bucharest June 2009 - Presentations of Redict project
• Mixing ITC research with digital new- media branches (games, film, animation, e-culture)
• Roundtable and seminars concerning European collaboration to support internationalisation and partner search ( ARIES, ICI, Siveco)
• EC event, Bucharest June 2009, Information and Network Event, The Project Circle, Technical, Administrative Financial and Legal Aspects of FP7-ICT Theme Project-presenting Bucharest cluster contribution to the Redict project
• Linking with other digital media clusters from other region and from Europe
• Creative Metropolis, Berlin conference, June 2009-underlining and Bringing the benefits of research to SMEs in create industries
• ARIES and Phare, EU Directives seminar, Bucharest July 2009: Beia raise awareness and discussing best practises for combining creative industries and ITC industry for innovation development and access to research financing projects.
Project summary
The REDICT project brings together 6 regions and clusters (18 partners), which share a strong R&D presence in the field of ICT and New media and the sense that this position has to be exploited for maximal economic and social benefit. They see that the factors that influence the transfer of knowledge to SMEs are complex and often badly understood and want to exchange experiences and best practices to better understand these factors and to make use of them to boost competitiveness and economic performance. The results are presented in Joint Action Plans, Business Support Measures Packages, guidelines and recommendations for innovative research-driven clusters. Cities involved in REDICT are: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Dublin and Paris.
The main objectives of REDICT were:
• To map all the critical issues that are relevant for improving the innovation potential of the regions involved in the field of ICT/New Media;
• To design best strategies and concrete actions based on this to strengthen the economic competitiveness of the region, with a clear focus on the role and potential of SME's.
• To assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for boosting innovation and knowledge flow to SME's in the different regions.
• To suggest practical, tailor-made strategies and action plans (JAP) for RTD-related measures, and ways in which these link to relevant economic development policies.
General conclusions of REDICT
SME's
• The digital media are an important and rapidly growing part of the economy. The average size of companies in the ICT/New Media sector is small and their average age is low.
• These companies are particularly dependent on an environment that nurtures new and innovative enterprises. While the regional scale does not seem to be very relevant for bigger ICT/New Media companies, it seems to be the right scale for SME's. Measures to stimulate this sector therefore benefit from a well organized regional support structure.
• A regional cluster can be instrumental in setting up joint projects, commercial or subsidized, in which a number of SME's team up to develop services or solutions for customers that would not be feasible for any of the SME's alone. Regional clusters can also be the interface between SME's and large, international companies or for cross-border contacts. Regional networks have an important role to play in creating an environment in which SME's unlock their potential.
Cluster organization and support policy
• In all regions institutional initiatives exist to promote interaction between the three strands of the helix. Some REDICT cities do have an explicit and coordinated cluster policy for the Digital Media (Paris, Berlin, Dublin). In other REDICT cites (Amsterdam) activities seem more implicit.
• In Work Package 4 a Framework of Reference (FoR) is developed to identify the conditions that make clusters successful.
• Networks and financing programmes are seen by SME's as the most important instruments to stimulate the development of a strong ICT/New Media sector.
Knowledge transfer
• All REDICT regions face a knowledge paradox: an abundance of scientific research of often excellent quality but disappointingly few new products and services brought to the market. Although most regional Knowledge Institutes are ready to collaborate with industry, universities generally participate in large projects with large companies and not with SME's. The reason for larger companies to be more involved in joint research projects with academic institutions is that they have the structure and the capacity to participate in such projects.
• In general companies consider ICT-research at the KIS of a high standard, but at the same time they see a discrepancy between the long term scientific goals of academic institutions and the shorter term R&D needs of industry. SME's in the digital media sector are often very small and lack the capacity to fruitfully enter into open ended collaboration with knowledge institutions.
• There are few examples of SME's that are hatched under the wings of large companies, whereas this could be a potentially effective way of nurturing innovation to the point where it may have a large scale market impact. Although academic institutions these days are open to cooperation with industry and to commercial exploitation of their research results, the transfer of knowledge through start ups remains at a disappointingly low level in all regions.
Project Context and Objectives:
The idea for the REDICT came up in 2007 in Amsterdam and was developed as a Region of Knowledge project in close cooperation between 18 partners (representing the three strands of the triple helix: government, enterprises, knowledge institutions) from 6 regions and clusters. All these regions shared a strong R&D presence in the field of ICT and New media – in the following defined as Digital Media - and the sense that this position has to be exploited for maximum economic and social benefit. They saw that the factors that influence the transfer of knowledge to SMEs are complex and often badly understood and wanted to exchange experiences and best practices to better understand these factors and to make use of them to boost competitiveness and economic performance.
The project results are presented in Joint Action Plans, Business Support Measure Packages, guidelines and recommendations for innovative research-driven clusters in Europe that could benefit from the REDICT experiences. Part of the Action Plan is to use the REDICT network as a tool to support SMEs from the individual regional clusters to develop new partnerships abroad.
The project consisted of 5 workplans, The first three providing the foundation (Statistical Information, Inventory of Strategic Tools, Inventory of Business Community Needs) for WP4, the Framework of Reference and WP5, the Integration, Synthesis and conclusions of the project.
The 6 regions, although all, certainly within their countries, strong in the field of digital media represent the diversity of the European landscape. Bucharest, a typical example of a region in the emerging economies, Dublin capital of a relatively small country having gone through a rapid economic development with a strong emphasis on the ICT-sector, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, relatively prosperous regions in small to medium sized countries, with a strong appeal for the creative class, Paris and Berlin, big urban regions, in two of the largest EU countries, one the dominant urban center in a centrally governed state, the other, one of the important urban centers in a federal state. The characteristics of these six regions in terms of their economic and ICT strengths and the ambitions of the regions regarding an innovative digital media industry and the ways how to facilitate its development, partly reflect the differences in the regional characteristics themselves. But there are also common elements that are useful to consider when defining policies to boost innovation in our digitized societies. There are also best practices in some of the regions that are worthwhile to emulate in other regions.
This final report summarizes the most important results of the REDICT project. It starts with a general chapter that describes:
• the REDICT focus
• the consequences of the financial crisis for the ICT/New Media sector and the reaction of the EU
• the dynamics of cluster developments
• common elements that are useful to consider when defining policies
• general observations on the interaction between sector players.
The second chapter contains a common SWOT of the Digital Media sector of the REDICT regions and this is followed by the general conclusions of the REDICT project in chapter 3. Chapter 4 contains the elements of the Hoint Action Plan. Finally the chapters 5 to 9 give practical information on the participants in the project, the dissemination activities in the REDICT project, the societal implications and the links with other Regions of Knowledge projects.
As target audiences for the report have been identified:
• ICT & Media clusters in Europe
• Associations of SMEs in digital media in Europe
• Targeted SMEs known for their interest in international development.
• Key academic organizations (universities, research centers) working closely with SMEs
• Large industrial groups in digital media
• Innovation and business support organizations (regional chamber of commerce and industry, venture capital companies, …
• Local government, public authorities
Amsterdam region
A vibrant ICT/New Media cluster with high concentration of skills. Amsterdam is the most important Telecom, IT & New Media city in the Netherlands, with approximately 8,000 companies operating in the sector. Together, this cluster employs about 40,000 people, among them many highly skilled IT professionals and creative professionals. Many international ICT companies have chosen for Amsterdam as a European base because of its outstanding communications infrastructure, its strategic location near key markets and logistics networks. In the ICT/New media sector of the Amsterdam region counts for about 10-15% of all jobs and almost 8000 companies and organisations. The networking infrastructure is high-level (AMSIX), there is an ambitious broadband-program, and a strong leading R&D knowledge position (MultimediaN, GRID, VL-e, simulation & gaming).
ICT/New media
The Amsterdam region has the national centre for broadcasting (Hilversum) in its region; a keen interest in digital broadcasting, the best penetrated ADSL-network of Europe (with Iceland). In short, by all measures it is very suited to play a lead role within the ICT/New Media area. In addition to all of this it has leading research centers in this content and technology area as well as the largest Internet exchange of Europe on its grounds.
Challenges in region of Amsterdam
The city of Amsterdam aims to create a productive climate for the creative industry. Given its technological advancement in the two universities of the city and the well-established ICT tradition on the one hand and the creative industry in a narrow sense in the other, it is the purpose to join the two together in ICT & New Media capital of Europe. Amsterdam still has a strong position in knowledge contents, science and infrastructure; however the effective use of this position with reference to new and growing companies and (spin-off) products needs attention: this is known as the Dutch knowledge-paradox.
Paris region
The Paris region is a metropolitan region of 11,3 million inhabitants. It is one of the most innovative and wealth creating economic regions. It represents 4,5 % of the GDP of the European Union. The Paris region is home to 134 550 researchers, with 14,3 billion of euros devoted to R&D every year. ICT related activities account for more than 300 000 jobs, making Paris region Europe's highest concentration of specialist ICT personnel. A remarkably high concentration of actors in Paris region with : a large number of public and private laboratories (CEA, Thalès, France Telecom R&D), telecommunications centres of global blue-chip companies (Motorola, LG Electronics, Orange), internationally renowned training centres and engineering colleges such as GET Telecom Paris, Polytechnique, University of Pierre et Marie Curie.
