ERRIN contribution to the EC consultation on the Future of Community Innovation Policy
The Policy WG, lead by Ile-de-France, has finalised the ERRIN position to the EC consultation on the Future of Community Innovation Policy. The document had been circulated to the membership and was approved by the Management Board. It has been submitted to the European Commission within the deadline 16 November.
ERRIN key positions:
1) Regional dimension of research and innovation. ERRIN, the European Regions Research and Innovation Network, considers that regular collaboration and interaction between regional triple-helix actors is key to both technological and non-technological innovation. Regional and local public authorities and innovation intermediaries (clusters, RTD networks, etc) play a crucial role in enabling and facilitating such cooperation. The EU innovation policy should help improve regional research and innovation-friendly ecologies and the functioning of regional innovation systems by providing tools and support (including financial) to help regions facilitate these interactions. It should also support networking and interaction among triple helix actors across Europe.
2) Intra- and interregional cluster networks. As clusters are one of the main tools for catalysing and managing triple-helix interactions and for supporting more effective innovation by helping create trust relationships between regional innovation players and embed knowledge within the region, the EU should continue to support networks of clusters. The European Cluster Alliance (ECA) is the right approach, however, there is the impression that it is not connected to the cluster actors on the ground in the regions. The ECA is currently targeted at policy makers. This will need to be reviewed alongside the second phase of the European Cluster Observatory, which includes the objective of linking cluster initiatives more effectively.
3) Access to finance. Access to finance is crucial to enable businesses to implement innovative ideas. However, financial markets today do not meet the needs of European SMEs. A European market for risk capital is urgently needed. European Innovation Policy should, thus, work towards creating a European-wide venture capital fund and adapting the EIB risk-sharing facility to the post-crisis landscape.
4) Simplification of instruments. The EU needs to simplify its offer of instruments supporting innovation so as to increase visibility of EU programmes and their understanding by the innovation community. Rationalising the instruments and improving synergies between the various EU programmes (in terms of objectives, administrative procedures, etc) in favour of innovation should be a central issue of the Innovation Action plan currently being prepared by the European Commission.
5) SME involvement and benefit. In future the EC should make sure that it designs instruments that produce a better impact on innovation within SMEs as well as an increased direct participation of SMEs in supported projects. EC Instruments should therefore encourage the participation of groups of SMEs who are co-located, probably via cluster development initiatives. This will encourage the participation of smaller SMEs which have limited resources.
6) Non-technological innovation. ERRIN considers that the future EU Innovation Action plan should aim at helping the EU face major societal challenges. To this end, any innovation strategy should be designed with the aim of finding an appropriate balance between support to technological innovation and non-technological innovation, in particular social innovation.
7) Open innovation. Effective governance and business models for open innovation are key to reducing transaction costs and capitalising on spill-over effects in the knowledge economy. Existing instruments to support innovation should be adapted to support Open Innovation initiatives (e.g. Living Labs) and mechanisms and build European-wide networks and OI marketplaces. Open Innovation results from relative proximity, the ability of people to connect, meet face to face and build relationships based on trust. The geographic factor is, therefore, an important element in the concept of open innovation. The EU action should then contribute to stimulate and support the establishment of such common places for innovation.
8) Eco-Innovation. The future EU Innovation Action plan should provide support for businesses to reduce the environmental impact of their manufactured products by working on design, raw materials, production, use, reuse application and ultimate disposal. This will help the EC to achieve ambitious low carbon
targets.
_______________________________________________________
ERRIN Briefing on Spanish EU Presidency Priorities on Research & Development, 23 November 2009
The Spanish Presidency Team presented their R&D priorities and related events to an audience of ERRIN members and friends. The briefing was hosted by Scotland Europa and was followed by the first training seminar of the FP8 group for ERRIN members, which focused on the “grand challenges”.
Overall, the regional dimension will play an important part in the Spanish Presidency programme and the Presidency is organising several high profile events on these and other issues. Main priorities will be innovation and equality, with the role of science in the fight against poverty and social inclusion being of particular importance.
The promotion and further development of ERA, for instance through strengthening the links between research and innovation, the consolidation of the ERC and the simplification of the FP, will be prominently on the agenda. The Swedish Presidency has made important progress on this, but a lot remains to be done.
On simplification, a Commission Communication will be published in April and subsequently being discussed at the Council level. A broad mandate for the necessary changes on the rules of participation in the FP will be sought, in cooperation with the MS, the EP, Court of Auditors and the Commission itself, the idea being to work towards a system that is based on the idea of risk taking and trust, rather than excessive financial control. The Commisson proposal for a European Innovation Action Plan will, obviously, also be discussed at Council level.
