Promoting European Local and Regional Sustainability in the Digital Economy

1
Second Plenary Session Interregional
Cooperation Tom Kirby Director, Mid-West
Regional Authority President, PRELUDE Challenge
Grid
2
The PRELUDE Challenge

• The PRELUDE Challenge is a two-year
  inter-regional collaboration exercise, a grid of
  twenty regions with the support of three European
  networks Elanet, eris_at_ and Eurocities.
• AIMS
• Promote ICT Research Innovation through
  Regional and European Clusters for Innovation
• Foster sustainable and inclusive Clusters
  activities for European research and innovative
  pilot projects on local and regional priorities
  in the field of the Information Society.

3
The PRELUDE Challenge

• Regional European Clusters for Innovation have
  been launched and take European initiatives
  regarding
• Modernisation of public administrations
• Multi-channel and personalised services to
  citizens, enterprises and communities
• Local regional development

4
Regional European Clusters for Innovation

• The European Clusters for Innovation are
• GAUDI (Innovation in eGovernment)
• FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software for Public
  Admin.)
• LKC (Learning and Knowledge Creation for Research
  Innovation)
• EDEn (Enterprises in the Digital Economy)
• ETTC (European Transport Telematics Cluster)
• GUARANTEE (Universal Access to Resources,
  Applications Networks)
• MOBICITI (Mobile Citizens)
• Each ECI comprising members of the Regional
  Clusters for Innovation established in the
  PRELUDE Challenge Regions

5
The Mid-West Regional Authority

• Original Partners in the PRELUDE Initiative
  continued support to the PRELUDE Challenge
• Created Regional Cluster for Innovation (RCI)
  comprising Public, Local and Voluntary
  Authorities in the Mid-West Region
• MWRA RCI have secured a number of European
  Initiatives, particularly in the Interregional
  Cooperation Programme, INTERREG IIIB

6
Interregional Cooperation

• Aims of this session
• Present some practical results of the PRELUDE
  Challenge the model being followed to promote
  clusters at local regional level
• Show how these Clusters contribute to the
  integration of regional research and innovation
  in the European Research Area and the
  participation of public administrations
• Presentation of the PRELUDE Challenge Scientific
  Committee for Research (SIR)
• Open discussion among Panelists Participants