SEE Foresight TRANSVISION in the Making

1
SEE Foresight TRANSVISION in the Making

• Raluca CIBU-BUZAC and Tamas GYULAI
• RDA West Romania and RDA Dél-Alföld

2
SEE Foresight Territory
3
SEEForesight Expert Team

• Serbia and Montenegro Province of Voivodina
• Hungary South Great Plain Region
• Romania West Region
• Consultation actors regional development
  agencies, universities, consultants, public
  administration, NGOs, chambers of commerce,
  research organizations and professional / SMEs
  associations

4
SEE Foresight State of the ArtStrengths

• Ethnically mixed population
• Balanced industrial and agriculturally oriented
  population in North
• Broad industrial base (manufacturing, mining,
  forestry, power generation, chemical and
  pharmaceutical industry)
• Strong raw material base e.g. copper, building
  materials (clay, sand, timber etc)
• High potential of Spa-tourism
• Skilled workforce uniformly distributed in the
  border region
• Good education system
• Extensive road and rail network
• Satisfactory public transportation
• Generally low levels of industrial pollution in
  areas of scenic beauty
• Environmental protection is an important issue
  for both countries
• Source JPD RO-HU-SEM 2004-2006

5
SEE Foresight State of the ArtWeaknesses

• Low birth rate and a high level of migration of
  youth
• Aging agricultural workforce in South
• Most manufacturing industry uncompetitive in
  international markets
• Service sector not developed in border region
• Low co-operation among public services across the
  border
• High unemployment especially in heavy industry
• Most infrastructure in border area is in need of
  modernising or upgrading (including roads)
• Industrial pollution from heavy industry feeds
  into Danube
• Waste water treatment and sewage facilities in
  rural areas inadequate for requirements of
  population
• Waste disposal is an overall problem

6
SEE Foresight State of the ArtOpportunities

• Resourceful society oriented towards economic
  development
• Emphasising strong cultural and historical links
  will stimulate regional integrity
• Repairing and rehabilitation of many historic
  sites will increase attraction of area to
  neighbouring and foreign tourists
• Restructuring of industry to create modern
  economic base and foreign investment
• Skilled management capable of developing
  competitive companies
• High tourism potential will stimulate employment
  and job creation
• New businesses have access to large skilled HR
  pool
• Networks to enhance education and research
  co-operation
• Further integration of road/rail/river transport
  systems
• Opportunities for sharing cross border public
  services
• Great potential for environmental and eco-tourism
  in areas of natural beauty
• Opportunities for joint projects for management
  of waste and sewage disposal

7
SEE Foresight State of the ArtThreats

• Effects of postconflict recovery remain
• Introducing visa requirements between the two
  countries
• Existing industrial base largely unattractive to
  foreign investments
• Existing industry and agriculture will no longer
  provide sufficient employment to maintain
  population at the current level
• Infrastructure improvement programmes will not
  serve border area equally causing disparities in
  progress
• Decrease in tourist potential if management of
  national parks and areas of outstanding natural
  beauty is insufficient
• Health risks to local population if waste water
  pollution increases

8
SEE Foresight State of the ArtHistory of
Planning Exercises

• Joint Programming Document 2004-2006 for
  trilateral cross-border cooperation 
  Romania-Hungary-Serbia Montenegro
• Two Regional Innovation Strategy Action Plans
  2005-2008 for the Regions of West Romania and
  South-Great Plain Hungary
• Existence of local and regional development plans
  and strategies that have a cross-border component
• EURO-INNO-REGIO Action Plan
• DKMT Euroregion Strategy

9
SEE Foresight State of the ArtPlanning Exercises
VS Foresight

• Foresight is relevant for the planning processes
  of the border regions
• e.g. Growth strategies of the poles of Szeged,
  Bekescsaba, Timisoara, Arad, Novi Sad i.a.
  inspired by foreseen effects of the Romanian
  accession

10
TRANSVISION Blueprint Objectives

• create a mutual trust and activate a learning
  process
• through collective work build a consensus for
  reducing institutional barriers and internal
  resistance
• improve the harmonious integration of the
  transborder area with its territorial identity
• improve the coherence and efficiency of
  transborder policies

11
TRANSVISION Blueprint Objectives

• develop a common management of border area
  problems (economy, water, RDTI, education, etc)
• improve relevant actors participation and
  competencies in transborder cooperation
• position the transborder area as competitive
  partner of EU development

12
TRANSVISION Blueprint Follow-Up 2005

• EURADA CEEC Congress (Timisoara, April)
• Annual Congress of the Romanian Association for
  Regional Studies (Timisoara, June)
• Discussions in Novi Sad, Szeged and Timisoara
  (June-August)
• Romanian Serbian Bilateral Meeting (Timisoara,
  July)
• Creation of a professional association (currently
  in progress)

13
TRANSVISION Association

• Based on the outcomes of the TRANSVISION
  Blueprint
• Supports project preparation in the cross-border
  triangle
• Focalizes the cross-border initiatives
• Offers expert support to the area and not only

• Supporting members from the EU Member States
• Members regional development professionals,
  academics, consultants

14
SEE Foresight Challenges

• DECISION-MAKING LEVEL
• Low awareness on the Foresight process
• Need to mobilise the political resources
• Tradition of short-term reward

• INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL
• No homogenous structures
• Need to make use of intertwined levels
• Very good pool of expertise

15
SEE Foresight Challenges

• ECONOMIC LEVEL
• Choice of sectorial or thematic approach ?
• Similar top sectors VS heterogeneous low profile
  sectors
• Good chances to involve the business environment

• POLICY-MAKING LEVEL
• Strong planning background, but low focus
• Availability of programmes and financial
  instruments for pilot projects

16
SEE Foresight How to proceed ?

• Stage 1 Design Preparation (1) current stage
• Establish the expected outcomes, based on the
  Blueprint conclusions and the current state of
  the art
• Establish the focus and objectives
• Choice of the time horizon 2013? 2020? 2027?
• Different level of users e.g. decision makers VS
  businesses

17
SEE Foresight How to proceed ?

• Stage 1 Design Preparation (2)
• Determine the coverage establish the methodology
  for selecting sectors / themes
• Assessment of previous work no previous
  Foresight exercise evaluation of planning
  exercises against the policy / programme
  frameworks
• Mapping available resources

18
SEE Foresight How to proceed ?

• Stage 1 Design Setting-up next stage
• Building support and the team
• Methodology, methods and expertise required
• Organisational structure and choice of
  participants TRANSVISION association,
  transborder forum and expert groups
• Communication strategy

19

• SEE Foresight TRANSVISION in the Making
• Inspiration
• See the potentials
• Choice
• Creation