The strengthening of cooperation between national programmes will also be part of the Presidency Programme. In this respect two issues were mentioned: the European Partnership for Researchers, i.e. mobility and career Development, which will necessitate a close cooperation between Science and Employment Ministers; and Joint Programming and PPPs, where, inter alia, the possible participation of the regions, will be an issue. Key events for the regions include: ·
-EIT KIC launch event, San Sebastian, 29-30 April, how to really use the idea of the knowledge triangle and the model the EIT wants to promote at European level
-Synergies between Community Programmes (Week of European Innovative Regions, WIRE, Granada 15-17 March)
Other events:
-Conference on Space and Security: Madrid, 3-4 February
-ICT for Energy Efficient Buildings, Brussels 23-24 February
-Policies to stimulate private investment in research and innovation - Concord 2010, Seville 3-4 March
-Week of Innovative European Regions, 15-17 March Granada · European Infrastructures, Barcelona 22-25 March
-Campus Party Europe, Unite talent, create future, Madrid 28 March – 4 April
-Science against Poverty: Segovia, 8-9 April (high level, most important)
-European Framework Programmes: From Economic Recovery to Sustainability, Valencia 13-14 April
-ERAB Stakeholder Conference, Seville, 6-7 May · Science Journalism, Madrid, 10-14 May
-European Social agenda for science and innovation, Madrid, 12-26 May
-Commemoration 20th anniversary of the EC-EU Task Force in Biotechnology: Barcelona, 2-4 June
-Design Week, Madrid 21-25 June
-ERC Scientific Committee: Madrid and Santiago de Compostela, 28-30 June
-Ministerial Conference EU-LAC, La Granja, 14 May
Week of Innovative Regions in Europe (WIRE)
A special presentation presented the high-profile event in Granada, which is of particular importance for the regional dimension. The aim is to focus the attention of political leaders and social stakeholders on the competitiveness of European regions as a main axis for building the knowledge-based society. It will highlight and discuss how to make the most efficient use of the resources devoted to R&D and the necessity and possible mechanics of improved coordination between different levels of government. Planned outcomes of this conference will be the improvement and update of the user-guide for access to the different funds and concrete input into the 2020 strategy and the financial perspective. With regard to this conference ERRIN will continue to work closely with the Spanish Presidency Team to give its input into the questions discussed and speakers proposed.
R&D Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency, Milagros Candela
Experiences of Spanish R&D Representation Office, Brussels, Evelina Santa
Week of Innovative Regions in Europe (WIRE), Rocio Castrillo
______________________________________________________________________________
ERRIN AGM and ERRIN Mind Forum - 18 November 2009
Following the Annual General Meeting for members, ERRIN held a successful public event on “Navigating beyond Lisbon – the regions on course to economic recovery and the knowledge economy!”. Key EU movers and thinkers, such as Ziga Turk, General Secretary of the Reflection Group on EU Future and Gerard de Graaf, of the EU Commission’s Secretariat General, shared their visions and thoughts on where Europe’s social and economic development strategy is heading in the post-Lisbon context. Most notably, Danuta Hübner, Chair of the Regional Policy Committee of the EP, addressed the audience laying out her benchmarks for the post-Lisbon strategy and the EU’s regional policy post 2013. A global perspective was provided by the OECD’s work and insights on regional innovation strategies, and was grounded in practice by forward looking regional innovation strategies/actions as implemented in key ERRIN regions (Flanders, PACA, South West UK, Navarra). The discussion, moderated by Mike Tremblay, independent innovation expert and Mikel Landabaso, Head of the Innovation Unit at DG Regio, provided challenging food for thought for integrated policy-making at EU, national and regional level. Thanks again to all speakers and participants! We also want to express our gratitude to Scotland Europa and TransFICS - Transforming the Future Innovation and Communication Society for kindly sponsoring our evening reception. Further reading of TransFICS.
Report of the ERRIN Mind Forum "Navigating Beyond Lisbon"
Challenges on the Horizon - Mr Ziga Turk
Synergies between FP7, CIP and Social Funds - Mr Olivier Brunet, DG RTD
Regional Innovation Strategies: Getting it right - Ms Karen Maguire, OECD
Regional good practice examples:
The 6 VRWB clusters and their spearheads - Flanders - Vincent Thoen
The regional innovation strategy of PACA - Anna Lisa Boni
Inter and Intraregional Cooperation - Navarra, Maria Lozano Uriz
Shaping the regional innovation agenda through cooperation, South West UK, Richard Male
____________________________________________________________________
Healthy Ageing: Key Research and Innovation Challenges in Europe - 5 November 2009
The idea behind this seminar, organised by West Midlands in Europe, was to inform about current and future EU policy on healthy ageing. The seminar addressed the Commission's first Joint Programming approach promoting cooperation across Member States targeting Alzheimer's disease. Commission speakers also outlined the current research agenda from an ICT perspective and future opportunities. In line with this, the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) initiative has been presented. From a practitioner's point of view, Aston University's Research Centre for Healthy Ageing (ARCHA) outlined its activities in advancing prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of age-associated decline. Besides that, the South Denmark Region has unveiled their vision "South Denmark as Welfare Tech Region".
Agenda Healthy Ageing
Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing
Ambient Assistant Living (AAL), Joint Programme, Silas Olsson
Joint Programming in Combating Alzheimer, Manuel Hallen, European Commission, DG RTD
EU Strategy on ICT for well-ageing, Wintlev Jensen, DG INFSO
Welfare Tech Region South Denmark, Morten Bierbaum
| Copyright © 2007 ERRIN | Terms of use |  |