Challenges in the region of Paris
It is difficult for SMEs to identify and build actual close relationship with reference academics. The difference of size and reactivity between SMEs and large academic actors is a difficulty. A difficult point is to build the good connection between the Academic know how and the ability of a SME to push an innovation on the market. The main question is on the balance between the level of investment (time to set up confidence and close relationship) and the size of accessible market for the SME. SMEs are very sensible on the property of their know how as it is a main valorization measurement for their enterprise when they will call for money, thus they can be afraid to share some confidential information
Copenhagen region
The ICT- and mobile clusters in Copenhagen are part of the Copenhagen region. The city, with the surrounding region, is developing into a Scandinavian hub for ICT/New Media companies. Penetration rates for mobile phones are high (90%) and mobile awareness is good; mobile services are today well advertised and mobile commerce is relatively common. Many of the large ICT companies and telecom operators are represented in Copenhagen. The city is involved in developing a new mobile infrastructure, opening up for much cheaper connection to the Internet via the mobile phone.
Challenges in the region of Copenhagen:
The Copenhagen region has a low number of entrepreneurs and independent businesses among people with a high education and few successful growth entrepreneurs in total. The number of high educated people in the working force is low compared to other North European metropolises – which are ranked 2 or 3 times higher than the region of Copenhagen and finally the clusters within the ICT and creative industries are growing slower than in other big cities. Within a few years, the creative industries could well be on the way to becoming a significant growth industry
Dublin region
Dublin's success is Ireland's success with the well-known Celtic Tiger attracting attention to what makes Dublin ‘tick', in terms of economic development. A worry for government in this area is that much of the Celtic Tiger success is based upon multinational corporations, and those corporations have little loyalty and are easily inclined to relocate their (Irish) operations to cheaper Asian or East European locations. This threatens the success of Ireland in the area of ICT and so the role of government to work to secure this success we presently enjoy.
Barriers for innovation
Ireland has a small base of R&D and the setup of Science Foundation Ireland was a major step towards growing a research activity in Ireland which is world-class. However, this cannot be done overneight and there is slow but successful growth of a cohort of active, world-rated researchers in Ireland. Most Irish SMEs need to focus on short-term deliverables to operate. Lack of financial resources and of relevant human resources are the main barrier to introduce innovative processes in Irish SMEs. Long development cycles of innovative products and services are also a barrier to overcome for most Irish SMEs
Bucharest region
The Bucharest region is an upcoming region in ICT/New Media and in Romania the most important ICT cluster, because of the political will to develop a knowledge-based economy. A new legislative framework is being prepared, harmonized with the EU (e-signature law, e-commerce law, data protection law, law on scientific and technological parks, law on scientific research and technological development) to foster the fast developing software industry. In the region there is a high qualification level of the working force in big numbers available, among the first in the world as number of certified specialists in informatics according to "Brain-Bench"-Global IT IQ report ; good knowledge of foreign languages; of the total number of faculty's graduates approx. 10% are trained for the IT field. There is governmental commitment for stimulating the development of a fully liberalized telecommunications market on the background of the advanced regulatory framework in the field of both telecommunications and e-commerce, and a National Governmental Strategy for promoting the new economy and information society, as well as for IT implementation in the public administration.
Barriers for innovation in ICT/New media
The main barriers for innovation in the region are lack of experience, skills and means at the regional level for designing and implementing IS policies, strategies and programmes. Furthermore, the legislative, institutional and procedural framework in area of property rights and technology transfer is underdeveloped. The average salary is lower than the one in developed countries, and Romania is faced with a large emigration to USA, Canada, Western Europe of well-trained labour.
In Romania "The Knowledge Economy" is in incipient development phase. The relation between industry (including SMEs) – research – education is poorly developed
Berlin region
The German capital Berlin has around four million inhabitants, the capital region Berlin-Brandenburg around six million. In 2005, the gross domestic product (GDP) in Berlin was Euro 79,482 million. It's investment in R&D is 4% of GDP which is today already higher than the 3% the EU in heading for in 2010 and higher than the German average of 2,5%. The region Berlin-Brandenburg provides Germany's highest concentration of research institutions, more than 100 non-university research institutes in Berlin-Brandenburg, among them 30 in the filed of ICT. 3,300 ICT companies provide jobs to 31,000 people.
ICT/New media
Berlin's ICT/New media cluster consists of 30 research institutions, among them 4 universities and 3 advanced technical colleges. Those and representatives from government, industry and service institutions have developed a joint strategy for the development of the ICT/New Media cluster. The work will be focused on the following fields: security with ICT, e-government, convergent services, e-health, open standards and RFID. Berlin's coherent innovation strategy consists of 5 master plans (strategy papers) written for the main technology fields. Two of them describe clusters, the master plan life science and the master plan ICT. To focus on areas described in the plans allows concentrating money, support and services. The first ICT master plan was written for the period 2005/2006, the updated version provides a strategy for 2007-2009.
Barriers for innovation in ICT/New media
While Berlin is a city with tremendous opportunities and potential, it is also still hampered by structural changes that present difficulties for everyone involved. The challenges associated with this can only be overcome and more growth and employment created if Berlin secures itself a very strong position on the growth markets of the future at both national and international level
Project Results:
1.2 The financial crisis and the ICT/New Media sector
The REDICT project was approved before the collapse of financial markets and the ensuing economic crisis. Much of the information collected in the framework of the different work packages therefore is based on data from before the global downturn in the economy. Although the world economies seem to be slowly recovering the effects of the crisis are still far from gone. In particular employment and financing perspectives both for business and academic R&D, are still negatively affected. In this section we try to give a very brief and a far from profound analysis of the situation in the ICT/New Media sector. We then summarize the measures foreseen by the EU and indicate how they apply to the development of regional clusters and the ICT/New Media clusters of the REDICT metropolitan regions in particular.
The significant reduction of economic activities has also reduced the demand for ICT trained personnel. Since in most countries there was a serious skills shortage this generally has not led to unemployment, but has temporarily relieved the pressure on the labour market in the sector. In the mean time the ICT sector in several countries indicates a recurrence of demand and hints at the possibility that in the not too far distance one is again facing skills shortages. This effect may be amplified, when governments in the process of balancing their budgets, will reduce the number of civil servants, while attempting to keep government (funded) services at a socially and politically acceptable level. ICT is seen as an important enabling technology to make this possible, further straining, however, the demand for ICT-skilled personnel.
The most serious problem is the threat of a stagnating and even collapsing innovation climate as a consequence of lack of investment capital in the business sector and reduced government budgets in the academic R&D sector. The drying up of venture capital and more generally the reluctance of banks to provide loans is in particular hurting young innovative small companies. This is the more serious as innovation and especially innovative SME's may be most effective in helping economies to come out of the present crisis.
In the context of the crisis, challenges amplify and take innovative dimensions when it comes to ICT-clusters :
- Direct support to the diffusion of ICT has a positive impact, as it contributes to efficiency gains throughout the economy. Measures aiming at the further diffusion of broadband, as described in the recovery package, facilitate take-up and contribute directly to short-term employment measures.
- More could be done to stimulate intangible investments in organisational processes. Measures aiming at stimulating ICT-take up by enterprises in general, and investment in software in particular, should be continued as organisational innovation makes them more efficient and resilient to the crisis.
- Structural Funds and Rural Development Funds are available to strengthen investment in ICT.
- The Commission is providing faster avenues for spending, but the economic situation may
make co-funding by Member States more difficult than under ordinary times.
- Companies and governments should not be cutting back on R&D and innovation activities, as R&D effort lays the foundation today to ensure the technological progress on which Europe will capitalise in the future. There is a risk, however, that the current financial crisis may undermine the recent positive development in R&D investment rate by European businesses and that firms in the ICT sector reduce their participation to public/private partnerships.
- The ICT industry operates internationally and many ICT markets are global. ICT both facilitates the single market and globalisation and benefits from it. A coordinated EU policy response is needed to exploit the benefits from increased economies of scale, economies of scope, larger markets and greater competition
As we now move to a new economic cycle, based on recovery and restructuring, clustering has the potential to be a critical instrument for cities in the drive for future competitiveness. Cities across the EU have, because of agglomeration advantages, a unique combination of skills, experiences and resources that allows them to promote clustering more effectively than at any other governance level in the EU. By drawing together human resources, financial support, infrastructure development and partnership promotion cities can develop effective clustering policies based on existing mainstream interventions. The EU has addressed clustering in several significant policy documents, yet often in a rather specialist manner. Given the importance of clustering we may expect to see new general and strategic economic development policies to incorporate clustering as a mainstream tool. Such a move could have an impact on practical support, as well as having an even greater impetus for city based clustering initiatives in the future.
1.3 The dynamics of cluster development
Cluster development is a dynamic process. REDICT makes a distinction between three phases in the development of a company:
• an incubation stage ,
• a launching stage and
• a growth stage.
The role of the regional governments and the support measures that they provide are different for these three stages. A general condition for ICT/New media companies to emerge and a cluster environment to develop, proved, in the REDICT regions, to be the presence of a strong R&D base in the ICT/New Media field and a good general economic climate. In the first stage companies require a cluster environment that provides promotion tools, as well as coaching programmes. Initiatives to stimulate entrepreneurship are also important at this stage.
At the launching stage of companies, networks play an increasingly important role in their further development and implicitly lead to the strengthening of the cluster. That is also the case for content support programmes .
An effective system that assists in getting financial support is needed at all stages of company development and is an extremely important quality of a successful Digital Media cluster. At the growth stage of the cluster initiatives to provide the SME's with the human capital that they need are becoming increasingly important. That is also true for programmes that stimulate and help companies to enter into markets outside their domestic markets.
1.4 Common elements that are useful to consider when defining policies
To boost innovation in our digitized societies, there are common elements that need attention. There are also best practices in some of the regions that are worthwhile to emulate in other regions.
• In all regions there is the strong ambition to nurture the interaction between the strands of the triple helix, knowledge institutions, innovative (digital media) industry and regional authorities. All cite the knowledge paradox: an abundance of scientific research of often excellent quality, much new creative content, an excellent ICT-infrastructure but still disappointingly few new products and services brought to the market.
