1. Regions and innovation: From research to market RIS INNPULSE Workshops April 10-12 2006, Vilnius Andrea Di Anselmo

3. Key issues Innovation is different from research Subsidiarity matters (EU – Nations – Regions – … - Municipalities) Regional intervention as Market enabler and catalyzer Structural funding is a key ingredient

4. Regions are the main enablers for facing the innovation challenge Why: Understanding of the needs of players Capability to create consensus Potentiality in integrating all the social and economic actors Proximity to the end users

5. Not only the relationships between Research and innovation but support targeting at a wider and more effective population of innovative SMEs Technological v/s entrepreneurial innovation Existing companies v/s start-ups Polarize v/s differentiate Market pull v/s technology push Challenges

7. Strategic options Focus on excellence and avoid fragmentation Invest in human capital (“brains” attraction and retention) Remove obstacles, ensure mobility (ideas, people, goods, capitals) Invest in entrepreneurial culture and entrepreneurship Boost internationalization (partnerships, markets, …..)

8. Leverages Cooperation among SMEs, SMEs and Knowledge producers, Channel all investment in SMEs towards innovation Access to high-profiled services Support to knowledge based start ups Integration of dedicated financing tools (debt, risk capital, guarantees, grants) State of the art infrastructures

9. RIS INNPULSE Workshops April 10-12 2006, Vilnius Andrea Di Anselmo The Strategic Plan for Innovation in Sicily Sri SICILY

10. “Scientific research” over “innovation” Boundary line between research and market Relevant presence of public research vs a weak entrepreneurial system Sicily, the region Population: 5.054 million inhabitants Area: 301.316 sq.kms Industry: 18.9% of the workforce Services: 68.6% Agriculture: 12.5%

11. The Strategy Objectives tree Development of the interface system Scouting pilot project Incubators empowerment Awareness and training on entrepreneurship Testing and prototyping laboratories Creation and strengthening of TTOs in universities Creation of an IPR fund Seed capital funds Connect research with the market Incentive patenting and know-how commercialization Improve the activities for innovation diffusion throughout the whole Sicilian territory Qualify the supply of technological services aimed at matching market needs and inward investment initiatives Sensitive researchers and students on spin outs as mean for research results valorisation Qualify location factors addressed to SMEs based on technologies Increase the rate of NTBFs creation through the access to risk capital To initiate the process of commercial exploitation of scientific results gained by Sicilian researchers and stimulate the interest of external operators Improve the regional innovation interface system Support the creation of knowledge intensive firms Promote the exploitation of research realized in Sicily Improve innovation capacity and absorption of the existent Sicilian economic system Set the conditions for the growth of the productivity and the entrepreneurial development in SICILY ACTIONS OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES MID=TERM OBJECTIVES FINAL OBJECTIVES SMEs research, innovation and TT cooperative projects Stages and training of graduated students/researchers into SMEs willing to introduce an innovation Creation and management of knowledge circles Promotion of ETI and stimulation of collaboration among SMEs Promotion of research, TT and innovation within Sicilian SMEs and support of territorial!sectoral networking and clustering processes Promotion of SMEs’ technological, organizational, managerial innovation and matching of market needs, via the insertion of Diffuse innovation among existing SMEs 1,63% 57,66% 2,18% 4,08% 15,98% 0,82% 2,72% 5,44% 1,91% 3,21% 4,36% 61,48% 20,06% 8,98% 9,48% 81,54% 18,46% Rejuvenate and diversify the economy of Sicily through knowledge valorization processes (start ups creation and licensing)

12. RIS INNPULSE Workshops April 10-12 2006, Vilnius Andrea Di Anselmo Putting Strategy into Practice SLORITTS

13. Slovenia, the region As far as innovation is concerned, initiatives are project based, there are no long term actions focusing on strategic key issues. Strong importance is given to information (newsletters, seminar etc.), very little is done in terms of awareness raising (including entrepreneurship and R&D results valorisation). Universities and Research centres are not used to have commercial relationships with the business sector, focus on research and education (innovation = bridging research to the market). Population: 2 million inhabitants Area: 20.273 sq.kms National GDP: Services 61.5 %, Industry 30%, Construction 5.5%, Agriculture 3% Main cities: Ljubljana, Maribor and Celje Main industry: automotive, tool, transport and wood

14. Innovation System Action Plan To promote a national innovation culture, increase the innovation capacity of Slovenia and contribute to a more equal development of all regions. Leverages Legislation Innovation support system Research-industry collaboration Innovation financing Human Resource management Innovation awareness Main intervention programmes Technology umbrella: Focuses on the development of business zones and the modernisation of the innovation environment. Tourism umbrella: Aims to involve as many Slovenian tourism actors as possible and development of new, integrated tourism products and integrated information systems Health care umbrella: Aims at improving the standard of national healthcare and at offering specialist services that can be marketed abroad

15. Some key issues End Users Focus up on existing SMEs and start-ups specialising two distinct set of actions, measures and networks, (an eventual third on Knowledge valorisation - IPR, patenting and licensing) Integrate Strengthening and integration of the regional infrastructure for innovation (finance, incubation, grants). Human Resources Focus on HR as leverage to introduce innovation and create links to bridge Knowledge Basins to SMEs. Make it visible Rationalization of the network to support innovation in Slovenia (downsizing)    

16. Incubation and acceleration: Knowledge based start-ups RIS INNPULSE Workshops April 10-12 2006, Vilnius Andrea Di Anselmo

17. Start-ups: Why and How Why –Unemployment –Renew economic fabric –Keep brains –Market Knowledge basins –Fashionable ………………….. How –Entrepreneurship v/s employment –Exogenous v/s endogenous –Incubation v/s acceleration –Fees v/s equity Make or Buy

18. Knowledge based start-ups: IDENTITY & VISIBILITY Knowledge based business are strategic for competitiveness Long term action - “Bull eye” on it Success to showcase

19. Regional infrastructure: from Incubators to Parks Idea Incubator (pre-incubation) Business Incubator Accademic Incubator Accelerator Multi Tenant Building Technology Park Business Park Flexible housing for starting entrepreneurs Market prices are eventually a must More than only housing No pre-set solution, need to find the right balance according to regional needs

20. Incubation & Acceleration: the concept Acceleration Self starting Incubation

21. It is not difficult to learn new things but to quit old habits Thank you for listening a.dianselmo@meta-group.com