Innovating Regions in Europe

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Innovating Regions in Europe
Third Conference of the Innovating Regions in
Europe Stratford-upon Avon, 17-18 June 2002

• Achievements and perspectives

Yannis TSILIBARIS Acting Head of Unit for
Networks and Services Innovation Directorate
-Enterprise Directorate General
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Achievements and perspectives

• Consolidation of the IRE Network
• FP6 and the European Research and Innovation Area
• Future regional actions
• Next Priorities

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Consolidation of the IRE NetworkEvolution

• Started in 5 countries...

networks members now reach over 26 European
countries
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IRE Networks Objectives

• Nurture a dynamic process of interregional
  learning over time
• trigger trans-national co-operation projects
• facilitate the comparison of regional approaches
  and methods
• exchange experience and good practice
• foster an innovation community at European level

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Regional innovation strategies achievements

• A starting point
• to develop an innovation policy at regional level
  and reinforce the existing regional innovation
  system
• A move towards strategic thinking
• to steer regional development towards an
  innovation-oriented policy
• A regional dialogue
• to overcome geographic, cultural or institutional
  fragmentation and mobilise all innovation actors
  through a consultation process
• An innovation community
• to foster innovation as a driving force for
  regional competitiveness
• A clearer innovation support infrastructure
• to rationalise and adapt it to existing business
  needs

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IRE networks achievements

• A consolidated network,
• which contributes to integrate innovation in the
  regional policy agenda
• A learning network,
• where members can learn from each other to embed
  existing know-how across the regions of Europe
• An expanding network,
• which encourages new members to join,
  particularly regions in accession countries
• A committed network,
• which supports regions to build a tradition of
  innovation

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RIS NAC objectives

• Fast track the development of innovation systems
  in Accession Countries, drawing directly on
  practical experience through a mentoring approach
• Encourage win-win partnerships to lay the
  foundations for sustained co-operation across
  Europe
• Foster regional and economic cohesion and
  contribute to prepare Central and Eastern
  European countries for accession

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Innovation Strategies in Accession Countries
16 projects launched in 2001-2002

• BULGARIA
• CYPRUS
• CZECH REPUBLIC
• ESTONIA
• HUNGARY

• LATVIA
• POLAND
• ROMANIA
• SLOVAKIA
• SLOVENIA

• A four-member partnership in average
• involving 2 western regions from 10 countries

In total, nearly 70 organisations participating
to regional innovation strategy processes
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Clear involvement of regional institutions in the
RIS NAC process
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IRE Thematic Networks objectives

• To promote learning fora for innovation
  stakeholders across European regions
• To encourage interregional collaboration
• To stimulate competitiveness in regional
  environment conducive to innovation
• To foster regional and economic cohesion
• To encourage systematic policy-making with
  regards to innovation

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IRE Thematic Networks

• 13 Thematic Networks
• Nearly 250 organisations involved
• 26 countries participating
• Partnerships of 15 members in average
• Keen response from Accession countries

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Thematic areas for co-operation

• Inter-regional co-operation
• Business support policy
• Increasing region's competitiveness
• Innovation management techniques
• Linking academia to industry
• Sectoral support to innovation

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Large participationin Thematic Networks and RIS
NACs
Participation in RIS NACs
Participation in Thematic Networks
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Balanced geographic coverage
Accession countries
EU and EEA countries
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IRC-IRE Central Unit

• Sustained assistance and animation provided by
  the IRC-IRE Central Unit
• seminars and workshops
• Helpdesk
• web site
• regular newsletters

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PerspectivesBarcelona European Council

• A competitive economy based on knowledge
• Boost of the overall RD and innovation effort in
  the Union
• RD and innovation to reach 3 of GDP by 2010
• Propose measures to better integrate innovation
  into the European Knowledge Area by Spring 2003

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Trends in RD intensity by area, 1981-99
Gross domestic expenditure on RD as a percentage
of GDP.

• Sweden and Finland are the only countries that
  allocate more than 3 of their GDP to RD
• The fastest growth in RD expenditure during the
  1990s occurred in Ireland and Iceland, with an
  average annual growth rates of more than 13.

Source OECD, MSTI database, May 2001.
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Innovation policy in FP6

• Networking the players and users and encouraging
  interaction between them
• Experimenting with new tools and approaches
• Putting services in place and consolidating them
• Stepping up economic and technological
  intelligence
• Analysing and evaluating innovation in Community
  research projects
• Encouraging transregional cooperation

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Regional innovation measures under FP6
under discussion

• Networking and trans-regional co-operation
• global IRE network
• new generation of Thematic Networks
• new generation of RIS NAC
• Specific Support Action to facilitate RIS NAC
  access to expert advice on strategic action plans
  
• Experimenting with new tools and approaches
• Small-scale pioneer projects as test-bed for
  future regional innovation policy schemes

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Priorities 2002-2004

• Maintaining the momentum
• Mainstreaming regional innovation policies in
  accession countries
• building on experience
• Exploring new tools and methodologies
• Continuing collaboration with DG Regional Policy
  and DG Research
• Developing synergies with other networks
• Innovation Relay Centres, Paxis, Gate2Growth,
  etc.