• In practically all regions therefore institutional initiatives exist to promote the interaction between the three strands of the helix. Special organizations are set up to act as innovation motors, trying to lower the threshold for the flow of research results to industry. Also the establishment of Science Parks is facilitated.
• These initiatives are particularly aimed at SME's. Larger industries are better positioned to be involved in joint research projects with academic institutions. They have the structure and the capacity to participate in public-private, often nationally funded, research programmes.
• There are few examples of SME's that are hatched under the wings of large companies, whereas this could be a potentially effective way of nurturing innovation to the point where it may have a large scale market impact.
• Entrepreneurial ambitions continue to be underdeveloped in the European academic communities. In some regions courses are organized in entrepreneurship and attempts are made to pair innovative talent with managerial talent. The effect of these initiatives still has to be seen.
• In countries like Romania, which only recently have made the transition towards a market economy, the situation is aggravated by the fact that the academic system has not evolved in a similar way. Old organizational and funding structures still prevail and for many reasons the interaction with industry is poorly developed
1.5 General observations on the interaction between sector players
The following general observations were made concerning the interaction of knowledge institutions with industry in the ICT/New Media sector:
• 52% of the industrial companies and 80 % of the knowledge institutions are involved in joint projects. The most common forms are industry-led and joint research projects. Consultancy is also taking place, in the case of Berlin and Dublin mostly from business to academia, and in Amsterdam and Bucharest mostly from academia to business.
• In all regions industry considers the research of the knowledge institutions of high standard. This conclusion is based on publications as well as information obtained in regional, national or European funded projects. Larger companies are the ones most benefitting from project results as well as academic publications. Generally they are already active on a cross-regional or European level (industry–led research), have access to relevant digital libraries, such as the ACM or IEEE digital library and thus are well aware of the research of the academic community.
• For SMEs the situation is different. For them the access to academic knowledge be it through courses, conferences or publications is often still unknown territory. Between 35 – 50% of the SMEs in all regions have no information at all about what knowledge institutions can offer in terms of knowledge transfer. The problem is not only access to research results but also for instance a simple problem as identifying the right contact person in a knowledge institution for potential collaboration.
• Direct collaboration between SMEs and knowledge institutions in joint projects is rare and if established mainly on a regional or national level. Even in so-called "science parks" where SMEs and knowledge institutions are located in close proximity of each other joint projects are rare. The strongest obstacle from the point of view of SMEs for a collaboration with higher education institutions, however, seems not even to be a lack of communication. It is rather a question of different views on project setup (financially) and expected outcome:
? Academic research is not applied enough to serve the needs of SMEs and often does not fit the short development cycles of smaller companies;
? There is a potential conflict between the objectives with which academia measures its success (publications and good academic evaluation results) and that of SMEs (protect IPR in a rapidly moving market);
? the financial aspects of R&D projects are also seen as a problem. They are too resource demanding and have a too uncertain outcome (23 – 53% of all SMEs). The IPR issue is a concern in this context as well.
• SMEs in all regions complain that, though entrepreneurship should be an important element of the academic competence profile of young academic professionals, knowledge institutions are weak in translating that requirement into their curricula. A consequence of this lack of attention for the requirements of a business career is also that it leads to low numbers of young professionals who start a business. Accordingly there is an insufficient flow of expertise, knowledge and potentially innovative ideas from academic institutions to new innovative companies.
• A more general problem is that in most REDICT regions the number of young people graduating in ICT is too low to satisfy the increasing demands of our digital society. The needs are particularly serious in the fast growing sub-sectors services, mobile technology, gaming, and e-learning (see WP3).Institutions of higher education are thus hard pressed to increase their efforts to recruit more students. This requires attractive curricula as well as better promotion of the social and economic importance of ICT. Both educational institutions and industry have a responsibility in solving this problem.
• The introduction of a European wide system of bachelor and master degrees has not yet provided the necessary cross-regional overlap in curricula, which would allow an easy exchange of students among European regions. More international student mobility would stimulate the desired Europeanization of the workforce and is therefore an important goal to achieve.
2. Concluding common SWOT of the Digital Media sector of the REDICT regions
Strengths
• The regions are all, within their countries, important, if not the most important, centers for an innovative, knowledge based economy.
• Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Amsterdam fill the top ranks of the most competitive metropoles in Europe.
• They are leading centers in their countries in the ICT/Digital media sector, an important position in view of the increasing importance of this sector in our digitized society
• The metropoles offer the kind of cultural and social environment that makes them attractive for young creative talent.
• All REDICT regions are the (cultural) capitals of their countries. As a consequence the creative industry is well developed, is the fastest growing economic sector and is employing an ever increasing fraction of the work force.
• Major companies in the sector have chosen the REDICT regions to set up their (European or national) head quarters.
• The regions have a strong knowledge base and play an important role in the academic ICT-networks in Europe.
• Most regions share the view that ICT is an important driver of wealth and well-being and are active in stimulating the interaction between the knowledge sector, the business sector, and regional authorities. To that purpose they have established dedicated organizations.
• Regions are good focal and rallying points for innovation policies.
Weaknesses
• The translation of academic knowledge into innovative products and services is still far from optimal.
• While there is a reasonable interaction between academic institutions and large companies, that is not the case with SME's. There is often a mismatch between the needs of (the very) small companies in this sector and academic interests.
• There is insufficient entrepreneurship in the academic sector, which is a major factor in the small number of innovative start-ups.
• There is a lack of skilled manpower in the ICT sector and in those sectors in which innovation can take place because of the enabling role of ICT.
• The educational system is poorly preparing for the skills needed in a digitized society.
• The "government" often fails to play a lead role in implementing innovative ICT products and services.
• The enabling role of ICT requires focused interdisciplinary interaction with other disciplines and the parties that represent the demand side. This is often still poorly organized.
• The digital sector is often still considered to have a technological focus, while the role of e.g. the social sciences, the humanities and law are becoming increasingly an important factor in the business models.
• There could be a better focus on the right instruments to stimulate the sector, in particular networks are considered to be important.
• Most companies in this sector are small and young and have difficulties in finding financial support for R&D projects either through venture capital or through subsidies for joint projects.
• There is little focus on the economic importance of introducing (innovative) ICT tools for not-innovative SME's.
• There is no structural network to promote market expansion across borders within the EU. The potential market of SME's accordingly is intrinsically small.
• In the emerging economies of the EU the academic sector still has to go through an evolutionary process that makes it, from the organizational point of view, a strong partner in its interactions with its counterparts of the rich economies and with industry.
• Communication is a bottleneck. There are many scattered initiatives at different levels of institutional organization and as a consequence money and energy are not efficiently used, while results evaporate because of lack of scale and momentum
Opportunities
• The rapidly progressing digitization of our societies provides numerous opportunities for innovative products and services, in health, education, government, sustainability, media etc..
• The innovative process is generally driven by individuals, not necessarily operating in large companies. To thrive a receptive environment is required. (Regional) governments can play an important role to stimulate it through innovation agencies, networks, housing facilities etc. and by acting as lead customers.
• For SME's the European market is often still a fractured market. The EC should help removing the barriers that prevent the use of the open European market. The REDICT network could play a role in this.
• Use the REDICT network as a launching platform for initiatives in fields like e-health, e-sustainability etc. providing, based on mutual trust, the transnational environment, the diversity and the scale by which such initiatives can develop in European successes.
• Initiating at institutions of higher education courses in entrepreneurship in order to educate not just a creative but also an entrepreneurial class.
• Pairing technical, business and management skills as a way to overcome some of the handicaps in successfully setting up a new company.
• Increasing the role of large companies in hatching new companies relevant for their business.
• Developing mechanisms to bridge the gap between ICT, other disciplines and parties that represent the demand side.
• New models as a way to boost the role of SME's in the innovative process e.g. bringing together a large company at the demand side, an SME at the possible supply side and an academic institution as mediator and knowledge provider.
• Modernization of the academic environment in the emerging economies might result in the unchaining of much presently underused talent. The EU has the opportunity to encourage this process.
• Development by academic institutions, in close interaction with branch organizations, courses tailored to the needs of new emerging business sectors.
• Better use of professional colleges in answering the often -limited in scope- problems of SME's.
• Better synchronization between regional, national and European funding schemes
Threats
• Failing to develop the effective, well coordinated environment in which innovation thrives and which exploits to the fullest the enabling role of ICT many sectors of our society.
• Failing to solve the skills shortages and installing more entrepreneurial qualities among young graduates of our educational institutions.
• Failing to modernize the academic system in emerging economies.
• Failing to develop mechanisms by which the European market really becomes an open market also for SME's.
• Failing to grasp all other opportunities mentioned before.
3. General conclusions of REDICT
General context and specialization pattern
• All REDICT regions share the conviction that ICT and new media are important for both economic growth and social well-being and share the ambition to maximally exploit this potential by stimulating innovation in the ICT and new media sector.
• Practically all REDICT regions are ranked high in European competitiveness lists. They are highly connected, with advanced user communities and with the ICT and new media sector a very important sector of the regional economy.
• In most REDICT regions the range of ICT/New Media activities is rather broad and does not show much specialization. Also the policy goals for the sector are not very focussed. The underlying theme is very general and is the connection of ICT and content with the expectation that this will strengthen the economy and/or improve the well-being of the citizens.
• All REDICT regions are confronted with a lack of skilled manpower, even in the present economic circumstances. The number of young people graduating in ICT is too low given the demand of an increasingly digitized society. The teaching of ICT as a core competence in the curricula of professional schools is also still poorly developed.
