A toolkit to make Regional Growth Poles work

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A toolkit to make Regional Growth Poles work
MLP Final Conference Regional Development
Strategic Policy Tools
Jean Severijns Martin Hinoul Brussel, October
13, 2006
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Can Europe Compete in this Knowledge Economy race?
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Regional Growth Poles400 regions in 80 countries

• Characteristics
• Excellent knowledge centres
• A developed entrepreneurial culture
• The necessary physical infrastructure
  (incubators, research parks )
• Financial instruments (seed capital, venture
  capital )
• Role models
• Sustainable quality of life
• Gibbons Saxenian - Hinoul

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• In a knowledge-based economy growth is
  inextricably linked to the capacity for
  innovation the ability to transform knowledge
  and ideas into new products, processes or
  services. Healthy and innovative regional
  economies are the foundation of a nations
  competitiveness
• -Deborah
  L. Wince-Smith
• President Council on Competitiveness

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Silicon Valley
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Silicon Valley - A multi-layered Knowledge Economy
2005 2000 1990 1980 1975 1955 1939
Nano-electronics
Nano - Bio
Internet Google e-Bay -Yahoo
Bio Silicon
Networks - Cisco
Bio Informatics - Affimetrix
Bio - Genentech
Software -Oracle
Computers Apple - Sun
Semiconductors Shockley - Intel
Electronics Hewlett Packard - Varian
Stanford Fred Terman
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Co-competition
All things are possible attitude
Risk Taking Scott McNealy-Sun
Stock options
Based on Meritocracy
Repeaters (Reinvention)
Time for the next big thing
CULTURE
Cross-pollination
Inflection Point (Andy Grove)
Cross-investments
State of mind
Networking
Failure Badge of merit
Jumping on the Next Curve (Oracle)
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Old and New Halls of Fame
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Seattle
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Pittsburg
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San Diego
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Knowledge Economy Regions in Asia
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Seven Regions
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• Leuven
• Emilia Romagnia
• Scotland
• Aachen
• Tampere
• Limburg the Netherlands
• Shannon

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The Leuven Model
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12 Lessons from Leuven

• Basis is a critical mass of high quality research
• Create an appropriate entrepreneurial climate in
  a university context
• Create a legal framework with respect to
  exploitation of academic research
• Clear incentives and policies to encourage
  research groups and departments to actively seek
  knowledge transfer opportunities
• Create a professional Interface Unit An
  Integrated approach on research valorisation
  multidisciplinary team high value services
• Create a Seed Capital and/or Venture Capital Fund

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12 Lessons from Leuven

• Foster spin-offs from your university research
• Clear ownership of Intellectual Property
• Improving awareness among federal, regional and
  local shareholders
• Supporting a forum for business, academia,
  government and supporting organisations to build
  partnerships by sharing new ideas and best
  practices. Importance of the networks.
• Enthusiasm
• Quality of life

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The Shannon Model
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Shannon

• 1959 Shannon Development
• Access to a young well educated english speaking
  work force
• A low corporate taxe rate (12,5)
• A stable political and economic environment
• Access to a European market of 320 million
  consumers
• A clear incentive package
• Today Innovation Key driver
• Innovationworks ( innovation energy)
• Knowledge network BIRR Technology Centre
• 34.000 new jobs ( 170 overseas firms 700 local
  firms

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AACHEN
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Aachen

• From a cool mining region to a high tech region
  in 15 years
• RD centres
• AGIT (1983) 2 incubators 274 start ups
• Excellent results because of
• A thorough analysis of the regional potential for
  each incubator
• An individual solution for each region and
  sub-region
• Participation in the overall business and
  research environment of the region
• Clear admission criteria
• A broad focus

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TAMPERE
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Tampere

• The region of Tampere has 300 000 inhabitants,
  two universities, two polytechnics and 40 000
  students. It produces 9 of the Finish GDP and
  performs 15 of the Finish Research Development
• The Tampere ingredients
• Commitment
• Transparency
• Time spans
• Management of indicators, decisions, people
  skills, network skills
• People it is all about people

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Limburg (The Netherlands)
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From mining to a chemical industry cluster to a
significant drive for Innovation

• Healthcare and prevention, functional food and
  cosmetics
• Renewable, sufficient and clean resources
• Advanced materials
• Electronics, information and knowledge systems

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Scotland
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Policy

• A knowledge based approach to economic
• development presents major opportunities for
• economic growth
• Translating research outputs into revenue

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Lessons learned

• To work with strategic partners
• To focus on indigenous research capabilities
• To encourage collaboration interregional and
  international
• To grow science and technology based business

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Emilia Romagna
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Emilia Romagnas economy is based on a
traditional and highly specialised
export-oriented industry with sectors of
excellence agriculture and food, car and motor
industry, industrial mechanics, building and
construction, fashion ( clothing, shoes and
leather) and furniture
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• Today the region has 27 research laboratories, 24
  innovation centres, 6 innovation parks. There is
  a venture capital fund (Ingenium). There are 1
  500 researchers, 1 300 companies are involved and
  780 collaborative research contracts are signed.
• A High-Technology Network ASTER was set up
  (regional governments, universities, research
  centres and enterprises)
• PRRIIT a regional program for industrial
  research, innovation and technology transfer

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Some lessons learned from these 7 regions

• Most of the regions described above are well
  organised in order to continuously adapt to
  fast-changing markets and technologies
• They are mostly capable of pursuing multiple
  technical opportunities through spontaneous
  regrouping of skills, technology and capital
• They are characterised by quite unique dynamics
• They are characterised by innovation and
  entrepreneurship
• They are characterised by organisational
  strategies and leadership
• They have developed the right infrastructure
  (incubator, research parks, industrial parks)
• They have access to the right financial
  instruments (seed capital, venture capital,
  capital markets)