Ermis Project Final conference 5th November 2012 Municipality of Cesena Lia Montalti Councillor for environmental Sustainability, Energy policies and European projects Also representing Partner 4 – CISE – Centre for Innovation and Economic Development

The Added value of ERMIS - Learning from Partners through ermis the Partners check for the “ blind spots ” in a regional ecosystem in order to evaluate a new range of possible services - we translate this check in “ Value Chain ” of Services for example: Providing financial resources for innovation processes Matching ongoing innovation processes with professors, researchers, students Connecting large companies, SMEs, young would-be entrepreneur & supporting shared innovation processes Connect Denmark/DevLab United BrainsAegean Technopole + incubator

ERMIS as an opportunity to share best practice in terms of energy sustainability We proposed our Sustainability Energy Action Plan as a best practice. And it has been chosen for transfer by 2 partners. In French Riviera it is actually object of an implementation design Objective: reduction 20% CO2 emission, equivalent to TeqCO2

Cesena SEAP  Promotes environmental innovation in SMEs through a policy of sustainable actions.  Allows a territory to achieve its goals concerning the control of the use of energy and on the development of alternative solutions.  Measures the effectiveness of the cooperation between ICT energy and ICT construction (monitoring of smart buildings).  Allows a region to control its policies according to its strengths and the local context through a logic of a BSC (balanced score card)  Promotes applied research and scientific knowledge in the field of energy, promotes the link between market needs / product / research and public policy and develops the local market.

The good practices that the Municipality of Cesena selected as likely for a transfer, reflect a gap in the innovation policy mechanism in our region and therefore a most relevant for the regional situation in terms of innovation potential Examples of best practices actually being transferred to our territory: UNITED BRAINS INCUBATOR

Developing Ermis best practices: United Brains The municipality of Cesena is currently focusing on the transfer of the best practice named “United Brains” and proposed by P5. In partnership with the local chamber of commerce and the region’s public company that connects university and local sme’s we arie preparing a feasibility report that includes a survey with local firms to be concluded by end of September. By the end of year, in collaboration with above mentioned public company, we will be holding a workshop on the “united brains” model that will serve as launching event of the practice in our region

Cesena Business incubator Cesena is currently engaged in setting up an ICT business incubator, which will start before the end of year. We're developing a new european project, Jobtown Urbact II, that will address how to involve key stakeholders in supporting the endeavour and making it a success in creating viable businesses. How it will work: - Participants won’t pay rent and will be selected on the basis of proposing the best business plans. - The incubator will provide training in management and business creation. - The local administration will provide support with administrative requirements. - The Cesena Savings Bank and the Municipality will support the propositions by providing a common fund for business start up. Architectural renderings of the incubator

The good practices that the Centre for Innovation and Economic Development of Forlì-Cesena selected as likely for a transfer reflect: a gap in services to support new form of cooperative/open innovation; a gap in the financing of innovation. Examples of best practices actually being transferred to our territory with reference to some of their features are: DEVLAB CONNECT DENMARK AEGEAN TECHNOPOLE SEED CAPITAL

The next year, a new innovation support scheme will be launched whereby large, medium and small enterprises, along with high potential youths will cooperate in generating and shaping a new business. Participants will be supported by experts in design and creativity, living labs and quality function deployment, business planning, financing, etc. Cooperation will be on an open-innovation basis. Innovation will be aimed at a better quality of life. Building on DEVLAB and CONNECT DK

In Italy, Consorzi Fidi are entities co-financed by chambers of commerce, public institutions and business associations that provide additional guarantees to banks whenever SME applies for loans at local banks. Additional guarantees have the aim of reducing the risk undertaken by the banks and therefore increase their willingness to loan money at reasonable rates. Such guarantees have rotational nature (unless the SME does not pay back its loan, if so, the money involved in the guarantee is lost). Building on AEGEAN TECHNOPOLE SEED CAPITAL

The idea is to have Consorzi Fidi (the CC already co-funds) provide additional guarantees to support SMEs applying for loans at local banks to develop innovative projects. Additional guarantees mean that SME with small assets (i.e. unable to provide directly sufficient guarantees) can apply for fujnding and thatk the interest rate applied by banks can be lowered. Only innovative projects that will have been positively assessed by a technical committee will be awarded such additional guarantees. Building on AEGEAN TECHNOPOLE SEED CAPITAL

Diversity of the economic base can represent an asset for innovation, if it's integrated in a “smart” system where regional and local actors promote cross-fertilisation of ideas and technologies. The idea of “innovative ecosystems”, supported in some regions within the ermis project, is to be pursued. Interreg projects such as ERMIS represent a unique opportunity to create awareness for a place-based approach to innovation. Lessons learnt from Ermis Project