• Emerging regions, like Romania, which only recently have made the transition towards a market economy, are not only ranked low in the competitiveness lists they have also serious problems to bridge the gap with the advanced economies in the EU. They are often faced with a knowledge sector in which old organizational and funding structures still prevail and where for many reasons the interaction with industry is poorly developed. Also their innovation policies are still in their infancy.
• Financial support through European funds is for competent academic groups in these countries is a crucial condition for their survival . These funds, however, are rarely used to stimulate public-private projects.
SME's
• SME's represent a very big slice of our economies and are responsible for most of its employment. In the REDICT regions the digital media and linked to that the creative sector are an important and rapidly growing part of the economy. The average size of companies in the ICT/New Media sector in the REDICT regions is small and their average age is low. A large fraction is even very small and run by just one or two people.
• These companies therefore are particularly dependent on an environment that nurtures new and innovative enterprises. Provided measures are tuned to the specific needs of these small and micro-enterprises, they may benefit most from national or regional policies that stimulate and support R&D.
• While the regional scale does not seem to be very relevant for bigger ICT/New Media companies, it seems to be the right scale for SME's. Measures to stimulate this sector therefore benefit from a well organized regional support structure.
• The web and the rapidly developing mobile sector are creating new possibilities for small companies to operate in consumer markets that once were only accessible for global companies. Even very small companies for instance can produce applet's for Apple's i-Phone store. A cluster can help small companies finding their way in new emerging markets.
• A regional cluster can be instrumental in setting up joint projects, commercial or subsidized, in which a number of SME's team up to develop services or solutions for customers that would not be feasible for any of the SME's alone.
• Regional clusters can also be the interface between SME's and large, internationally operating companies or for cross-border contacts.
• Regional networks have an important role to play in creating an environment in which SME's unlock their potential
Cluster organization and support policy
• In all regions institutional initiatives exist to promote the interaction between the three strands of the helix. Special organizations are set up to act as innovation motors, trying to lower the threshold for the flow of research results to industry. Also the establishment of Science Parks is facilitated. Some REDICT cities do have an explicit and coordinated cluster policy for the Digital Media (Paris, Berlin, Dublin). In other REDICT cites (Amsterdam) activities seem more implicit and less coordinated.
• The level of cluster organization differs per REDICT cities. In some REDICT regions (Paris, Berlin) there are highly organized structures, in others (Bucharest, Amsterdam) those structures are more low key.
• In Work Package 4 a Framework of Reference (FoR) is developed to identify the conditions that make clusters successful. This question is particularly relevant in the, new and rapidly changing, ICT and New Media sector. The FoR distinguishes the following four kinds of conditions:
o Resource conditions: workforce, capital, infrastructure (physical and knowledge);
o Business context for companies: strategy to encourage investment and innovation, competitive climate; an innovation prone government;
o Demand conditions: existence of an advanced consumer community that creates the demand that drives innovation; other business sectors that are open to and receptive for new developments;
o The presence of a stimulating business environment: a creative and diverse community of companies making a strong ICT/New Media sector and more general a strong, open and innovative business community
• ICT and New Media clusters are innovative research driven clusters. To make them effective there have to be excellent links between public research and private companies.
• The members of the clusters have to be aware of and know the access to the full range of opportunities and competences in their environment. Regional cluster organizations can play an important role, especially for SME's, in achieving this: helping them to build up networks, organizing financing schemes, brokering contacts with big industry and KIS and helping them build up cross-boundary contacts.
• Networks and financing programmes are seen by SME's as the most important instruments to stimulate the development of a strong ICT/New Media sector.
Knowledge transfer
• All REDICT regions state that they are confronted with a knowledge paradox: an abundance of scientific research of often excellent quality, much new creative content, an excellent ICT-infrastructure but still disappointingly few new products and services brought to the market. Although most regional Knowledge Institutes (KIS) are ready to collaborate with industry, universities generally participate in large projects with large companies and not with SME's.
• The reason for larger companies to be more involved in joint research projects with academic institutions is that they have the structure and the capacity to participate in public-private, often nationally funded, research programmes.
• In general companies consider the ICT-research at the KIS in the REDICT regions of a high standard, though there often remains an intrinsic discrepancy between the long term scientific goals of academic institutions and the shorter term R&D needs of industry.
• SME's, especially in the digital media sector, are often very small and lack the capacity to fruitfully enter into open ended collaboration with knowledge institutions. As a consequence KIS play a role as a source of knowledge for SME's, but less so than their own employees or other companies in the cluster.
• There are few examples of SME's that are hatched under the wings of large companies, whereas this could be a potentially effective way of nurturing innovation to the point where it may have a large scale market impact.
• Although academic institutions these days are open to cooperation with industry and to commercial exploitation of their research results, the transfer of knowledge through start ups remains at a disappointingly low level in all regions.
• Entrepreneurial ambitions continue to be underdeveloped in the European academic communities. It is one of the key reasons why the translation of knowledge to the market remains a serious point of concern in the EU. In some regions courses are organized in entrepreneurship and attempts are made to pair innovative talent with managerial talent. The effect of these initiatives still has to be seen.
4. Joint Action Plan
General actions
• Not all REDICT regions proved to be able to provide basic information about the platforms, coaching programmes, financing tools, job posting facilities etc., relevant for ICT/New Media companies. A serious effort therefore should be made to provide, at the regional level, such a compact overview as an important starting point for the formulation of cluster policies.
• There should be a greater effort, in all REDICT regions, to stimulate cross-disciplinary interactions, both at the knowledge level and in terms of supply and demand, in order to create and exploit opportunities in fields like e-health, e-sustainability, e-learning. Some interesting attempts, though are found in several of the REDICT regions.
• The REDICT project shows the importance of trust and open communication between all actors within the ICT/New Media clusters (the private sector, the knowledge institutions and the public sector). REDICT regions should draw up a common and coordinated action plan by which the goal of an innovative cluster can be achieved.
• Regional clusters should help its members to be better aware of and know the access to the broad range of knowledge and competences that is available for them, even within their own direct environment, be it local or institutional. Very often the one hand does not know what the other is doing, leading to missed opportunities or wasted resources. Better and more effective communication is needed in order to avoid this. A possible mechanism might be the appointment of ‘free agents' with the right qualifications to mediate interdisciplinary and triple helix collaboration. It is anyhow important that the cluster sets up a dedicated team for the effective coordination of the network.
• Effective networks of SME's, large companies and academic research centres are crucial for a successful innovative knowledge economy. Regional and local authorities therefore should continue to make this an important point of attention in their policies to shape the knowledge society. Regional cluster organizations are the vehicles through which this can be achieved, provided these are flexible, take initiatives and have good connections with all stakeholders. New models for involving SME's are particularly important. Examples are:
o Using research as a business tool i.e. bringing together a large company with a particular need, an SME and a research organization to develop new innovative solutions;
o Hatching SME's under the umbrella of large companies;
o Have governments play a more active role as lead customers.
• Look for the right balance between a "let 1000 flowers blossom"-approach and coordination. Scale is needed but creativity as well. The regional level is possibly the right scale for incubation.
• The REDICT regions should be aware of the fact that successful innovation, certainly in the ICT/New Media sector, requires more than just technology and develop instruments that effectively link technological knowledge to expertise in e.g. economics, the social sciences and law. Tthis is becoming increasingly important as, in particular with the further opening up of the European market, business development depends more and more on regulatory frameworks, understanding of social aspects in the adaptation of products etc.. The instruments to facilitate such interaction, however, are largely missing.
Manpower planning
• Invest in measures that increase the number of graduates with the skills that are required in our digitized society in general and the Digital Media sector in particular. Both ICT experts and professionals with a proper understanding of the role of ICT as an enabling technology are needed. Apart from that policies should be developed to attract talented foreign workers to work in the cluster.
• The leading knowledge institutions in the different REDICT regions should define a common set of skills for the sectors Mobile Services, eLearning, eHealth and gaming and develop BSc and MSc curricula that teach these skills. The REDICT regions should use their cross-boundary network also to promote more international exchange.
Stimulate knowledge transfer
• Introduce incentives to encourage cooperation between the academic R&D sector and SMEs.
• Develop mechanisms to increase the number of spin-offs, such as entrepreneurship as part of the curriculum or nurturing spin-offs by linking business with technical experiences. In general there should be more generic initiatives to promote the creation of spin-offs.
• Targeted and specific initiatives to stimulate knowledge transfer from KIS to the private sector are mainly used by bigger companies. SME's hardly benefit from those instruments, because most SMEs are looking for short term practical solutions, while KIS are focused on developing long term knowledge. The role of professional colleges in helping SMEs to find solutions for practical problems, should get more attention.
• When considering tools to facilitate knowledge transfer to SMEs there is a tendency to focus on young innovative SMEs. The economy might benefit a lot from introducing new ICT solutions in the business activities of traditional non-innovative SMEs. Cluster organizations should pay attention to this.
Business support for SME's
• Because of the importance of SME's for the economy and the fact that government support for this sector is best provided at the regional scale, local governments should mainly focus on the support of SME's.
• More should be done to improve the profile and credibility of small companies. Of course, a nice website can ensure that a company is found by customers from all over the world. But it is one thing to get on a short -or even long - list of potential suppliers of a product or service, it is quite another thing to actually land the order. Being part of a network or cluster improves credibility, and may help in providing references.
• Giving local players access to global customers is one of the most important roles of clusters. This may particularly be facilitated when personal relations exist between members of clusters in different countries, as is the case in REDICT.
• Government agencies should more often play an active role as launching customers for innovative SME's, particularly if these are members of the regional cluster. In this context it is relevant to observe that the cumbersome and labor intensive process for European Tendering Procedures makes it very difficult for SME's to compete with large established companies, even if they possess innovative and superior technologies.
