EN Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Innovation and the Structural Funds, 2007-2013 Antwerp, 16 January 2007 Veronica Gaffey Innovative Actions Unit

ENENRegional Policy

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Innovation and the Structural Funds,

2007-2013

Innovation and the Structural Funds,

2007-2013

Antwerp, 16 January 2007

Veronica Gaffey

Innovative Actions Unit

DG Regional Policy, European Commission

Regional Policy

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 16 January 2007EN

ENEN

2

Innovation and the Structural

Funds, 2007/13

Regional Innovation Performance (2006)Regional Innovation Performance (2006)Regional Innovation Performance (2006)Regional Innovation Performance (2006)

Regional Policy


ENEN

3


Funds, 2007/13

• Factors of competitiveness no longer derive from costs or natural or geographical advantages but in the capacity of enterprises to innovate

• Regional Diversity within Member States Less developed regions have an even greater interest in developing their innovative capacity in the stronger sectors of their economy (long term benefits)

• Regions the appropriate level for stimulating innovation

• Potential also for less exposed sectors (e.g. education, health, personal services, administration)

Innovation – a Regional NecessityInnovation – a Regional NecessityInnovation – a Regional NecessityInnovation – a Regional Necessity

Regional Policy


ENEN

4


Funds, 2007/13

Performance of a region in innovation depends not only on the performance of enterprises and research institutes, but also the manner in which they interact

Innovation is the result of frequent interactions between different actors, enterprises, organisations whose knowledge and know-how accumulates

Proximity between different actors facilitates the acquisition, accumulation and use of knowledge

Therefore, greater emphasis on networks which link the enterprise to its environment (other enterprises, universities, research institutes, etc.)

The Process of InnovationThe Process of InnovationThe Process of InnovationThe Process of Innovation

Regional Policy


ENEN

5


Funds, 2007/13

• New Regulations & Financial Perspectives, December 20005

• Community Strategic Guidelines, October 2006

• National Strategic Reference Frameworks (informal negotiations underway)

• Operational Programmes under 3 Objectives– Convergence

– Regional Competitiveness and Employment

– Territorial Cohesion

• No separate budget lines for community initiatives/pilot projects/ innovative actions (as in the past for EU15)

Structural & Cohesion Fund Structural & Cohesion Fund ProgrammingProgramming

Structural & Cohesion Fund Structural & Cohesion Fund ProgrammingProgramming

Regional Policy


ENEN

6


Funds, 2007/13

• Innovation an important priority in all NSRFs

• Operations proposed are in line with the Community Strategic Guidelines, but not linked to strategic SWOT analysis, national initiatives and regional specificities

• Commission expecting much more detail in Operational Programmes

Innovation in National StrategicInnovation in National StrategicReference FrameworksReference Frameworks

Innovation in National StrategicInnovation in National StrategicReference FrameworksReference Frameworks

Regional Policy


ENEN

7


Funds, 2007/13

• Major investment (particularly in Convergence Objective regions) in environment supportive to innovation (knowledge infrastructure, education and business support)

• All regions: possibility to support a process to develop or improve a regional innovation strategy including experimentation - whereby new ways to improve public policy in support of regional development can be planned and tested

Innovation in Operational ProgrammesInnovation in Operational ProgrammesInnovation in Operational ProgrammesInnovation in Operational Programmes

Regional Policy


ENEN

8


Funds, 2007/13

Regional Innovation Strategies, which evolve over time, are central

New partnerships (particularly with private sector) can enhance legitimacy and focus, improve co-ordination and guarantee transparency

Importance of links to mainstream

Regions generally the most appropriate level

These instruments can be catalysts for innovation – through acceptance of risk

Demonstration effects and visibility – need for evaluation

Competence and motivation of those managing experimentation is crucial – can improve administrative capacity of regions

Regional Strategies for Innovation:Regional Strategies for Innovation:Experience from last 15 yearsExperience from last 15 years

Regional Strategies for Innovation:Regional Strategies for Innovation:Experience from last 15 yearsExperience from last 15 years

Regional Policy


ENEN

9


Funds, 2007/13

Build on experience gained to-date

Identify a sector for the strategy where the region has potential to develop (e.g., information society, environmental technologies, tourism, health & personal services)

Involve appropriate public and private actors in the development, monitoring and evaluation of innovation strategies and experimentation of actions which can support innovation and which can be implemented more extensively after testing through the priorities of the OPs

Public sector acts as facilitator and catalyst, supporting an increase in the capacity of policy interventions and intermediary organisations to stimulate regional and local actors – SMEs in particular – to innovate

Developing a Developing a Regional Innovation StrategyRegional Innovation Strategy

Developing a Developing a Regional Innovation StrategyRegional Innovation Strategy

Regional Policy


ENEN

10


Funds, 2007/13

An effective innovation strategy mobilises the actors involved in a particular area of activity (whether an economic or social sector) to

Review the situation in the domain or sector of activity in the region and compare it to that in competing regions;

Establish objectives and sectoral priorities, justifying these choices

Identify and allocate financing available for each sector or area of activity;

Define public interventions under a multi-annual action plan to ensure continuity of action

What is an effective Innovation Strategy?What is an effective Innovation Strategy?What is an effective Innovation Strategy?What is an effective Innovation Strategy?

Regional Policy


ENEN

11


Funds, 2007/13

Public authorities (regional authorities, regional development agencies, municipalities, other local authorities, Ministries, other funding bodies, etc.)

Education and research bodies (universities, institutes of technology, research institutes)

Enterprises, chambers of commerce, social partners

(the “triple helix model” or the “innovation eco-system”)

The actors in a RegionalThe actors in a RegionalInnovation System?Innovation System?

The actors in a RegionalThe actors in a RegionalInnovation System?Innovation System?

Regional Policy


ENEN

12


Funds, 2007/13 Limited number of priorities identified

Based on foresight evaluation

Defined and carried out in partnership, with clear leadership and involvement and ownership of the actors

Communication – before, during and after

Continuous evaluation

Key Elements in Developing aKey Elements in Developing aRegional Innovation StrategyRegional Innovation StrategyKey Elements in Developing aKey Elements in Developing aRegional Innovation StrategyRegional Innovation Strategy

Regional Policy


ENEN

13


Funds, 2007/13 Pilot actions can clarify the appropriateness of the strategy

Can allow testing of new actions (policy risk) to open up “activity niches” outside traditional procedures and progammes

In the long term can promote absorption

Experimentation – testing newExperimentation – testing newapproaches and actionsapproaches and actions

Experimentation – testing newExperimentation – testing newapproaches and actionsapproaches and actions

Regional Policy


ENEN

14


Funds, 2007/13

Guidance Document: “Innovative Strategies & Actions: Results of 15 years of experimentation” at

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funds/2007/innovation/guide_innovation_en.pdf

Re-vamped Inforegio website including database of project case studies – good practice examples from March 2007

Regional Innovation Awards – first competition to be launched in March 2007

Supports from European CommissionSupports from European CommissionSupports from European CommissionSupports from European Commission

Documents

EN Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Innovation and the Structural Funds, 2007-2013 Antwerp, 16 January 2007 Veronica Gaffey Innovative Actions Unit