Good Practice Examples to increase Innovation Capacities in the WBC Ulrike Kunze, DLR Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkan countries Tirana/Albania, June 12/13, 2012

Overview The framework The idea The partners involved The procedure The results The WBC examples The next steps The conclusions

1. The framework (I / II) WBC-INCO.NET Work Package 8 (“Innovation Support”): Give overview on WBC innovation systems and key RTDI stakeholders; Identify future research market needs and analyse the needs in innovation policy and innovation support; Identify policy measures to improve framework conditions for innovation and define joint actions; Organise and promote a dialogue of the regional R&I stakeholders in SEE at political and analytical level (Innovation Dialogue Fora, WBC Innovation Group of Experts, support to a networking conference);

1. The framework (II / II) Work Package 8 (“Innovation Support”): Train innovation stakeholders and auditors, support agencies and researchers in the fields of TT and market innovation needs Identify good practices of innovation activities, policies and instruments from EU MS/AC and WCB, develop adaptation schemes for selected ones in view of implementation.

2. The Idea Identify Examples of Innovation Good Practice in EU Member States the WBC depending on the needs identified having undergone evaluation – if possible being suitable for adaptation in the region having a realistic chance for implementation in the WBC

3. The partners involved DLR (International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research at the German Aerospace Centre), Germany BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research), Germany MPI (Mihajlo Pupin Institute), Serbia UNU-MERIT (United Nations University MERIT- Maastricht), The Netherlands WBC project partners … and the contributions of many, many experts!

3. The procedure Collect Good Practice Examples (Deliverable) Select and discuss 8 examples in view of implementation 1st Review Meeting, 4./5. April 2012 in Tirana/Albania “evaluation” by participants 4 proposals for Action Plan Develop adaptation schemes for possible implementation in the WBC 2nd Review Meeting, autumn/winter 2012 Prepare adaptation schemes

4. The results Deliverable with 45 Examples of Innovation Good Practice 21 from the EU MS (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Sweden) 24 from the WBC Broad range of innovation measures, programmes or infrastructure facilities Wide spectrum targeted of innovation and market research needs identified in previous task (matching table)

Review Meeting on Innovation Good Practice Examples

Good Practice Examples presented and discussed Research Voucher Scheme (Netherlands) Innovation Officer (Netherlands) Strategic Innovation (Netherlands) Soft landing Platform Services in Croatia (Germany) VINNVÄXT Programme (Sweden) Knowledge Management Centre (KMC) (Hungary) KOpEE Entrepreneurship training (Germany) Integrated Destination Management System in Bulgaria (Germany)

The WBC examples Printed booklet with 24 examples Albania: 3 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 4 Croatia: 6 FYR of Macedonia: 4 Kosovo*: 1 Montenegro: 2 Serbia: 4 * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

4. The WBC examples (I) Business Incubators BIT Center Tuzla (BiH) BIOS, Osijek (Croatia) YES Foundation (FYR of Macedonia) Foundation Business Startup Centre Bitola (FYR of Macedonia) Inventivnost (Montenegro) Zrenjanin (Serbia) Technology Parks Zagreb (Croatia) Varaždin (Croatia)

4. The WBC examples (II) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centres (IEC) University of Zenica (BiH) IC Banja Luka (BiH) National Center for Development of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Learning (FYR of Macedonia) Innovation Centre Kosovo ICK (Kosovo*) R&D Service Centre, University of Montenegro (Montenegro)

4. The WBC examples (III) Competitions Competition for Best Technology Innovation (Serbia) Grant Schemes RAZUM Seed Capital Programme (Croatia) Proof of Concept Grant Fund (Croatia) TEHCRO - Development of the infrastructure for technology development (Croatia) Project for Supporting the Development of Competitiveness of SMEs and Innovation (Serbia)

4. The WBC examples (IV) Clusters Vojvodina ICT Cluster (Serbia) Industrial Research Laboratories Pleuronectes mycelium production (Albania) Industrial olive sapling production and intensive olive cultivation (Albania) Sustainable Agriculture/ SASA (Albania) Foundation for Management and Industrial Research, MIR (FYR of Macedonia)

5. The Conclusions Broad range of Good Practice Examples Collection based on expertise of experts and WBC project partners Not all examples have undergone evaluation (reason: have started only recently or evaluation is not foreseen) Drawbacks: some examples face bottlenecks and obstacles (Sustainability problems: lack of funding, poor coordination, economical crisis etc.) Other examples have proven to be good practice examples that could easily be transferred to other countries List not exhaustive, can be completed Challenge: Implementation in WBC

6. The Next Steps Organise review meeting in autumn/winter 2012 Develop Adaptation schemes Optional: Provide hands-on support for implementation Promote Deliverable and printed booklet of Good Practice examples (not only in WBC)

Contact: Ulrike Kunze, DLR ulrike.kunze@dlr.de International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1 D - 53227 Bonn, Germany Prof.dr Sreten Škuletic Vice Rector for International Relations University of Montenegro Cetinjski put bb 81000 Podgorica MONTENEGRO Tel. + 382 81 241 777 or 241 888 Fax. + 382 81 242 301 e-mail: skuletic@cg.ac.yu