• It is important to realize that each phase in the development of an innovative company requires its own mix of business support.
• REDICT countries should learn from each other's best practices. See the Business Support Measure Package in appendix 1 for some best practices.
• Financial support schemes have to be developed that are properly tuned to the needs of this sector. This includes the venture capital industry.
Potential Impact:
7. Use and dissemination of foreground
Target Audiences
In order to make the dissemination effective, a first step is to identify the target audiences for raising awareness. These target audiences are identified according to the different subtopics of REDICT and the workshops organised in each city of REDICT.
The following target audiences have been identified so far:
• ICT & Media clusters in Europe
• Associations of SMEs in digital media in Europe
• Targeted SMEs known for their interest in international development.
• Key academic organisations (universities, research centres) working closely with SMEs
• Large industrial groups in digital media
• Innovation and business support organisations (regional chamber of commerce and industry, venture capital companies, …
• Local government, public authorities
Continuous and specific dissemination
We distinguish between continuous dissemination and specific dissemination. The project makes use of both types . Continuous dissemination should raise general awareness about the REDICT project, about the services that we offer, about the network that we are building, etc. It makes use of various communication channels, such as e-mail, web pages, etc. Specific dissemination refers to dissemination that is tied to a particular REDICT event. Here the dissemination has to be targeted to specific audiences. Today most people and certainly the digital media community are flooded by (often unwanted) mail. It is therefore important to think carefully about whom to address and in what way. Only those should be addressed who might have a real interest in the events and are interested in the possibilities of cooperation in the framework of the digital media clusters.
Most partners are using their own newsletters to announce REDICT events. In addition individual partners may distribute information on REDICT events that they will attend. Personal contact with people remains very important and is often more effective than just an e-mail. This is especially true for SMEs that we want to invite to REDICT events.
International and national conferences and workshops
Project results are published through presentations and papers at various European and national conferences and workshops. There are a large number of such conferences on regions of knowledge, digital media and innovation in Europe – thus the Coordinator, with the support of the REDICT partners, is keeping a critical eye on the quality of these and makes a qualified selection of appropriate conferences to participate in. Several high profile conferences have been identified at the beginning of the project, among which the PRIT (Paris Region Innovation Tour), ICT FP7 conference in Lyon (Experts Group Meetings) as primarily targeted. REDICT organised networking sessions during these events.
REDICT workshops
The REDICT clusters have organized meetings in each city of REDICT. Those workshops are also targeting SMEs, large industrial groups and academic organizations. The REDICT partners in the individual city are in charge of organizing the event and disseminating information to interested organizations in their region.
The meetings took 2 days:
• The first day was used for visits and presentations of the innovation & research organisations and structures in each city and,
• During the second day the Consortium met to discuss the progress of the project.
The partners in each individual city were in charge of organising the programme and the logistics of the workshop in their city. A special focus was the selection of a representative number of innovative SMEs in each region. Those SMEs had the opportunity to introduce themselves to REDICT partners with the aim of developing new contacts and starting new business and research collaborations with partners (academic, SMEs, Industial) in other clusters. These REDICT events also gave REDICT partners the opportunity to visit large industrial groups and public research organisations in each region.
Our dissemination and communication strategies are not only meant to create awareness on the REDICT project, they are also intended to create synergies and initiate new collaborations between key actors in digital media clusters. REDICT offers indeed a platform for setting-up new partnerships between complementary actors (triptych approach: industry, SME, academic) in different regions (city) of the REDICT consortium.
Therefore representatives from each type of organisation were invited in the various REDICT events.
The regular REDICT meetings took place every three months in the following cities
• Amsterdam (2008)
• Copenhagen (2008)
• Berlin (2008)
• Dublin (2008)
• Paris (2009)
• And Bucharest (2009)
In the next paragraphs REDICT partners describe their individual strategies for dissemination in the context of the REDICT event that took place in their city.
Partner internal dissemination
All partners in the project disseminate project results within and outside their organisations. This is considered a very important element of the project and is therefore included in the individual dissemination plans. Partners disseminate REDICT information on their Web sites, intranet, internal journals and newsletter. They also disseminate information to targeted SMEs interested in international collaboration with new clusters (mail shots from cluster representatives to their network of SMEs).
Dissemination to other relevant projects
It was considered of strategic importance to interact, in the course of the project, with other projects funded by the FP7 Capacities programme "Regions of Knowledge" and by FP7 ICT (projects on SMEs). Projects that have been identified as key targets are:
• The "Centrope ICT technology transfer" project (CITT) for the links with clusters and SMEs in Central Europe.
• The "FP7 SMES EA SCHEME" (Development of the implementation modalities for the establishment of a new externalised exploratory awards scheme for SMEs) for the access to SMEs in Europe interested in FP7 research.
• The "BRIDGE-BSR" (Bridging life science research and SMEs in the Baltic Sea region putting cluster policies into practise for the benefit of SMEs) project for the access to Baltic Region.
• The "IRegions" Project (Internet-based and mobile technologies for regions in the net economy) which aims at maximising the benefits of research infrastructures for regional economic development within the following ICT-based clusters: CyberForum (Germany) Kista Science City (Sweden) Tartu Science Park (Estonia)
• The "Create" Project (Creating a joint research agenda for ICT innovation in the creative industries across Europe) with the objective to bring the benefits of research to SMEs in create industries.
Publications, magazines etc
Through relevant publications as well as newspapers project visions and results are disseminated. We focus on EU policies and National cluster publications.
Project Web site
An effective way dissemination channel is the Web site. It facilitates contacts and exchanges with other research and cluster initiatives on relevant topics. The web site is continuously updated with project information, public deliverables and other results that may be of public interest.
The goal of the Web site can be summarised as follows:
• to inform (general information about the project)
• to disseminate information to specific people/groups/organisations/clusters
• to offer resources
• to allow follow-ups (contacts established during the REDICT events)
• To share key documents between REDICT partners (intranet) and interested organisations (public Web site)
The address of the REDICT Web Site is: http://www.redict.eu/
REDICT Documents: logo, brochures, powerpoint model, etc
The objective is to have specific documents and brochures with a standard format adopted by REDICT partners. Those documents are distributed during the workshops organized by REDICT partners, or during conferences REDICT aims to participate in. The different events need specific and targeted dissemination. Therefore additional material could be printed (specific poster for conferences and booth presentation).
Individual strategies of partners
The partners adopt individual strategies to create awareness on REDICT as described as followed:
Amsterdam
AIM NL
To stimulate innovation and knowledge transfer between knowledge institutions and SME's, the Amsterdam region has set up an organisation, the Amsterdam Innovation Motor (AIM). ICT and New Media is one of focal points in the Amsterdam area. Because of this organized approach it has been decided to present in the context of this REDICT project an over-all dissemination strategy for the cluster and not separate ones for the individual partners. All individual partners will contribute to the execution of this strategy using their own dissemination services and mechanisms.
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SME's in the field of ICT, digital media and more general, creative industries
• Large companies both in the ICT sector as in the Media sector or otherwise potential customers of ICT and Digital Media developments
• Academic research institutions working in the ICT and Digital Media field
• Public, governmental, authorities, both local and national and their relevant agencies
• National research organisations
• The general public
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Consolidate the network of companies (SME's, large, ICT, Media, Creative sector in general), knowledge institutions and possibly advanced users.
• Set up a cluster platform focussed on ICT and Digital media. The platform will organize network activities, special events and workshops, stimulating discussion among a selected group of targeted participants and stimulate exchange of ideas in the triangle of public (local and regional) authorities, knowledge institutions and companies (both SME's and large ones). The platform will be instrumental in:
o Starting common innovative projects and thus implement the innovation agenda;
o Developing common markets.
o Positioning the Amsterdam region in the international context.
• Stimulating cross-disciplinary innovative developments, with ICT as a common thread.
• Increase the awareness of politicians and administrators, CEO's of large companies and members of the governing boards of knowledge institutions of the important role that ICT and Digital Media have in improving the well being and prosperity of our society.
• Establish an international network that can serve as a framework for realizing the European ambition of more cross-national interaction at the level of SME's and thus assist in providing a European space for innovative products and services.
• Use this network also to set up joint projects in the context of European innovation programmes.
Dissemination activities during year 1 and 2
• Tour of REDICT Partners in Amsterdam with visits of different actors in the Digital Media field (SME's, knowledge institutions etc.)Tours in Copenhagen, Berlin, Dublin, Paris and, Bucarest with visits of relevant players in the Digital Media field.
• Information on REDICT on the website of AIM and the Economic Development Department of Amsterdam
• Dissemination of REDICT results in the IT cluster that has been set up by AIM and the City of Amsterdam
• Presentation for SME's in Paris region during PRIT (Paris Region Innovation Tour)
• Presentation in Experts Group Meetings at ICT FP7 conference in Lyon.
• REDICT Website
• Interaction with and survey of SME's in framework of WP2 and WP3.
• Dissemination of information on the REDICT project to relevant stakeholders.
• Presentation of REDICT at meeting of ROK and REGPOT projects in Brussels.
• First contacts between SME's in Amsterdam and partners in other REDICT regions.
Dissemination plan for the coming period
• Closing conference REDICT with invitation of representatives of other ROK projects and possibly linked to follow-up of Brussels meeting of all ROK projects.
• Meeting of REDICT members with other clusters in framework of an I(CT)I(nnovative)P(latform) Create (Large Dutch Creative Industry collaborative programme) initiative on the occasion of Picnic to discuss common strategies.
