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| RIS BRIDGE Information Day in Pernik |
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 On 11 November 2005 ARC Fund held in the town of Pernik the first of a series of RIS BRIDGE Information Days. The objective of the event was to introduce the initiative to the local authorities and business representatives and initiate a networking process.
The RIS BRIDGE initiative aims to elaborate Regional Innovation Strategy for the South West Planning Region of Bulgaria in the context of the EU policy for promoting regional innovation both in the EU Member States and in the accession countries. The RIS BRIDGE initiative is intended to improve the capacity of the regional authorities to set up policy measures designed to match the actual technology and innovation needs of the SMEs and to prepare the region to work with the financial instruments of the Cohesion Policy after Bulgaria’s accession in the EU.
 Ms. Zoya Damianova, Program Director of ARC Fund, highlighted the role of the RIS initiatives for the regional development and successful absorption of the EU Structural Funds. She stressed that the consensus and cooperation among all stakeholders – the local authorities, the private sector, research organizations, academia and NGOs – is a key factor for success and appealed for the participants’ involvement in the project. Ms. Damianova also pointed out that this is an initiative of mutual interest since the RIS projects are closely related to all regional development priorities such as the improvement of infrastructure, quality of life, increasing the competitiveness of the towns, cooperation for European development at regional level, and strengthening the institutional capacity for strategic planning and policy implementation. She noted that RIS could be instrument for decentralized implementation of the National Innovation Strategy.
 Ms. Daniela Tchonkova, RIS BRIDGE Project Coordinator at ARC Fund, presented the objectives and the work program of the RIS BRIDGE Project for the South West Planning Region. Special emphasis was laid on the role of the Pernik District in the development of the Regional Innovation Strategy. She pointed out that the initiative could be perceived by the regional stakeholders as an excellent opportunity for manifesting their needs in the field of innovation and for demonstrating an active approach to best benefit from the EU Structural Funds that will be managed at regional level after accession.
 Mr. Angel Milev, Coordinator of the Innovation Relay Centre – Bulgaria, presented the range of services offered to SMEs in support of the adoption of new technologies by the business. IRC has enhanced 21 transfers of technologies between Bulgarian and foreign entities so far, mainly SMEs, science organizations and individual inventors. It also assists the firms in identifying and contacting the appropriate foreign partners. IRC – Bulgaria is part of the IRC Network which comprises of 71 centres and 250 organizations in 33 countries.
During the discussion the representatives of the private sector expressed concern about their level of competitiveness, which hinders their endeavors to meet the challenges of the EU market after accession. They stressed that the prices of their production and the labor force qualification is low in contrast to the high prices of the new technologies. They proposed more in-depth analysis of the economic environment in the region which could help the authorities better determine the sectors that need to be developed in the future.
Photo Gallery
   
 
Agenda (in Bulgarian)
Presentations of the speakers
Ms. Zoya Damianova, Program Director of ARC Fund:
Presentation of ARC Fund
Presentation of the RIS projects
Ms. Daniela Tchonkova, RIS BRIDGE Project Coordinator at ARC Fund
Mr. Angel Milev, Coordinator of the Innovation Relay Centre – Bulgaria
http://www.innovation.bg
http://www.arcfund.net
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