Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days EU Instruments for RTD and Innovation: the Structural Funds Christine Mason REGIO.C1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION 11 October 2005

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Key Issues Do the Structural Funds, the RTD Framework Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme complement one another? How? What do links between EU policies mean for Structural Fund programmes? How can SF authorities take account of complementarities? What are the benefits?

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Why and how do instruments differ? Policy objective (Treaty) Level of desired impact: European v. regional Scope of intervention: specific v. comprehensive Governance: centralised v. decentralised Conclusion: need to take account of different policy rationales and delivery mechanisms

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Background Funds = main source of EU funding for Lisbon Strategy ERDF: 9.7 billion in RTDI SF support for strategies as well as funding innovative action programmes Current synergies: accident or design? Steps to increase coherence: –between cohesion policy and Lisbon –between Community policies

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Cohesion Guidelines Increase and improve investment in RTD –strengthen co-operation through regional and trans- regional clusters of excellence –support RTD in SMEs –regional cross-border and transnational initiatives –strengthen R&D capacity building Facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship –more efficient and accessible innovation supply (poles of excellence, clusters round large firms) –business support services –eco-innovation –entrepreneurship (new and expanding firms, spin- offs)

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Policy synergies with FP7 Broad aims -build up capacity in all regions, to increase competitiveness and enable participation in FP7 -support priority areas of EU research policy Specific complementarities -complementary investment (e.g. major European research infrastructures, research potential in convergence regions, emerging and existing centres of excellence, researchers' training and conditions) –realising 'Regions of Knowledge': creating networks and implementing research strategies

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Policy synergies with CIP Same priorities, different approaches Mutual support –regional innovation strategies –technology transfer –clusters/incubators/poles of excellence Need for co-ordination –financial instruments –inter-regional co-operation/networking –eco-innovation

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days How will it work in practice? Examples:- –strategy implementation cycle –raising research and innovation capacity research infrastructures; centres of excellence/thematic priorities; human capital –encouraging trans-national collaboration –financial engineering (e.g. risk capital funds) –eco-innovation –commercial use of technological knowledge Co-ordination: excluding double funding; raising awareness of policy makers and programme managers; opening networks, supporting exchange of experience

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Issues for Structural Fund authorities Preparation –make use of existing tools (methods, data and networks) –analysis: what is region's profile and potential? Strategy and programming –defining priorities –joined-up policies Objective-setting, monitoring and evaluation –what are realistic goals? –choosing indicators –maintaining commitment –learning lessons Partnerships –with research community (public and private), entrepreneurs, technology transfer specialists –with research and innovation policy makers in own administration –with networks outside region and MS

Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Open Days Further Information EU sites: enterprise/enterprise_policy/cip/index_en.htm regional_policy/funds/2007/index_en.htm contact