• Initiative to set up, by AIM and City of Amsterdam, a cluster platform in the Amsterdam region directed to a broad spectrum of ICT, Digital Media and Creative Industries bringing together SME's, established companies, knowledge institutions and regional authorities.
• Putting the REDICT results on the agenda of te IT cluster of the above cluster platform.
• Presenting the REDICT results on the websites of all Amsterdam Redict partners.
• Initiatives to launch on basis of REDICT a network of nodes to facilitate contacts between SME's in the different regions and between SME's and large companies.
• Initiatives to launch on basis of REDICT network new projects in framework of e.g. FP7.
• Presenting REDICT results to PRES [other governmental organisations such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the municipalities within the Amsterdam region (that are relevant as partners in program development)]
• Presenting of REDICT results to and discussing those results with relevant SME's, and company networks (such as IPAN) in the Amsterdam Region.
• Presenting of REDICT results to and discussing those results with coordinators of other clusters within the AIM (Life Sciences, sustainability, creative industry)
TSB DE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs, within spheres of activity
• Research institutions in the field of ICT
• Academic partners from TSB
• Partners in the Quadriga Process:
o TSB Technologiestiftung Innovation Center Berlin,
o Berlin Partner GmbH,
o Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB),
o Chamber of Commerce Berlin (IHK)
o Local authorities working with knowledge transfer
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
The funding programs of the country, investment grants from the joint task
• "Improving regional economic structure" (GA), program to promote research,
• Innovation and technology (ProFIT),
• Innovation Assistant Future Fund Berlin and venture capital funds (VC funds)
• Consulting Services of Technology Coaching Center (TCC) and TSB Technology
• Foundation Innovation Agency (TSB GmbH) including the programs of the IBB
Partnership with international Redict-Partners for follow-up Projects (FP7, Eureka, Eurostars,)
Boost collaborations between regions by organizing matchmakings and trade fair stalls
Individual meetings with potential partners about their possible role in collaborative projects
Intensifying strong networks in Berlin
Dissemination during the first year
• Visiting Tour: Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen
• Visiting tour through Berlin June 2008 and presentations of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• ICT Conference 08
• Prit
• Cebit
• Newsletter to keep the industry informed about Redict
• Internal Reports / Jour fixe
• Online information on REDICT on TSB Homepage (www.tsb-berlin.de/de/tsb-gruppe/kompetenzfelder/ikt/ikt-projekte)
• Dissemination to relevant stakeholders about the existence of the REDICT project
• Bulkmailing for survey WP2 / WP3
• VDI distributor (http://www.vdi.de) to promote the REDICT Project
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Cebit 2009 presenting partnering SME's and Competence of Berlin Region
• Eurodigimeet
• Visiting Tour Bukarest
• Linux Tage
• introducing Berlin Region especially Academia and SME focus on matchmaking
• informal networking service between Paris (Ubifrance is the French Agency for International Business Development. The Agency offers to French companies a full range of services to support them and improve their competitiveness in the international environment. Ubifrance is the ICT National Contact Point) and Berlin TSB ( EEN)
• 24.2.2009 Delegation of the Chamber of Commerce Essonne / Irene Faure (Department Manager, who is in contact with Cap Digital) Subject: SME Funding, Network Initiatives ICT, Microsystem Technologies and Optical Technologies
• 13.2.2009 Delegation of the French Embassy in Berlin - with deputies of the French treasury. Subject: Development and conveyance of Cluster and Network Initiatives followed by a matchmaking workshop together with the French Embassy – in fall 2009 tbc
TUB DE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SME's in ICT
• Academic and research institutes
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
Using results of REDICT in pushing joint projects:
• EU level
• REDICT regional level
We consider SME's as the major sources of innovation. Our main strategy is to push Industry lead research activities with SME involvements to improve innovation.
Dissemination during the first year
• REDICT Meetings in Copenhagen: Understanding Copenhagen Region, transferring experiences between the regions especially on Academia and SME relations.
• REDICT Meetings in Berlin: Presenting Berlin SME and Research Institutes to other regions.
• ICT Conference 08, LYON: Introduction of REDICT project and regions.
• Networking: Introducing Berlin Region especially Academia and SME to individual contacts for possible projects.
o FIREWORKS 2008, Paris
o SRC 2008, Paris
• Cebit 2008: Presenting partnering SME's, Competence of Berlin Region, and REDICT project to the visitors.
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Cebit 2009: Presenting partnering SME's and Competence of Berlin Region to the visitors.
• Networking: Introducing Berlin Region especially Academia and SME to individual contacts for possible projects consortiums.
o ICT Proposers' Day 2009, Budapest
o Information Day 2009: 1.4 Trustworthy ICT
o ICT Call 5 Information and Networking Event 2009
o ICT-Mobile Summit 2009
o International ICT Challenge 3: Face2Face Meeting 2009
• FIREWeek 2009
City of Berlin DE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs, large companies and research institutions in the field of ICT and digital media
• Innovation and business development agencies
• Public authorities working with knowledge transfer
• Steering committee of the Coherent ICT Innovation Strategy Berlin
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Develop tighter networks in Berlin:
o along the value chain of sub-clusters
o between the sub-clusters
o between content industry and technology industry
o to European regions
• Raise awareness in business (and science) community for the necessity:
o of joint projects and triptych cooperation
o of internationalisation and European cooperation
• Raise trust in public authorities as competent partners in helping to find support
• Going beyond talking about the services and results of REDICT by:
o pushing joint projects
o pushing European projects
o implementing the results of REDICT into support instruments and mechanisms
Dissemination during the first year
• Public and individual presentations to inform relevant stakeholders about the existence of REDICT project, the involvement in European projects and it's function as European contact point
• E-Mail newsletter to keep networks, business and science community informed about REDICT events
• Internal Reports to political stakeholders:
o Quarterly to State Secretary Conference and Senator for Economics and Technology
o Monthly to Steering Committee of Coherent ICT Innovation Strategy Berlin
• Online information on REDICT www.berlin.de/projektzukunft/english/
• REDICT workshop, June 2008:
• Visiting tour through Berlin and presentations of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Report "Creative Industries in Berlin 2008 – Development and Potentials", March 2009
o Focussing also on digital media branches (software, games, film, e-culture etc.)
o Reports also analysis and results of REDICT
• Serious Games Call to support development and research projects, March – May 2009:
o Raising the awareness to combine content and technology development
o Calling especially for joint and triptych projects
o Combining digital media with health, culture, education and industry
• Serious Games Get-together, 11 March 2009
o Networking for SMEs, large industrial companies and research institutions to find partners for the Serious Games Call,
• Quo Vadis / German Game Days: Roundtable "Industry Meets Games", 22 April 2009:
o Networking for SMEs, large industrial companies and research institutions
• European Creative Metropoles Conference "Innovation @ Creative Industries", 29 June 2009:
o Focussing also on digital media branches (games, film, animation, e-culture)
o European collaboration roundtable to support internationalisation and partner search
o Raise awareness and discussing best practises for combining creative industries and IT industry for innovation development
o Expert panel on urban spaces for innovation (incubators, living labs, urban strategies) in digital media and creative industries
• Presenting REDICT at EU project "CREATIVE METROPOLES: Public Policies and Instruments in Support of Creative Industries"
o Linking with other digital media clusters
o Bringing the benefits of research to SMEs in create industries
• "Future Talk" about Serious Games, Sep 2009
o Expert Panel broadcasted on radio
o Raising awareness and present best practises for joint projects and industry-academia collaboration
• Xinnovations "better by networking", Sept 2009
PREDA FR
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
Foreign investors (SMEs or large companies in ICT/multimedia sector) and local authorities (Regional Council and particularly the departments involved in CapDigital: Paris (75), Seine-et-Marne (77), Yvelines (78), Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94) and Val d'Oise (95) and knowledge transfer actors (Centre Francilien de l'Innovation).
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Organisation of networking event
• Diffusion on the website of PREDA
• Development of the map Econovista in partnership with CapDigital Paris Region. This map highlights the exceptional dynamism and the density of the digital industry in Paris region and facilitates the access of international partners to these companies and research centers.
Dissemination during the first year
• Web site of Preda (11 400 visitors per month) with information on REDICT project (launch) and Paris REDICT workshop,
• Organisation of the Paris Region innovation Tour 2008. During the Paris Region Innovation tour 2008 (PRIt), a conference was organized by the REDICT partners. During the PRIt, the REDICT partners were in Paris to present their project and their European network to large companies (Orange, Microsoft, Thalès… and to ICT/multimedia SMEs of the cluster Cap Digital Paris Region. More than 30 SMEs of Cap Digital Paris Region participated to theses conferences to better understand the interaction between the different European partners and to know how to take advantage of this network.
• Participation of Brigitte Deliry, Telecom, Internet, Multimedia Senior Director at the 1st meeting in Amsterdam. It enabled her to identify the actors of the Redict European network and to be contacted about business projects wishing to expand into the French market.
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Development of the map Econovista dedicated to digital content and developed in partnership with CapDigital Paris Region.
• On www.econovista.com we developed a map dedicated to Cap Digital Paris Region Digital content competitiveness cluster. Econovista is the Paris Region Economic map, available online for free.
• Econovista and Cap Digital present a map dedicated to digital content activities, highlighting the exceptional dynamism and density of the digital industry in Paris Region.
• This map includes:
o Member companies and SMEs operating in the cluster's 9 strategic sectors: Design ; e-Education and e-learning; Image, Sound and Interactivity; Knowledge Engineering ; Video Games; Digital Heritage; Robotics; Digital lifestyle & Services; Collaborative Technology and Intelligence (EMI Music-France, Alcaltel Lucent, Xerox…
o Higher education and research institutions which are members of Cap Digital (Supelec, Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (SciencesPo Paris), Laboratoires de l'université Paris-Dauphine)
o Facilities (design and exhibition facilities, key players in the sector) (Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, Le Cube, Silicon Sentier).
