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| Information Day on Innovation Coach and 5Schemes initiatives for the South Central Region of Bulgaria |
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ARC Fund, together with the District Administration of Plovdiv organized an Information Day on the 5 SCHEMES and the Innovation Coach initiative designed to support the implementation of the Regional Innovation Strategy of the South Central Region of Bulgaria.
The South Central region of Bulgaria is now at its critical point of implementing its regional innovation strategy finalized under the RIS-SC/Bg project in May 2004. The Information Day had the purpose to present the two new initiatives under which the region will receive technical assistance in devising concrete measures for its RIS implementation. The main outcome of the event was the identification of 3 regional priorities in the field of innovation that will be further developed by the implementing consortium of the Innovation Coach project in ready-to-use counseling schemes and applications under the structural funds in 2007. The identified priorities under the Innovation Coach complement the ones that will be supported under the 5 Schemes project.
The Information Day was chaired by Ms Zoya Damianova, Programme Director of the Technology Transfer and Innovation Programme of ARC Fund. The event was opened by Mr Todor Petkov, District Governor of the Plovdiv District.
The first presentation, delivered by Ms Zoya Damianova, was focused on the impact of the RIS projects in the overall regional development. Ms Damianova also outlined the recent developments in the EU cohesion policy and the stronger emphasis on research and innovation in the new programming period 2007 – 2013.
Ms Borislava Severova, member of the RIS-SC/Bg working group, outlined the main steps of the RIS project for the South Central region of Bulgaria in terms of work performed during the different stages and cooperation with the local stakeholders. She made a detailed presentation on the SWOT analysis of the regional innovation system being the basis for identifying the main priorities of the region. Then she presented the Regional Innovation Strategy developed under the RIS initiative for the region with its strategic goals and operating objectives.
Prof. Petkan Iliev, consultant at ARC Fund, presented the measures from the regional innovation strategy that had been incorporated into the Regional Development Plan in his capacity of member of the working group that elaborated the RIS for the South Central region of Bulgaria and member of the working group on the Regional Development Plan.
Mr. Andrea di Anselmo, consultant from the META Group – Italy , being the Coordinator of the Innovation Coach project, presented the initiative. It is a CEC-supported project that collaborates with the 16 regions from the New Member States and the Candidate countries that have already gone through the first phase of their RIS process. The Innovation Coach aim is to optimise the performance of their RIS action plans through the provision of top–EU15 expertise and knowledge on innovation policy making and implementation. It is expected to bring adequate actions that will support the region in the RIS implementation process, to set up a well trained local team in charge of the measures and to achieve adequate level of local consensus around the actions to be undertaken.
The final presentation was delivered by Ms Zoya Damianova describing the 5SCHEMES initiative that aimed to transfer best European practices to 5 regions from the New Member States and the candidate countries. The project envisages designing specific regional innovation policy schemes which are expected to improve the innovation culture and skills in the targeted regions. The South Central Region will be supported by five top European experts to develop efficient innovation support measures, and is expected to cooperate with other regions in the field of innovation policies.
The meeting ended up with a discussion on the identification of 3 regional priorities to form the basis for the innovation support measures to be devised by the Innovation Coach. An Excel table encompassing all proposed measures under the Regional Innovation Strategy was circulated among the participants and the latter were asked for their personal expert evaluation and scoring from 0 to 9 of each proposed measure in terms of its relevance to the problems of the region. Then the separate evaluations were summed up and the upgraded table with the cumulative ratings was again circulated in order to provoke discussion and identify the top three measures.
As result the following 3 areas of assistance to be received under the Innovation coach project were identified accounting for the different regional stakeholders’ interests:
Training programme on innovation (including innovation management, seminars on technology transfer, etc.), aiming to develop the potential of the Human Capital in terms of innovation
Application of new technologies in traditional sectors, including actions in human resources (vocational training, stages, etc.)
Improving the financial situation of the R&D organisations.
These areas were considered to be the most strategic and most mature ones and were assessed as having the highest potential to bring new initiatives ddirectly into action. They will further be developed into tailor-made counseling schemes using the top European expertise provided by the Innovation Coach consortium with the aim to apply for financial support under the Structural Funds.
Agenda (both in Bulgarian and English, pdf 192 KB )
Presentations of speakers:
The RIS projects and the regional development, Ms Zoya Damianova, Programme Director, Applied Research and Communications Fund (in Bulgarian)
Presentation of the SWOT analysis of the regional innovation system and the Regional Innovation Strategy of the South Central Region of Bulgaria, Ms Borislava Severova, Applied Research and Communications Fund (in Bulgarian)
The Regional Innovation Strategy and the Regional Development Plan of the South Central Region, Prof. Petkan Iliev, University of National and World Economy (in Bulgarian)
Presentation of the “Innovation Coach” project and the procedures of work with the region (The Memorandum of Understanding) , Mr Andrea di Anselmo, META Group, Italy (in English)
Presentation of the “5 Schemes” project, Ms Zoya Damianova, Programme Director, Applied Research and Communications Fund (in Bulgarian)
http://www.innovation.bg
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