ERIK The European Regions knowledge based network

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ERIK The European Regions knowledge based
network

• Mr. Massimo Bressan
• ERIK network Managing body

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ERIK main aim

• .. to sustain and further develop
  inter-regional networking and to provide network
  support to regions with approved ERDF Innovative
  Actions projects for improving EU cohesion and
  sharing of information, experience and good
  practices. in view of enhancing ...innovation
  and knowledge oriented regional strategies

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ERIK specific objectives

• To benchmark good practices relating to
  innovation and knowledge policies
• To exchange experiences matured in different
  regions and contexts, in order to develop more
  effective regional or interregional policies
• To organise specific discussion groups and
  workshops on selected topics of common interest
• To extend at the interregional level the
  collaboration relationships between the different
  actors of the regional knowledge systems involved

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ERIK specific objectives

• To increase the know-how of main regional actors
  as far as innovation, technology transfer and the
  knowledge economy promotion are concerned
• To identify and valorise different methodologies
  developed under EC programmes or other schemes,
  disseminating results to interested parties
• To exchange information on the progresses of
  RPIAs leaded by network participants in view of
  improving the instrument for the future
• To co-operate with other related EU initiatives

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ERIK Partners regions
1. Emilia Romagna (Italy) 2. Toscana (Italy) 3.
Nieder Österreich (Austria) 4. Wallonie
(Belgium) 5. Basse Normandie (France) 6.
Lorraine (France) 7. Bremen (Germany) 8.
Lombardia (Italy) 9. Thessaly (Greece) 10.
Alentejo (Portugal) 11. Aragon (Spain) 12. Murcia
(Spain) 13. West Midlands (United Kingdom)
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ERIK Network Partners

• ERIK project partners are
• 1. Tuscany Regional Government (I)
• 2. Emilia-Romagna Regional Government (I)
• 3. Lombardy Regional Government (I)
• 4. Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón (ES)
• 5. INFO-Instituto de Fomento de Murcia (ES)
• 6. Ministère de la Région Wallonie (B)
• 7. BIA Bremer Innovations-Agentur GmbH (D)
• 8. Hellenic Democratic Region of Thessaly (GR)
• 9. CEBANOR-Comité dExpansion Économique de
  Basse-Normandie (F)
• 10. Lorraine Conseil Régional (F)
• 11. Amt der Niederösterreich Landesregierung (A)
• 12. Advantage West Midlands (UK)
• 13. ADRAL-Agencia de Desenvolvimento Regional do
  Alentejo, S.A. (P)

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Project organisational structure
European Commission
Managing Body
Steering Committee
Operative Unit located in Bologna, Florence and
Brussels
Thematic Working Group
Thematic Working Group
Thematic Working Group
Thematic Working Group
ERIK Network Partners
Enlargement to other Regions developing a
knowledge based economy
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The ERIK Thematic Working Group

• Based on specific topics dealing with the first
  RPIAs theme knowledge-based regional economies
  and technological innovation
• Focused on topics of interest for the ERIK
  partners, but also for the about 100 regions
  managing RPIAs within the first theme

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The Thematic Working Group role

• To identify Best Practices and experiences to be
  shared
• To collect documentation on the specific topics
  to be shared
• To contribute in the collection of the BPs and
  documents to be included in the web site
• To prepare and select papers to be included in
  the newsletters
• To collaborate in the organisation of workshops
  and in the identification of the participants
• To collaborate in the organisation of the study
  visits

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How the topics have been selected

• Focus on RPIAs of the partners regions
• Focus on RPIAs at European level
• Trying to maximise synergies and avoid
  overlapping with the other Innovative Actions
  Networks
• Trying to maximise synergies and avoid
  overlapping with other European networks, as IRE
  and EURADA

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The topic of the TWGs

• Clusters and business networks
• Regional innovation benchmarking and foresight
• Services and support to start-up and spin-off
• Innovation financial mechanisms
• How to turn traditional products into innovative
  businesses
• Science and industry relationship

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The ERIK actions

• Conferences and the Innovative Regions Policy
  Forum
• Workshops and Seminars
• Study Visits
• Web site and Data base
• Newsletters

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The conferences

• The aim of the conferences to set-up a
  discussion on knowledge-based regional economies
  and technological innovation at least at European
  level
• 2 Conferences the 1st at the end of 2003 the
  2nd one at the end of 2004
• First conference
• Beginning of December 2003, probably in Brussels
• Participants
• EC
• Partners of the other Innovative Actions Networks
• European regions representatives - also coming
  from candidate countries National government
  representatives
• Experts Industry representatives Universities
  ...

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The Workshops

• The aim of the workshop to create an opportunity
  for EU regions to work in networking and exchange
  information and experiences on specific topics of
  interest in particular
• Exchange good practices and related experiences
  on innovation and knowledge oriented regional
  strategies.
• Stimulate inter-regional dialogue, particularly
  among developed and disadvantaged regions, in
  order to develop more effective regional and
  interregional policies.
• Exchange experiences on RPIAs under
  implementation in the regions involved.
• Involve different regional development actors and
  increase their know-how as far as innovation,
  technology transfer and the knowledge economy
  promotion are concerned.

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The first workshop

• Focused on Clusters and business networks
• To be held in Bologna - Emilia Romagna region -
  Italy in June 2003
• To be organised in connection with a study visit
  in Toscana and Emilia-Romagna region
• The programme of the workshop and the study visit
  will be sent to all Innovative Actions actors in
  the coming weeks.

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The study visit exchange programme

• The aim is to enable the partnership to better
  know other European regional experiences in terms
  of innovation and technology transfer
• The study visits will be mainly concentrated on
  the topics chosen by the Thematic Working Groups
  and when possible will be organised jointly with
  the workshops
• The regions participating in each working group
  are the principal actors of study visits, in
  charge of preparing the visit and the
  documentation on good practices

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The study visit exchange programme

• The study visits will be open to other partners'
  regions and other regions not directly involved
  in the ERIK network yet, but having good
  practices to share or an interest in learning
  good practices on the specific themes
• Furthermore, through the analysis of good
  practices coming from the Regional Programme of
  Innovative Actions, some more regions - not
  partners of the ERIK network - could be invited
  to host some study visits
• The study visits will have a duration from 1 to 3
  days and will foresee focus groups on regional
  innovative schemes and the visit of technological
  parks, universities, laboratories and enterprises
  where these schemes have been successfully applied

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The website, database and newsletters

• ERIK website address
• www.eriknetwork.net
• The database will be the base of knowledge of the
  ERIK network and will contain Good Practices,
  Innovative Schemes and Case Studies coming from
  all Europe it will be also merged with the RINNO
  (Regional prosperity through innovation in
  Europe) database that includes more than 400
  experiences
• Newletters (available in English and French) will
  be published three times a year and will be also
  downloadable from the website first issue May
  2003

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ERIK Network

• For more information
• erik_at_aster.it
• Thank you