• This map is the best way to discover high and new technologies in Paris Region and to access the French market for european partners.
• Click here to discover the Cap Digital – digital content map
http://www.lacarteeconovista.com/econovistaV3/index_v3.php?l=ENG
• Networking event during the Paris REDICT Workshop. During the workshop organized in Paris on 29th and 30th January, PREDA, Institut Telecom and Cap Digital hosted the European partners of the REDICT project to a networking event. The objective of this event is to connect REDICT partners to the Paris region ecosystem, to promote the REDICT project and to allow Business to Business contacts between REDICT Partners and our Parisian network (SMEs, ICT cluster, ICT experts…. PREDA organized the 29th of January a networking party (from 7 pm to 10 pm) at la "Cantine". This event had provided the opportunity to present the new version of the interactive Paris Region economic map Econovista dedicated to digital content
(http://www.econovista.com/econovistaV3/index.asp?m=cap_digital&c=011111111111111&h=00000000000000&z=0&x=100295&y=100144&l=ENG).
• This map that has been developed in partnership with Cap Digital shows you all that Paris Region has to offer, including its transport infrastructure, business and industrial parks, competitiveness clusters, and tourist sites. Moreover, the main actors of the digital content industry are localized (research centers, companies, equipment, business incubators…. About 60 participants were present at this evening: CEO of start up, International Investment Business Development Director, Project Coordinator, and Researcher...
• Preda Newletters (3000 French and Anglo-Saxons organizations in the database) – report on Paris REDICT Workshop
CAP Digital FR
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• Members: 400 SMEs, 20 major companies, 150 research labs from 30 different universities
• Institutional Partners: the French Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Research and Education, the Paris Region Council, the Paris Town Hall, Oséo, the French Organization for Innovation (le Centre Français de l'Innovation) and private sector industry groups (Capital Games, Silicon Sentier, etc….)
• Cluster Networks:
o In France: other clusters like Cap Digital.
o In Europe: clusters working with Cap Digital throughout Europe but not part of the REDICT consortium.
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Build a sustainable partner network for each city implicated in REDICT.
• Use REDICT as a tool to support Cap Digital SMEs' international partnerships for R&D and business projects.
• Share knowledge from experiences and best practices to better understand what influences the transfer of knowledge to SMEs.
• Identify the strengths of each REDICT city and map out geographical competences.
Dissemination during the first year
• Communication of key information on REDICT via the Cap Digital website (www.capdigital.com)
• Newsletter highlighting REDICT news. Cap Digital's newsletter is sent monthly to 1000 recipients.
• Individual meetings presenting REDICT to SMEs and academic institutions. (Around 100 meetings completed)
• Presentation of REDICT at the "Rencontres Cap Digital," May 2008. Every year Cap Digital organizes an all-day meeting for all of its members. About 400 people participated.
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 2008, the Market Place for Digital Europe. June 9th 2008, Paris.
• Presentation of REDICT at a meeting organized by the French Ministry of Industry to present French clusters to European governments (Germany, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Hungary, England and Belgium). July 7th 2008, Nice.
• Presentation of REDICT at the Open Source Software Workshop for National ICT Clusters organized by the ITEA2 office. July 10th 2008, Brussels.
• Presentation of REDICT at the Audiovisual and Networks meeting. Over 30 organizations were present. September 25th 2008, Brussels.
• Presentation of REDICT to all the Chambers of Commerce in the Paris Region.
• Presentation of REDICT at PICNIC. September 2008, Amsterdam.
• Presentation of REDICT to a group of European clusters working in a Think Tank aimed at developing new polices to foster innovation in the Digital Content sector. (8 European clusters).
• Dissemination at PRIT (Paris Region Innovation Tour). November 17th and 18th 2008, Paris.
• Organization of a REDICT networking event at the ICT conference (see: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/cf/item-display.cfm?id=530 SME International Development: Research as a business development tool). November 27th 2008, Lyon.
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Communication of key information on REDICT via the Cap Digital website (www.capdigital.com)
• Newsletter highlighting REDICT news. Cap Digital's newsletter is sent out to 1000 recipients each month.
• Presentation of REDICT through individual meetings with SMEs and academic institutions. (Around 70 meetings)
• Organization of the Paris REDICT meeting with all of the partners: Organization of meetings with a selection of French innovative SMEs (Prologue, Outwit, Pertimm, Aldebarran….
• Organization of a networking cocktail with more than 30 SMEs during the Paris REDICT meeting.
• Presentation of REDICT to all French Living Labs (11). April 2009, Nice.
• Presentation of REDICT to representatives from INNET (a cluster-driven EC program) in France. April 2009.
• Presentation of REDICT at the New Media meeting between France and Israel. May 18th 2009, Tel Aviv.
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 2009, the Market Place for Digital Europe. June 4th 2009, Paris.
• Dissemination of REDICT at LinuxTag. June 2009, Berlin.
• Presentation of REDICT to Cap Digital's new members (120 people) at the Welcome Day. July 9th 2009.
• Presentation of REDICT at PICNIC. September 2009. Amsterdam.
• Presentation of REDICT at the « Coopérations Interclusters aux plans Européen » day. September 30th 2009.
• Dissemination at the PRIT event (Paris Region Innovation Tour.) November 30th 2009, Paris.
Institut Telecom FR
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• Our research labs: our researchers (around 1200 people, including PhD students)
• Our network of industrial partners:
o Our industrial partner: Fondation Telecom with Alcatel-Lucent, France Telecom/Orange/BNP Parisbas
o Our network of SMEs, close to Institut Telecom: Streamezzo, Teamcast, Baracoda….
• Our institutional partners at the Ministry level: Ministry of Industry, Ministry or research and education in France.
Strategies/Communication aims
• Promote a methodology of partnership building based on a triptych approach (academy + industrial group + SME) in each city
• Build a sustainable networks of partners in each city of REDICT
• Use REDICT as a tool to support international partnerships for R&D and Business projects.
Dissemination during the first year
• External and internal web site (www.institut-telecom.fr): key information on REDICT + news on REDICT activities
• Internal newsletter (electronic email) with news on REDICT. 6000 people receive this newsletter at Institut Telecom
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 08, the market place for Digital Europe, in Paris on June 9th, 2008
• Dissemination during the Eunice 08 conference in Brest, on September 7th, 2008
• Presentation of REDICT at the networking day on SMEs organized at Institut Telecom: Triptyque 2008 (Le rendez-vous PME-chercheurs-Grands groups de l'Institut TELECOM et de la Fondation TELECOM) on September 28th, 2008 in Paris
• Dissemination at the PRIt event (Paris Region Innovation tour, on November 17th and 18th, 2008 in Paris)
• Organisation of the REDICT networking event at the ICT conference in Lyon (November 27th, 2008, see: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/cf/item-display.cfm?id=530 SME International Development: Research as a business development tool)
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Organisation of the Paris REDICT workshop with all partners: promotion of REDICT to SMEs from "Club SMEs from Institut Telecom" and to French industrial partners from our Telecom Foundation; organisation of visits at France Telecom/Orange labs in Paris, on January 20th, 2009. Organisation of meetings with a selection of French innovative SMEs (Prologue, Outwit, Pertimm, Aldebarran….
• Presentation of REDICT approach at ITEA office by Philippe Letellier (Vice-Charmain of ITEA, member of REDICT project)
• Presentation of REDICT at the workshop on networking initiative for ICT related projects funded under the initiatives of "Regions of Knowledge and Research Potential" on May 6th, 2009, in Brussels
• Presentation of REDICT at Eurodigimeet 09, the market place for Digital Europe, in Paris on June 5th, 2008
• Presentation of REDICT at the networking day on SMEs organized at Institut Telecom: Triptyque 2008 (Le rendez-vous PME-chercheurs-Grands groups de l'Institut TELECOM et de la Fondation TELECOM). Date to be confirmed
Crossroads DK
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
SMEs, within spheres of activity
• Research institutions in the field of ICT, Social Studies and Business models
• Academic partners from Crossroads Copenhagen
Strategies/Communications aims
• The funding programs of the country,
• The funding programs for the regions for instance "Improving Regional Economic Structure" (Strukturfondsmidler)
• Program to promote research, Innovation and technology (Forskning- og Innovationsstyrelsen)
• Various Venture capital funds (VC funds)
• Partnership with international Redict-Partners for follow-up Projects (FP7, Eureka)
• Boost collaboration between regions by organizing matchmakings and trade fair stalls
• Individual meetings with potential partners about their possible role in collaborative projects
• Intensifying strong networks in Copenhagen
Dissemination during the first year
• Visiting Tour: Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin
• Visiting tour through Copenhagen April 2008 and presentations of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• ICT Conference 08 in Lyon
• Prit conference in Paris
• Mobile Monday events in Copenhagen and Malmø
• ISTAG meetings Bruxelles, Paris and Prague
• Reboot festival, Copenhagen
Newsletter to keep the industry informed about Redict
Internal Reports
Online information on REDICT on Crossroads Copenhagens Homepage, see: http://crossroadscopenhagen.dk/Nyheder
Dissemination to relevant stakeholders about the existence of the REDICT project
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Visiting Tour: Paris
• ISTAG meetings in Bruxelles, Paris and Prague
• April: Future Emerging Technologies Conference, Prague
• June: Eurodigimeet in Paris
• Mobile Monday events in Copenhagen and Malmø
• May: OECD Conference on ICT and Sustainability
• Reboot festival
• ICT Council meetings
• Ørestad events
• Various conferences on Private public partnerships
Newsletter to keep the industry informed about Redict
Internal Reports
Online information on REDICT on Crossroads Copenhagens Homepage, see: http://crossroadscopenhagen.dk/Nyheder
Dissemination to relevant stakeholders about the existence of the REDICT project
AIC Dublin and NDRC IE
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs in the ICT/games sector based in Dublin
• Innovation centres and clusters with focus on ICT and new media, including the Digitalhub in Dublin
• Academic research groups in the ICT/new media area
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Raise awareness of importance and the needs of the ICT/new media area
Dissemination during the first year
• Co-organise (with NDRC) Dublin region innovation tour (29-30 September 2008)
• Visiting innovation tours in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Writing and publication of report extracted from WP3 (with NDRC) on specific requirements of ICT/new media sector for Dublin, entitled "The needs of the Business Community and Other Actors in the New Media Sector: a Report on the Dublin Region". This is available at http://www.clarity-centre.org/content/external-reports and generated media reporting (Feb 2009) in places like siliconrepublic.ie and science.ie
• Visiting innovation tours in Paris, Bucharest and Amsterdam
• Information on REDICT to appear on website and promotional brochures of Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government agency responsible for the development and promotion of the indigenous business sector
CNMP RO
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
The purpose of the dissemination is to raise awareness of the REDICT project and its outcomes. The key target groups for the dissemination are:
• SMEs and other companies in the IT&C&New Media
• Academic partners – Universities
• Research institutions in the field of ICT and digital media
• Innovation and business development agencies
• Public authorities working with knowledge transfer – AMCSIT- Managerial Agency for Technological Transfer and Innovation
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
The promotion strategy may be compared to a bridge made of bricks. The promoter (NCPM) has to inform the target group periodically in order to keep the attention alive and to pass on the idea that the project is still alive and that you are thinking of them continuously.
The promoter ((NCPM) shall use the tools the project provides and the usual channels that should use daily within NCPM's activity:
• national events: in order to facilitate the transfer of related knowledge between research community, private companies and end users;
• press articles;
• national web-site: the web-site will contain the information about the state of art of the project in every stage, the partial results and the contact persons; the site will have a multilingual interface so that everyone interested in the project from the participant countries will have the opportunity to be informed, to learn and communicate through interactive web.
• Through mass-media channels: communication and presentation of the project in all kinds: articles; press-releases, dissemination of information about the other clusters.
• Mailing Lists / e-newsletter: creating new and using existing mailing lists is important for a fast and easy distribution of information sent out to a great number of interested partners.
• Events & Networking: Events and Networking is an important component which gives REDICT project partners the opportunity to meet and network with one another and experts and stakeholders (including Associates) who are not project partners to promote REDICT and exchange information.
• Other: through the appearance of the description of the project and its results on World Wide Web: on different websites; through the dissemination of information and communication papers: short brochures, flyers at commercial and scientific national and international conferences and workshops.
Dissemination during the first year
• TIB 2008 and Conference: the main Romanian international technical Fair: contacting SMEs and preparing for interviews
• "Partnership in priorities areas – reporting and evaluating procedures" Symposium, Sinaia, April 2008
• "Partnership in priorities areas" Symposium, Brasov , May 2008
• Network "Black sea – ERA NET" Project
• International Conference on Computing and Solutions in Manufacturing Engineering
• CoSME '08 September 25 – 27, 2008 Brasov, Romania
• Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation REV 2004 - REV 2008 - 10 March 2008
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Network "Black sea – ERA NET" Project
• Symposium " Partnership in ICT areas" – October 2009
• National ICT INFO DAY
• ICT NCP Network
• SIS NCP Network
• TIB 2009 and Conference: the main Romanian international technical Fair: contacting
• Promotion of the project to the national ICT and New Media entities in order to achieve cooperation with possible partners from REDICT Clusters.
UPB RO
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs and other companies in the IT&C&New Media
• Academic and research institutes
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
Using results of REDICT in pushing joint projects:
• EU level (FP7, Eureka, CIP, SCOPES, etc)
• Regional level (Initiative for Cooperation in the Black Sea Region)
• REDICT regional level
• National level (PNCDI 2, Structural Funds-based projects, etc)
Dissemination during the first year
• REDICT Meetings in Copenhagen: Understanding Copenhagen Region, transferring experiences between the regions especially on Academia and SME relations.
• REDICT Meetings in Berlin: knowledge of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions.
• ICT Conference 08, LYON: Introduction of REDICT project and regions.
• REDICT Meetings in Dublin: Understanding Dublin Region, transferring experiences between the Academia and SME research entities
• Presentation of REDICT project into PRIT2008 Conference in Paris.
• Presentation of REDICT project and its scopes into meetings organized periodically with Romanian partners of UPB (knowledge institutions, SMEs, operators in telecommunication fields, industry).
Dissemination plan for year 2
• REDICT Meetings in Paris: Understanding Paris Region, transferring experiences between the Academia and SME research entities
• REDICT Meetings in Bucharest: Presenting Bucharest Region, SMEs and knowledge institutions representative for Bucharest region
• Promote the REDICT project in neighbouring regions (Ruse region, Bulgaria, Constanta region, Romania, etc)
• Networking: Introducing Bucharest Region especially Academia and SME to individual contacts for possible projects consortiums.
o ICT Proposers' Day 2009, Budapest
o ICT Call 5 Information and Networking Event 2009
o ICT-Mobile Summit 2009
• Presentation of REDICT project and its scopes into meetings organized periodically with Romanian and European partners of UPB (knowledge institutions, SMEs, operators in telecommunication fields, industry).
BEIA RO
Key targets for the Joint Action plan
• SMEs and other companies in the IT&C&New Media
• Academic partners ( University "Polytechnic, Academy of Economic Studies,etc)
• Research institutions in the field of ICT and digital media (ARIES -Romanian Association for Electronic and Software Industry, AMCSIT - POLITEHNICA)
• Innovation and business development agencies (ANCS-National Authority for Scientific Research, Knowledge Management Institute )
• Public authorities working with knowledge transfer (ANIMMC -National Agency for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Co-operatives)
• Local authorities working with knowledge transfer(ADR -National Agency for Regional Development)
Dissemination strategies/Communications aims
• Network and collaborations development
• Individual meetings with potential SME partners about their possible role in collaborative projects
• Intensifying SME's innovative networks in Bucharest
• Partnership with international Redict-Partners for follow-up Projects (FP7, Eureka,
o Eurostars, CIP)
• Raise awareness of innovative in telecommunication business community for the necessity: of joint projects and cooperation and of internationalisation and European cooperation
• Promotion of the services and results of REDICT project, by:
o pushing local joint projects
o pushing European consortium and projects
o implementing the results of REDICT into accessible support instruments and mechanisms
• Raising awareness and present best practises of REDICT for joint projects and industry-academia collaboration
• Follows the rules of promotion materials: visual identity manual:
• http://www.fseromania.ro/images/downdocs/identitate_1502.pdf
Dissemination during the first year
• CERF 2008-National Exhibition and Conference of products and IT equipment
• Visiting Tour: Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen
• REDICT Meetings in Copenhagen: Understanding Copenhagen Region, transferring experiences between the regions especially on Academia and SME relations.
• REDICT Meetings in Berlin: knowledge of SMEs, Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• Cebit 2008: Presenting partnering SME's, Competence of Bucharest cluster (Beia,CNMP, UPB ) and REDICT project objectives to the visitors
• ICT Conference 08, LYON: Introduction of REDICT project and regions.
• Networking: Introducing Beia Consult International to individual contacts for possible future consortiums and projects.
• E-Mail newsletter to keep networks, business and science community informed about REDICT events
• Newsletter to keep the ITC industry informed about Redict Project
• Beia site - Online information on REDICT : http://www.beiaro.eu/redict.htm
• TIB 2008 and Conference: the main Romanian international technical Fair: contacting SMEs and preparing for interviews
Dissemination plan for year 2
• Cebit 2009: Presenting partnering SME's Competence of Bucharest cluster (Beia, CNMP, UPB ) and REDICT project objectives to the visitors.
• REDICT Meetings in Paris: Understanding Paris Region, transferring experiences between the Academia and SME research entities
• Networking: Introducing Beia Consult International to especially other european and international SMEs and to individual contacts for possible projects consortiums
• Participating to the National Contact Center Expo 2009, March 2009 :contacting SMEs and promotion of Redict ideas and objectives
• Visiting tour through Buchrest, May 2009 - presentations Research institutions and public authorities to bring local stakeholders in contact with other REDICT regions
• Visiting tour through Bucharest, May 2009 - presentations of Beia company and other SMEs (Total Soft, Unilux) and Univrersity of Russe - Bulgaria)
• CERF 2009-National Exhibition and Conference of products and IT equipment
• "Telecommunication Day" event, Bucharest June 2009 - Presentations of Redict project
• Mixing ITC research with digital new- media branches (games, film, animation, e-culture)
• Roundtable and seminars concerning European collaboration to support internationalisation and partner search ( ARIES, ICI, Siveco)
• EC event, Bucharest June 2009, Information and Network Event, The Project Circle, Technical, Administrative Financial and Legal Aspects of FP7-ICT Theme Project-presenting Bucharest cluster contribution to the Redict project
• Linking with other digital media clusters from other region and from Europe
• Creative Metropolis, Berlin conference, June 2009-underlining and Bringing the benefits of research to SMEs in create industries
• ARIES and Phare, EU Directives seminar, Bucharest July 2009: Beia raise awareness and discussing best practises for combining creative industries and ITC industry for innovation development and access to research financing projects.
